Guest Booker #16 | Vince Russo

It’s notable that the man whose booking was in part responsible for one of the biggest boom periods in wrestling had nothing to do with wrestling’s most hotly anticipated angles. Vince Russo was already gone when the WWE completed its purchase of WCW and planned to integrate the talent and history of the WCW and NWA. Many feel WWE dropped the ball on this opportunity. What would Russo have done?

The most controversial figure in pro wrestling in the last 15 years was not known for being in the ring or on camera. Russo was a writer and his decisions sparked passionate debate, wild rating points, and hatred. Well now, we profile the creative mind of the most polarizing off-camera wrestling figure ever, and we have him bring his unique philosophies and techniques to the WCW Invasion angle. Love him, hate him…if you were running a federation, chances are you’d want him! For the first time, watch Vince Russo weave angles over the weeks and months after the WCW purchase.

00:00 Introduction to Guest Booker
00:40 The Role of Writers vs. Bookers
01:29 Early Wrestling Memories
03:12 Iconic Wrestling Characters
05:55 The Impact of Video Games on Wrestlers
07:32 Character Development in Wrestling
08:28 Memorable Wrestling Angles
11:03 The Evolution of Wrestling Entertainment
13:09 First Booking Experience
15:32 Qualities of a Good TV Writer
18:32 Audience Engagement Strategies
22:58 WCW Invasion Angle
56:39 The Core Nucleus of Hulk
56:55 Brainstorming the Reveal
57:28 Building the Weekly Storyline
59:49 Teasing SummerSlam
01:00:45 Vince's Shoot Promo
01:02:05 NWO's Threat
01:02:47 SummerSlam Showdown
01:06:21 Assembling the Team
01:10:43 The Eric Bischoff Showdown
01:25:36 The Future of Wrestling
01:45:13 Concluding Thoughts