Is Vince Russo right....?? (On topic)

[Guest glennsoe]

This is taken from a recent interview with Vince Russo...

 

"That's why when you talk about [WWE], to me, one of the greatest mysteries in the world, in the universe and in my lifetime is: Why aren't you playing out the fact that Triple H and Stephanie are married? To me, that is the biggest missed golden opportunity that they have right now and if I were there, there is no question that that angle would be being played out and that the heat that Triple H has in the locker room would be playing out.

 

The Kliq, the people that are in Triple H's corner; all that would be playing out on television and the reason being is, it's real. There is no acting involved, and when you take reality like that and you put it in front of the camera, the people at home are going to get sucked in because they're going to think it's real because there is that shred of reality. I feel that [WWE] has tremendously, tremendously missed the boat with that opportunity "

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Question;

 

"That's one of the big differences between WWE and TNA right now is WWE seems to have moved to a safer style of wrestling as opposed to TNA which features very dangerous, very extreme types of moves"

 

Answer:

 

"Vince Russo: You know what it is? It's not that it's safe, that may be the wrong word. What I like to say is, these guys are going through the motions. They're veterans, they've been there a long time; let's face it, they're not making the money they once were and a lot of them don't have pride in what they do. Some do, don't get me wrong but some don't and what happens is, they wind up going through the motions. "

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

What do you think ? Is he still "crazy & hated" or could he turn it around for wwe (if hired again...NOT likely)

 

- Glenn -

[Guest Loss]

I actually think this is one case where Russo is right, but I wouldn't have him book it because he'd do too much insider lingo that would go over the heads of the masses. But doing a storyline where HHH was married to Stephanie McMahon and was getting free reign as a result and everyone hated him for it would make for great TV.

[Guest Junkyard Willie]

Vince Russo must be fucking bi-polar...or schiz rather. Multiple personality disorder rather,....was trying to think of the right disorder (and too lazy to erase what I just wrote).

 

His columns are splendid, but his booking is an abortion AND in total contradiction to what he writes. Remember when he wrote that little blurb for 1wrestling? When he was complaining about excessive screwjobs? And then the next month of TNA it was nothing but run-ins and screwjobs?

 

When he has time to think before he talk he seems like a brilliant wrestling mind. In times when the pressure is on and he's writing (booking) with his emotions, his IQ shrinks below his shoe size.

 

Fuck Vince Russo.

[Papacita 0]

But doing a storyline where HHH was married to Stephanie McMahon and was getting free reign as a result and everyone hated him for it would make for great TV.

Isn't that more or less what the McMahon-Helsmley Era was in 2000?

[Guest Loss]

Isn't that more or less what the McMahon-Helsmley Era was in 2000?

In some ways, yes. But they didn't really play the "HHH is getting special privileges because he's married to the boss's daughter" card as much as they could have. I would think the promos from the babyfaces would be heartfelt.

 

Doing it by referencing back story, which is what Russo probably has in mind, wouldn't work since the two have been divorced in storylines for over two years and Stephanie no longer has any power. Had the No Mercy finish not happened and had they never actually divorced on TV, this would have been just fine.

[Papacita 0]

I dunno. I can understand where his ideas are coming from, but they're nothing revolutionary, seem to be just another example of his overreliance on "shoot" booking that everyone criticized him for during his WCW run.

[Guest Loss]

"Shoot" booking in WCW didn't work because he didn't explain the backgrounds and used too many insider terms. Vince McMahon is on record saying "truth makes the best angle" and if you look back at the fuel behind Flair's promos returning to WCW in 1998, or Bret Hart's disappointment in the changing fanbase in the WWF, or Mick Foley's tirade on the Rock, it's possible that a vein of reality can enhance a feud. It should never be the entire basis for the feud though.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Like someone else said, it was already done in 2000, no one wants to see it again.

[Eclipse 0]

I know Vince Russo is right about one thing, and that's the style of how the WWE guys wrestle.

 

I don't watch TNA at all. But once in a while, I usually catch it, and EVERYTIME I see it, I am impressed with the wrestling. Their style makes it believable. They use better moves, and everything looks way better overall. After watching some of that X Divison wrestle, it TOTALLY puts WWE's Cruiserweights way down...

[Epic Reine 0]

Yes, real is definitly the way to go in WWE.... [rolling eyes]. Look at how great the Brawl for All got over...

 

And yes, let's show everyone that HHH and Steph are married.... only 2 years after the 7-month long deal about them getting divorced.

 

And wasn't half of the HHH-HBK feud about the Kliq and thats how it started with Nash bringing in HBK for the nWo and they tried to get HHH on board?

 

Ahh.... good old Russo..... *shits on his face*

[Guest CubbyBear]

I don't think that the storyline is anything special but the concept makes sense and is what the WWE should be doing IMO. The whole concept is to put together a storyline where the players actually express their true feelings instead of just acting out emotions. Thats where we buy into it.

 

It'd be a lot more interesting watching Chris Jericho go out there and express his feelings about getting held back all these years by HHH and the Kliq (in the context of a storyline) then what he's doing it. The people would by into it a lot more.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Doing HHH/Steph would be too hard because how would you introduce it?

 

*Steph comes back*

 

Steph: Hi Honey.

 

HHH: Hey pumpkin.

 

????

 

Are they "back together" in storyline terms, or were they never apart and they completely ignore the WM 18 crap? How many of the fans know that HHH/Steph are married "in real life"? I'm all for realism, but I can't see a proper scenario in putting the two together. The irony is, this would end up killing the fans' suspension of disbelief as it would point out what is real and what isn't.

[Guest Junkyard Willie]

It'd be a lot more interesting watching Chris Jericho go out there and express his feelings about getting held back all these years by HHH and the Kliq (in the context of a storyline) then what he's doing it. The people would by into it a lot more.

Kayfabe's been killed to the point where exposing that "wrestling isn't real" on an actual wrestling program isn't shocking anymore.

 

I think a well booked HHH/Benoit feud for the next 6 months would probably best be booked around "HHH started with the illustrious RAW Title and MUST have it back! Only Chris Benoit stands in his way. Cage match this coming PPV!"

 

Rather than

 

"HHH, fresh after mocking RAW Champion Chris Benoit's height and bland persona, challenges the champion to a "Book on a Pole" match. Will ringside enforcer Kevin Sullivan play into the equation at the PPV? Buy Now!"

[jester 0]

But doing a storyline where HHH was married to Stephanie McMahon and was getting free reign as a result and everyone hated him for it would make for great TV.

Isn't that more or less what the McMahon-Helsmley Era was in 2000?

Agreed. Not running with that angle is good, because it's already been run into the ground.

 

But believe me, it will happen sooner or later. And we'll all be sorry when it does.

[NoCalMike 0]

Well considering the heat backstage that is caused by the marriage, I could imagine that anger would increase tenfold if they actually play it out on TV. I mean all that would mean is ANOTHER reason to intoxicate RAW's headling program with Triple H so more. Maybe 2-3 years ago, but not now, it is too late, the ship has sailed. I could just see Triple H wrestling Jericho and have Jericho just snap and start shooting or something.

[Kizzo 0]

It's too late for that kind of storyline...the early part of 2000 to mid 2000 was based on the "McMahon-Hemsley ERA"....so IMO WWE should not even get involved with a storyline that was very good and written quite well....the only thing that will be different..and the only thing is... they will actually be married and Steph does have control of the creative process...other than that...it has run its course...

[Guest Nick Sigler]

Well, if that happened everyone would bitch about Triple H - Stephanie getting too much TV time.

[Chazz 0]

I agree with Russo on both fronts. The product right now, both In the ring and Storyline-Wise, Is just too damn conservative. The Company didn't acheive the success It did In the late 90's by playing It safe. Of course back then they had 2 talented writers, (Russo and Ferrera), who actually gave a damn about what the fans had to say, unlike now.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

the problem with that idea is the payoff... the type of payoff needed for something like that... lets just say I don't see it happening with HHH and Stephanie.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

The Kliq, the people that are in Triple H's corner; all that would be playing out on television and the reason being is, it's real. There is no acting involved, and when you take reality like that and you put it in front of the camera, the people at home are going to get sucked in because they're going to think it's real because there is that shred of reality. I feel that [WWE] has tremendously, tremendously missed the boat with that opportunity "

Nope, don't agree with him. Angles like that wouldn't draw because they require audiences to give a shit about the business, and the only people who do are people who have been following it for some time and have an interest in it already.

 

 

Basically, it would bring in nobody, and it would just be self-masturbatory fodder. And considering who's writing, it would be dragged through the dirt so hard that we'd long be pleading for it to stop before it ever did. Remember when everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) thought it was new and neat and cool when Vince made it more public that he was running the show and made an entire character around that? Now we bitch whenever he's onscreen and want him out of the camera time.

 

If you think people would be interested in seeing a show about backstage politics, and I doubt they do, a reality program with cameras following Vince, Steph, HHH and others after the show is done would draw much more huge than making an angle out of reality. Because the interest in the worked show is what draws interest to the reality show, see what I mean?

[Guest Nater]

Russo really just needs somebody to skim the crap off of his gold. While you can easily burn the guy for some of the crap ideas he's come up with and even proud of, he's also not given enough credit for things that work like gang-busters.

 

In this instance, he is wrong. Raw doesnt need more HHH and Steph, it would ruin the direction and strength that Evolution has already established.

 

His idea that reality makes the show interesting is a fundamental in drama. The best insults in wrestling always were forward or 'shoot' and so are most stories.

[JasonX 0]

Doing HHH/Steph would be too hard because how would you introduce it?

 

*Steph comes back*

 

Steph: Hi Honey.

 

HHH: Hey pumpkin.

 

????

 

Are they "back together" in storyline terms, or were they never apart and they completely ignore the WM 18 crap?  How many of the fans know that HHH/Steph are married "in real life"?  I'm all for realism, but I can't see a proper scenario in putting the two together.  The irony is, this would end up killing the fans' suspension of disbelief as it would point out what is real and what isn't.

Actually the best way to handle this would be to start from scratch again and have Steph show up with a deux de machina plot twist to explain how she has any sort of power in the WWE and have her propose to HHH that they remarry so that they can reinstate their control over the WWE. Acknowledge their previous marriage and divorce (perhaps even retconning the fact that Steph and Jericho slept together when she was managing him, which was why HHH went ahead with the divorce and give a logical storyline reason for HHH hating Jericho and using his marriage to make life hell for CJ) and move on from there.

 

The problem with this those is that if they did this angle, they would have to basically move HHH and Evo to SD because it would totally screw up the status quo on Raw which has shown to be doing good with Bischoff as the head guy in charge. Plus SD needs SOMETHING to bring viewers back to the show and I'm sure that the notion of Steph/HHH/Evo versus Eddy Guerrerro would be a good storyline that could revive the dying SD brand...