On this week’s WrestlingInc. Nuclear Heat Podcast, former WWE and WCW booker Vince Russo talked about the problems with 50-50 booking and more. Below are some highights.
Russo on booking of Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose feud: “A fan favorite in Ambrose gets attacked by Owens, says he’s going to get Owens. At the end of the show, Owens is out there wrestling Roman Reigns for 8-10 minutes, Ambrose is nowhere to be found. If I’m a fan of Dean Ambrose, he just lied to me. He told me he’s going to get Kevin Owens, Owens is out there. Nobody’s getting over.”
Russo on the problems of WWE’s booking of the Wyatt family: “The announcers are constantly painting them as a dangerous family who lives in the backwoods. Yet one guy, Ryback, hits the ring and the entire Wyatt Family runs. Next time Michael Cole tells me how scary they are, I don’t believe that. How scary are four guys that run away from one? Those characters are not being protected. If I’m (the Wyatt Family), I’m not running away from one guy. It’s not realistic.”
Russo recalling an an angle he booked between The Undertaker and Jerry Lawler:“Taker’s feud is with Paul Bearer and Kane. Lawler’s having a ball with this, he comes back later and says he apologizes, didn’t know the cameras were on, yadda yadda yadda. We came to the next show…Taker lays Lawler out, beats the crap out of him. Why? Lawler made degrading comments about Taker’s mother. Putting yourself in the shoes of Taker, he has to do something. That’s not protecting Taker. If Heyman’s going to keep taking shots at Taker and nothing happens, he’s going to keep doing it. How many times did Taker shut down Paul Bearer? But here’s Heyman burying him at will. That’s the inconsistency.”
