Russo's shoots

[Guest pappajacks]

Something that really intrigues me is a shoot. Personally, they come around every year or two. Whether it be a "worked shoot" or a "shoot" we really will never know; however, I consider the Bret v Vince to be real, and the Vince Russo v Hogan to be a "worked shoot"

 

To avoid controversy, I am going to rank the most famous shoots and classify them as "worked shoots". "Marks" thought they were real, casual fans thought they were real, and "passer-by’s" thought they were real.

 

1. Vince Russo v Hulk Hogan.

 

Vince Russo is my biological father. Devout readers and posters know this is a common fact by now. However, what really impressed me was when Vince Russo, my father, World Championship Creative Director publicly humiliated and subseqently fired Hulk Hogan from WCW. The same Hulk Hogan who is facing the Rock in a rumored "steel-caged" match at Wrestlemania in the T-Dot.

 

The question arises: How in the hell would Hulk Hogan allow this to happen; for him to be pubilically humiliated in front on millions errrrrr thousands (WCW was on the downfall) of his fans? Moreover, Hulk Hogan followed suit by putting forward a lawsuit (pun intended) charging Vince Russo with going against his contract (The lawsuit was eventually disregarded, even though it was rumored to be on Court TV). The whole scenario seems to be reality.

 

Here is the famous "shoot".

 

Prior to the alleged "shoot", Jeff Jarrett and Hulk Hogan came to the ring. Jarrett fell down, and let Hogan pin him. Next, Russo’s music hits, and he comes out:

 

 

"There's only one way for me to do this, and that's to tell it like it is. Three week's ago I left WCW (pause) Three week's ago I left WCW, and quite frankly I didn't know if I was going to come back. And the reason I didn't know if I was going to come back or not was because from day one that I've been in WCW, I've done nothing, nothing, but deal with the bullshit of the politics behind that curtain. The fact of the matter is, I've got a wife, I've got three kids at home and I really don't need this shit. But let me tell you the reason why I did come back. I came back for everyone of the guys in that locker room that week in, week out bust their ass for WCW. I came back for the Booker T's, I came back for every single guy in MIA, I came back for the animals, I came back for Jarrett, I came back for the guys behind that curtain that give a shit about this company.

 

And let me tell you who doesn't give a shit about this company. That god damn politician Hulk Hogan. Cause let me tell you people what happened out here earlier in the ring. All day I've been playing politics with Hulk Hogan, cause Hulk Hogan wants to play his creative control card. And to Hulk Hogan that meant tonight in the middle of this ring, even though he knew it was bullshit, he beats Jeff Jarrett. Well guess what, Hogan got his wish. Hogan got his belt, and he went the hell home and I promise everybody or I will go in the god damn grave, you will never see that piece of shit again! But I also sat out there with the people just like you. I know you paid good to come here tonight, no one is going to be ripped off here tonight. So Hulk Hogan now has the WCW Belt.

 

Now Hulk lets refer to that belt as 'The Hulk Hogan Memorial Belt' cause from here on in that belt don't mean shit! Because there will be a new WCW belt and as far as I'm concerned that belt still belongs to the one guy that busts his ass week in and week out and you people can love him or hate him, but he doesn't screw anyone back there, and that's Jeff Jarrett. Now wait a minute. Jeff Jarrett is still the official WCW Champion, but he will defend that title in this ring tonight. And he will defend that title against that son of a bitch back there that for fourteen years has busted his ass in WCW but can't get a god damn break because of the Hulk Hogan, and I am talking about Booker T. Booker T. and Jeff Jarrett are the two reasons I am in this damn business to begin with. So tonight in this ring, two deserving guys, Jarrett and Booker, will compete for the WCW Title. And Hogan you big bald son of a bitch, KISS MY ASS!"

 

 

 

The subsequent Jarrett-Booker match was the only World title main event in PPV history where both competitors lost a match earlier on the show. Both of them competed earlier in Bash at the Beach.

 

Dropping "s" and "a" bombs really drove the point home. You could even tell by the fire in Russo’s eyes that this could be real. Russo should have won an Emmy for the performance if this was a "worked shoot", because I bought the shit at first.

 

However, according to numerous websites, Russo would have a field day with fooling the internet fans and mixing them up. Kind of like Arnold Shapiro and Big Brother. Case and point the following Nitro: Vince Russo didn’t even mention the "shoot", and acted as if nothing happened.

 

I really would like to know the truth. Right now I am leaning towards a "worked shoot"; but if it was real, Vince Russo has the biggest and I mean biggest balls in the world.

 

2. Kevin Nash v Scott Hall v Erik Bischoff 1996

 

I didn’t see it live, but I have seen the tapes. Scott Hall showing up unannounced to WCW Nitro had to be the second-greatest "worked shoot" ever. Everyone bought it and believed that the WWF was invading the WCW.

 

Then next week, Kevin Nash came and Jack-knife powerbombed Bischoff through the announce table.

 

This angle brought in casual fans and the "marks" fans of the WWF to lead WCW to consecutive trounching’s of WWF RAW. What made the angle even appear to be more "real life" was Hulk Hogan turning heel at Bash at the Beach 1996. (Hey, didn’t Hogan get humiliated by Russo at Bash at the Beach 2000).

 

Also, Vinne Mac filed a lawsuit against Hall and Nash for jumping to WCW. The lawsuit was eventually settled for an undisclosed amount of $cash, but the lawsuit added a greater element of real life to the storyline.

 

 

 

 

3. Triple H v Vince McMahon v Steve Austin

 

H was scheduled to win the King of the Ring Tournament in 1996, but as a punishment for joining Shawn Micheals in a farewell to the departing Scott "The Smashed" Boozer Hall and Kevin Nash to WCW at Madison Square Garden, Stone Cold instead won KOTR. H would go on to use this angle on WWF TV until he won the KOTR tournament the next year in 1997.

 

 

 

Worst "Worked Shoot"

 

1. Vince Russo v Scott Steiner v Goldberg

 

I can’t remember which PPV it was, but the match was Steiner vs Goldberg. According to Russo, prior to the PPV, he wanted Goldberg to "lie-down" for Scott Steiner after a wrestling match, to put Steiner over. (What happened to wrestling being "real").

 

At the PPV, Russo was on the stage, awaiting for the outcome, and Goldberg walked out just like that in passing Russo. Russo chanted "It’s over for you Goldberg, you are done in the business."

 

On the subsequent Nitro, Russo confronted Goldberg, to which Goldberg attacked Russo. Russo told the camera-man to "cut to commercial, get this sh*t off the air."

 

I really didn’t buy the worked shoot, but it was a refreshing change to see.

 

2. WCW using the Montreal incident with Roddy Piper to screw Bret out of the championship. No explanation needed.

 

 

 

I went on a bit of a tangent here, but I still find the "worked shoot" to be the most intriguing part of wrestling. As you can see, Russo used it to his advantage. That is why I hold him in such high acclaim.

[Guest converge241]

I would bet money that Hogan and/Russo can't figure out what was really going on in that Bash at the Beach nonsense.

Especially with the lawsuit and all. Somebody must be perjuring themselves in those testimonies with all the "work"-"shoot" elements and all.

Your Honor, allow me to present case #33455bs

"the Master Manipulator" vs. "the Master of The Swerve"

[Guest Tony149]

The Hogan/Jarrett match as a work. Russo rant on Hogan was a shoot. They never talked about it on Nitro due to legal reasons. Hogan is nowing suing Russo & AOL Time Warner.

 

The Russo/Steiner/Nash & Goldberg stuff was a "worked shoot" between Russo/Nash & Goldberg.

[Guest Army Eye]

2. WCW using the Montreal incident with Roddy Piper to screw Bret out of the championship. No explanation needed.

Just a slight correction, Bret won the match, it was Goldberg getting screwed.  

 

Worked shoots are cool if done right, but I think Russo WAY overdid it.  It seemed like they were doing one almost every week.  And I don't know how you mean that Russo used them to his advantage.  Did any of his worked shoots in WCW really help business?  They basically were in a freefall when he took over, with the exception of his first month or two.

 

I like worked shoots once in a while but I just really don't like how Russo drove the concept into the ground.