I love everyone is here for all the cool, extreme francing and welcome to another episode of Eyes up Here with Ran Scene on the iHeartRadio Network or wherever you get your podcast, joining me as always because they can't get rid of them with my co host Chad, don't shake your head. You know it's true. Are you today, my friends?
What can you say? I love being here and you can't get rid of me if you try it.
I'm trying. It's not working. We're doing double duty today, ladies and gentlemen, because next week I am I'm taking the kiddies on a little baker if you will. My well, my husband's going home to UH to visit his family. He is going to a basketball reunion because he used to play basket the basketball for the Iliani and UH he has a reunion and so he's going there and and I'm going to take the kids somewhere. I'm not gonna say where, but I'm going to take the kids
somewhere by myself for the first time. And I'm nervous as hell about it. Let me tell you why I always have It's always the four of us. It's always me, my husband and the kids. He always drives He always plans everything, He navigates, he knows where everything is. Me, on the other hand, not so much.
I don't have a good sense of direction. I forget things. I get nervous driving.
I'm desperately afraid that God forbid, I'm gonna get in a car accident.
So I plan to drive eighteen miles an.
Hour and just cruise. And I'm telling me, I have stress about it. I booked it myself, which I you know, I can do those kind of things. But I've been thinking, like, God forbid, what if something happens, you know. But I just didn't want to be home without him, so I was like, it's boring, Let's just go do something. So we're going to a nice resort and we're gonna eat and swim and be merry for four days of our lives. And it's gonna be fun. I think I just gotta
get there. Once I get there, I'll feel so much better.
It's like, ah, I can breathe them, So yeah.
It'll be fun. Can I come.
Nobout, Absolutely not a man.
I have my bags packed and everything.
Oh too bad. You can bring your family and meet us there.
Are you gonna be doing Christmas cards? While you're there.
No, I don't do Christmas card. You're lucky. If you get a phone call.
From me, I'll send my annual Christmas card.
H Yeah, now we I stopped doing that probably like three or four years ago. I think I used to do. I used to do the whole thing. Get the kids on the you know, take the picture, put them on the card, send the card down. Then I realized like people were like, even the people I was sending cards to weren't sending them back. And that irritated me. And I was just like, well, f this, I'm not doing that anymore. My Christmas spirit went out the door. So I don't do it anymore.
I don't know, send a nice handwritten one, you know, then send you one every year?
Yeah, no, you do, and that's very sweet. And I used to be like you.
And then my kids got big, and I was like, they don't want to take pictures anymore, And who really cares? You know, if you're my friend, I talk to you. You either get a text or a phone call, depending on where you rank in the Queen's world. And that's that. Yeah, you know, some people are up here, others are down here.
I mean your queen always looking down I mean.
At my peasants. But you know, you know how goes.
I do, I do unfortunately.
Anyway, So that's that's what we're doing. And I don't know. We might get a great adventure this weekend see the Christmas Lights maybe, So what do you got planning? You got anything? Don't know?
Uh No, this is a quiet weekend, thank god, you know. But before the Christmas high jinks start, we always have some wild shenanigans going on. We have down my Way, we have King's Dominion, and we plan on doing King's Dominion probably the weekend before Christmas Derek Extravaganza. Now they have the Peanuts Gang at King's Dominion, So I think that's pretty cool because I mean a lot of people associate Charlie Brown and Peanuts Gang with Christmas, so we will be doing that for the first time.
I love it. It's great.
I don't love Charlie the Charlie Brown Christmas that much. I like I like it, like it's one I get out of the way early. But I'm hosting a Christmas.
Wors you are, which I didn't get.
No time out, time out. Well I'll get to that. But no at the at the elementary school. I'm hosting a family movie night where we're watching The Grinch.
So that that's cute.
Yeah, that's a good one, so very cute. The Christmas party, I'm sorry. You know, certain elements that we can't control in this country of ours have downgraded the party to get together so get togethers. You don't usually invite people from outside the.
Not true, you have no legs to stay. I swear if I lived in Virginia and still didn't get invites.
Oh you would absolutely be invited.
I don't think I would be friends with you at all, Like I wouldn't even talk to you. I mean, I know we live very far apart, and that's why I don't take offense. But as I always say, a good gesture would be like, hey, I'm having this thing. You know, if you guys want to drive down, you're more than welcome to. I literally won't. But there's the invite.
I foresee inviting you to something in twenty twenty four. But I have a feeling you'll be booked, so no, probably won't be coming, but I'm going to invite you to it.
So well, I won't come, but you that I won't come, but you have. Twenty twenty four is looking really good, really good. I am so surprised I have now we know, January, I usually don't take any bookings because I have to. I need a month to prepare for Disney.
We all know that.
But I'm booked in February, I'm booked I think three weekends in March. I'm booked in April for Wrestle Khan, I'm booked in May, booked in June. Like up until the mid the middle of the year. I have all this stuff going on, and I'm so happy about it because, you know, I really want to start getting out there and working again, because this year was just not a good year.
For me and my family.
But next year is looking really promising and I'm very very excited, and I just hope the offers keep coming in, and you know, if things work out the way we want, I can be working every single month, which would be excellent.
I want twenty twenty four to be my year.
Year of the Queen. I can see it on the marquee read above.
That would be great. I just want to be busy. I want to work. I want this to grow, you know, I want YouTube to grow. Because our YouTube is almost that ten k. I know I sound so repetitive, but we're so close on YouTube, and we really need everybody to start downloading these episodes here on iHeart or you know, Apple or iTunes or Spotify or wherever you listen. And if you're listening now, please go and share an art
and tell your friends. And you know, I want everything I do to grow and expand, and I want to take over the world. That's my nearest.
Resolution, one medium at a time, take over the world.
No, it's it'll be our fifth year, so I think it's it's time.
It's time colamorating for the queen. Question, is this going to be your thirtieth year to twenty twenty four?
Thirty?
This is my This December makes thirty years A wow?
Interesting?
Yes, very cool.
So yeah, it's it's been a hell of a ride. I'm not ready to get off yet. So I want to keep going. Yeah, I want to keep going and expanding and doing new things and working with new people and just providing new content for everyone listening and not done yet.
Well, there could be some very cool content coming this way the podcast roots.
So I hope. So, because I'm ready to have.
Some stuff possibly brewing in the lab as they say, dew we Okay, well, yes, indeed.
Very good. I can't wait to collab and hear what you got, Bruin. So I'm very excited. Yeah, it's going to be a good year. I think it's going to be a good year for both of us. Very optimistic. And you know me, I'm usually a pessimist about certain things. But I have a good feeling. No, not you, I know, I never do. I never have a good feeling, but I feel like I have a good feeling about.
With the Saturdayight Live character Debbie Downer, now with the face Debbie Downer makes the.
That was one of the greatest skits that SNL ever had, absolutely phenomenal. The one at Disneyland was the best thing they ever did with I've said that a million times. So great.
That's the one where they couldn't even remotely keep a stray face.
Yeah, yeah at all.
But have you sent our guests they Okay, I'm gonna let you do the honors because this this is the Chadsters work. He had a problem getting this guy in and he's going to nail them for it. So you're gonna do the intro and once he's ready to come in, hopefully he's uh, he's getting it now and we'll be ready to go.
Yeah. I did not think it would be as hard as it was, but I guess it was. I guess you you might chalk it up to crossing of the streams. Maybe you know, there was the channels. Look, there's so many ways of communication these days. You know, you send it to this outlet, you send it to the way you get received. I mean I probably could have gone three or four different routes to get the message out, but the one I went just was like going into
a black hole. So when when he jumps on, I'm gonna you know, and I know what he's gonna say. I I had to go through a third party to intermediate.
Oh my gosh. Well, the worst thing on the planet is when you can tell that somebody read your message and they don't answer you yeah, and then they go, oh, my phone was just you know, my text message thing was just open and it just said red and I hadn't seen it for six hours.
I'm like, really, that's a bunch of bs right there.
I pet Peeves like, if I if it says red, answer me, you.
Know mine don't say red, and I get accused you.
Were say delivered, so I know it got there. But when when I'm texting with you and you answer me right away for the first one and then you take twelve hours for the second one, I literally want to punch you in the face. I know. I hate that. That's annoying. I know, I know, especially if I need an answer, like you're the worst. You're not a good text message.
I swear to you on a stack of Bibles. I sometimes forget in the conversation you're talking in that moment, I get pulled in nine hundred.
Directions like you're the only person in the world who has stuff going on.
I do not every day.
Oh my god, what a day.
Oh my god, Oh my god.
You don't think I'm doing stuff? Do you think I'm like Peg Bundy and I just sit on the couch with Bombonds all day and watch soap operas and shit.
I think, where your your francy and outfits around the house, and you do exactly that.
That's exactly.
Oh my god. We bought a Christmas tree for the front porch.
I went out, uh maybe yesterday or the day before to put the balls on it, and I was in my pajamas and it was like twelve o'clock in the afternoon. I was still in my pajamas.
The freaking ups guy drives up and comes.
Right off to my standing there, and he's like, how you doing? And I was like, oh, I'm still in my pajamas. How are you? How embarrassing?
So I do stay in my pajamas sometimes.
Okay, well, we'd like to say that's the state flag of Virginia is the red check pajamas.
I won't the way out in my pajamas. I've never shopped at Walmart in my pajamas. I don't do that kind of stuff.
But I'll sit in my house in my pajamas.
If I don't have to go anywhere in the weather's crap, Why can't I stay in my pajamas If I don't have a like an outside job. I was gonna say, what you gotta do?
I mean, you know, it's I've never been like a strict like pajama guy.
You know, like my pajama pants on right now?
Yeah, I mean you do you boo?
I mean I'm my Eagles jersey.
Yeah, I'm like, you know, I'm I'm like a casual like you know at tire guy. You know, so sweats.
Do you like sweats?
Sweats?
Love them?
Go right from the sweats and like even you know, working from home, like I'll either be in you know, like the Adidas style track pants or jeans. You know, like I go right into the jeans.
But it are not comfortable to sit for hours in. They're really not. I mean, if that's good for you, that's great.
I mean again, we're always running around. I'm running out of the house.
I gotta go, yeah, but to lounge. Oh no, I need pajamas or nice comfy sweats and I'm good to go. But don't judge me because I know never just stay in your pajamas as well. All right, So here's pajamas right now.
Here's my introduction a guy who I have a great deal of respect for. But I am absolutely baffled that it took me to go through Mike Durban to have to get him on the airwaves. Like I said, respect him to death. The one and only the great Vince Russo came back, but I had to go brband to get him.
Bro, I don't know what happened. I swear I did not get the email. I looked in my spam. I don't know what happened, but it doesn't matter way here anyway.
Bro, Vince, thanks for coming back box.
Yeah, Vince, it's been a while. How First of all, you look great?
Thank you?
So do you seek refreshed and rejuvenated.
Just got out of a shower, ready to go. I'm starting my day with you, Francine.
I can smell you. You look clean, smell clean.
I like that to be aquavelba, aquavelba, aqua velva. Is that?
Is that what men were these days?
I don't think I don't think you can get that anymore. Bro, aquavelba was like back in the seventies.
Man, Is that like old spice? Yeah?
Pretty much?
Yeah, pretty much. Well, you know the classics never dies.
Oh never, never, ever, ever, ever, Good for you.
Vince is associated with the brand. For those of you who don't know, tell us how that's going. I want to start off with that.
Well, I want to tell you this real quick man. We're doing a special right now. If you have never tried out our Patreon, you can go over there right now and get a free week of the brand. It will cost you absolutely nothing. It will let you sample all our content right there on the screen. Man, just go to Patreon dot com, forward slash russo TWC awesome.
And what what talent do you have with you right now?
Because it's been yeah, right now. I always forget somebody. Of course, I've got Stevie Richards, Stevie Richards, the Great Benjamin, I've got Stevie Ray from Hallam Heat, I've got EC three, I've got al snow God. I know, I always forget somebody. But she's she's not on no more. We Yeah, we switched some shows around. That's okay. Going into the new Yeah, going into the new year, I wanted to switch some shows around, so we added some, we took some away.
But uh yeah, there there's so much content on there, so much content.
Yeah, I love it. So I I want to ask you a question. Yeah, and I you know, if you don't want to answer, you don't have to.
But I have a feeling you'll want to go ahead.
What's with all the feuds you're feuding? I saw, I saw you just tweeted Triple H. I think you're trying to fight him. I think you're trying to fight Seawn Ross Sap.
No. For first of all, I don't I don't know. I don't know. I don't know him as Sean Ross Sap. Unless you're a celebrity, you don't. You don't get three name treatments. The fact of the matter is the dude's name is Sean Sap, and you know they made fun of him all throughout grade school in high school. He doesn't. He doesn't. He's not worthy of the middle name. So if you're gonna, if you want to discussing with me, that's fine. But I don't know any Seawn Ross SAPs. I just know a Sewan Sap.
Okay, well, whoever you know. I met him once. I have to say he was lovely to me.
Yeah, very very nice.
Man.
Okay, let me tell you how lovely he is, fran Scene. He's so lovely, and how this whole thing started. This guy is so lovely, bro that I am sitting on my couch one night a couple of months ago, man, eleven thirty at night and get a I get a text out of the clear blue sky from Seawn Ross's slap saying, Vince, I just want you to know what a big piece of shit you are. That's how lovely, that's how wonderful sewn Ross Sap is. So the bottom line is, you talk about these feuds, Bro, you want
to poke the bear. You want to go at it with me? Fine, bro, like let's go. Let's see how that's gonna turn out for you. The problem with Triple h is and Francine you will agree to this, and you don't have to even agree to this. I know you're gonna agree with this. Don't give me the bullshit with It's a different time. Wrestling is evolving, Bro. Wrestling is the same as wrestling was one hundred years ago. You have a match. The idea of the match is
to pin and beat your opponents. You could beat him three ways. You could pin him, you can get counted out, or he can get dequ'ed. That has been the same for a hundred years. Wrestling has not evolved. So stop with the bullshit. And the bottom line is the WWE sold out. They sold out, bro. Bottom line, they got to the point. We're gonna be politically correct. We're not gonna insult anybody. We're not gonna have an edge anymore. We're not gonna be dangerous anymore. We're gonna put on
Manby Pamby Programming and Francine, that's fine. A lot of people sell out. People will say Snoop Dogg sold out because he's in a million commercials. I got no problem with selling out because that's part of business. What I got a problem with is, don't bullshit us. Don't give me this evolution, this evolving. Don't you guys sold out? Period? End of story, Say you sold out and let's move on.
Is it selling out though, or is it just trying to extend the brand adapt to the times? Uh?
You know they adapted to the times by selling out, by not doing anything that's gonna possibly offend anybody. Listen, Fretzine, this is professional wrestling. You're gonna be in the professional wrestling business, and you know and and not you know, get somebody's panties in a wad. You always are no matter what, bro there are going to be people that are upset. If people want to find a problem with your product, they'll find a problem with your product. You're
not going to please everybody. So when you know, they made a decision to become politically correct, so they could be in business with Saudi Arabia and they could be in business whoever they want to. But we are talking about professional wrestling here. We're not talking about a puppet show. Professional wrestling was never meant to not, you know, get somebody upset. It was never meant to be that.
Okay, uh, tell me about you and Baba.
What do you mean the missed?
Oh god, this is good.
I'm pulling up things that have caused a star one x.
Well, you know, according to Sean's sap uh, here's a funny thing. According to Sean sab franc scene. I'm doing all of this to stay relevant. Okay, now trying.
To get a job with.
Yeah, well, not not only that. Here's what cracks me up. Here's what cracks me up. Raw drew a million and a half people on on Monday Night. If I was trying to stay relevant, the absolute last genre I would try to stay relevant would be wrestling. Wrestling is not relevant. Wrestling hasn't been relevant four years. So if I was actually trying to stay relevant, I promise you I would not be doing it through a company and through a business that is the most irrelevant in entertainment and sports
across the board. Now, according to Bubba Is, you know, I watch these shows, Francine, only because I get paid to watch these shows. The minute they stop paying me, I stop watching. It's that simple. But I am watching. I'm watching this, Okay. First of all, I got to check my watch to make sure it's twenty twenty three. So I'm watching Cody Rhodes come out and explain how Knakamora spewed a poison, missed a poison missed into his face. But yet here we are seven days later and they're
both perfectly fine. I just didn't understand that if Knakamora is holding a poison in his mouth, I'm thinking it's blistering. I'm thinking he's got cancasaurs. I'm thinking he can't breathe. I'm thinking his his, his, his, his, Larnix is closing up. And then Cody gets the poison in the eyes, and I'm thinking of oh my god. You know, bro, it's like, can you imagine getting chlorox in your eyes or you know, even uh, even pepper spray. But here we are a
week later, and we're both perfectly fine. To me, that's what casual fans laugh at and the reason why you still get crap today, Francine. I'm not telling you anything. You don't know. You've got the wrestling bubble and they all live in the resting bubble. They don't have a clue of what's going on on the outside world. You got people in there, bro that through politics have been holding their spots forever. When when when the world passed
them by a long time ago? So when when I when I hear of a poison missed, people are laughing at that. And and you know what, Bubba can say whatever Bubba wants to say. Back in the day of Muda, nobody ever said it was poison. Nobody. Poison is a whole different category. Fran scene.
Yeah, I'm trying to think because I I've taken that from to Jerry to Jerry used to you?
Was it poison?
You know it was green mist?
Was it poison? Was poison?
Poison? I've taken it a couple of times and I know it went into every orifice of my body.
Is it poison? Though?
You know, I can't remember if it was poisoned?
Just skin boiled? Did did you you're all boys boil?
I did come to work the next week? What would you call it? If you had to rename this mist?
Well, miss miss we don't know what's in the mist. Okay, it's something temporary, blinding minding.
It's a blinding miss.
Yes, blinding miss thank you Jazz. Poison like poison, Bro, I'm actually gonna put poison in my mouth, Brom, I'm sorry. These are the things you have to look at because it's twoenty twenty three, it's not nineteen seventy three. These are the things you have to look at.
I'm reading because I love to read comments. Anyone that I follow I read comments. I like to see what fans are saying about things. People are still blaming you. And we've talked about this before. Now we're on iHeart, so we have a new audience that's listening. So I'm gonna say it again. People are still blaming you for like downfalls of companies coming up with ridiculous angles, things that you said you weren't even a part of, and fans just seem to love to pick at you and
argue with you constantly. Like the thing that I want to know is how are you not losing your mind?
Because well, for first of all, a couple of reasons. First of all, I never read comments, and second of.
All of them, so you do read comments because no, I don't.
I don't. I don't read the comments.
I'll on you respond to comments if you don't.
If you don't, I don't respond to comments.
I've seen you respond.
I don't. Francene, I don't unless it's a bubba. Francine, I don't. I mean, I'm telling you, I don't. I do you know? On my you I did a video yesterday on YouTube that said five thousand views. I don't look at those comments. I will, I will see comments on Twitter.
Yes, that's what I'm referring to.
Oh yeah, No, I only unless it's a bubba, or unless it's somebody in the industry or the business. My comments are very few and far between, very cool, and because here's the reason. It's real simple. My brand of television was entertainment. All of these people commenting want believe wrestling is real. They think it's real. They've convinced themselves it's real. They want twenty thirty minute wrestling matches. They want to put stars to those wrestling matches. And that's
not how I wrote TV. And oh my god, surprise, surprise, surprise. The television I wrote had the highest ratings in the history of wrestling. Why not because I was a genius friend scene, because I opened it up to everybody through entertainment in wrestling today, if you're not a fan of the wrestling, you're not watching. It's that simple. So you know, I I opened it up to everybody. You didn't have to be a fan of the actual wrestling. And that's
that's what the marks didn't like. So it's it's real. It's real simple. And that's why I don't look at comments and I don't answer comments because I know they're they're ridiculous mindset.
Storylines to me are very important, very important. If a story doesn't draw me in, I can't waste thirty minutes of my time, even if the guys are great workers. I need something to invest in, yes, and to bring me back every week. So I one hundred percent agree with what you're saying, and I feel like you excelled at that story telling aspect of the.
Business because that's what your casual fan, your casual television television audience wants, That's what they want. That's why you are drawing a one point five million people. They're not in tristed in twenty minute wrestling matches, right, what would you.
Do, either with WWE or AEW to change if they hired you and I know you're not interested.
I'm not interested. It's never been happen.
You're not interested. But with you all of your expertise, because you have been in the business for a very long time, what would you do to poperating these things?
Francine, It's real simple, and it's the same thing I told Vince McMahon in nineteen ninety six when they were doing Mantar and TL Hopper and the Goon and all this ridiculous crap. I told Vince McMahon in nineteen ninety six, Vince, this product needs to mirror society. What that means is, it's real simple, franccene. Realism, realism, make it real and work, work the shoot, work the shoot, not not poison mist in the eyes. I'm talking about reality. Franccene. Here's a
perfect example. Okay, cmpunk comes back after ten years. Everybody in that locker room has a different opinion. Why aren't you putting the microphone in their face and saying, what do you think as a shoot of cmpunk coming back to the WWE and let the people tell the truth. Why wouldn't you do that? That is such a missed opportunity. Then, Franccene, based on the comments, now you roll with who said what do you? But to totally ignore that is ridiculous.
But I feel like, if I'm in that locker room and I have heat with Punk, I'm afraid to say the truth because am I gonna get heat for it? Is that going to cause me heat with the boys?
But not if that's what management is telling you to do. If the if management the boys, No, it's not no, it's not no, because because the smart boys, Francine and you know all this, the smart boys will know that they can make money with that. Oh they they know that, Bro. And that's especially Punk Punk you use use Bro his his his promo was horrific. The fact that you're telling me I'm home after you got fired on your wedding day.
Give me a break, Bro, give me a break. They fired your ass on your wedding day and I'm home, I'm home.
What does he do different?
I read a little exactly what he said at the end of the promo, which was off Cat, which was off Mike. The last thing he said was I'm not defense, I'm he gonna make money. That's the freaking promo. That's the pro. So people do have a problem with ceem punk. Seem punk is gonna make money with that problem. Seem punk is a pro. But to totally ignore all of that. That's why when Punk was on the show two weeks ago, they did one point nine million. The following week we
lost four hundred thousand viewers, and you don't know why. Okay, that's that's what I'm talking about, selling out, playing it safe, Mamby, Pamby, That's what I'm talking about.
Yeah, I feel like if I was in that locker room, I would tell Punk, I'm just gonna say I hate you, but I really love you, so I wouldn't get any I don't won't heat with anyone.
I think. Man, if I am head writer, and I know Vince would have done it back in the day, listen, Frank see. You know it's back in the day when the Montreal screwjob went down, and you know, Vince goes into Brett's locker room. The next day, we're in the production meeting and Vince has a black eye. So here, here's who's in the meeting. It's me. It's Pritchard, it's Jr. It's Pat it's Britto, like Kevin Dunn, maybe like six people.
So fen scene, I'm watching this, and every single person in that room, you know, Vince, Vince is not talking, Vince is listening. Every single person in that room wants to sweep it under the rug like it never happened. So I'm sitting there and I'm listening to all this. And then after you hear what everybody had to say, I said, are you effing nuts? This is a once in a life time opportunity. Brett Hard punched Vince McMahon in the face, and you're gonna sweep that under the
rug like it never happened. Nothing like this will probably ever happen again in the history of this business. And you are not going to take advantage of that. And as I'm saying this, I'm looking at Vince, and I know Vince's thinking he's one hundred percent right. We get back to Stanford that week, and that's when Vince went in the studio and cut the Vince McMahon didn't screw Brett Hart. Brettheartscrewed Brett Hart. And that was the start
of the mister McMahon character. That would have never happened if Vince Russo was not in the room. If Vince Russo was not in the room, they would have swept that all right under the rug, and you might not ever even had a mister McMahon. And they're doing the same thing today, but bringing back a guy like seeing Punk who's got controversy out the wazoo everywhere he goes, everybody he meets. And you're not gonna allow your roster to give their real feelings about Punk and then work
that into programming content. You're fools, man, You're absolutely fools.
That's an interesting take, very interesting take. If I can switch gears, do you have anything to add chat, because I'm gonna switch gears for that?
I mean, what else can I say? I mean, it's just I can't recognize any bit of what I watched. I watched that whole raw, and I haven't watched the raw in years, from start to finish. It's just because I wanted to see what Punk had to say, and I got suckered into three hours, and I said the show should be two. If you had to, if you had to write three hours of a raw in the heyday, of ninety eight. I mean, wouldn't you have exhausted some of your best ideas you had to stretch.
It another, Chad, I'll be honest with you.
Man.
When Ed and I went over to Nitro, the first nine Nitros were three hours.
Bro.
With the roster we had, we had absolutely no problem, absolutely no problem writing a three hour show. Bro. Here's the problem. They don't have writers. They don't have writers. They've got Paul haym they got the Haman's, and they got the Pritchards, and they got the Michael Hayeses, and they got all these people. These people are not writers. They've never been writers. They've never been trained as a writer.
They don't have a degree in writing. Just because Triple H won thirty five world titles doesn't make Triple H a freaking writer, Chad. They did the same thing, Francine, same thing. The day after Owen Hart dies. They want to go on and shoot a row with no mention of what happened the night before, no mention. We're gonna
put on a regular show. I went into a closed door meeting with me, Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn, and I started emotionally breaking down and I basically, I not basically I told them, if this show is not a tribute to owen Hart, I am going home right now. I'm going home right now, because if you're gonna have a raw like nothing happened last night, I'm not gonna be a part of that. And then what did they what did they turn what did they turn the show into?
It was a memorial to owen Hart. But bro, that's because I was there and and and and like, I was the guy who was never in the bubble. I was just a wrestling fan. I was a father, I was a husband, I was a regular guy. So I did not see things through their ridiculous bubble. And I was the only one that said, I'm I'm literally leaving right now if that's what this show is going to be tonight.
So you're you're trying to say they wouldn't have even acknowledged him down the line, you know, you don't think owen Hart.
They would They would have, they would have. They would have mentioned what happened last night and had about a three minute package and that would have been the end of it. That would have been the end of it. Yes, wow, Yes that happened. That happened. I believe you believe what I'm talking about. That that's that's what I mean about the wrestling bubble. That's that's what I'm talking about. That one I never heard because I've never really said that before.
That's exactly it was. It was just the three of us in a room, just the three of.
Us, instead of it being this iconic show now that we all remember and you know, just close your eyes and see Austin, you know, saluting the tron and everybody's emotional speeches. That's incredible that they would just bypass that for the sake of matches on a show where people were wrestling with bloodstains in the middle of a canvas.
Yeah. Like I said, Chad, the same exact thing when Brett punch Vince and we're not going to talk about this, they're still in the we're not going to talk about this mode.
Unbelievable. Let me switch gears because I've always said I'm not a big fan of Dark Side of the Ring only because it's such a negative light shined upon pro wrestling, and all of us that are in it are really proud.
Of what we've done and what we've accomplished.
If we weren't. We wouldn't be in this business. Honestly, I watched an episode and forgive me, I can't remember what the theme was, but it was centered around you, and I never really saw you talk about it after it aired.
What was your opinion of that dark side of the ring?
Do you know what I'm talking? Was it that or something?
I will tell you exactly. I'll tell you two thousand I'll tell you exactly what happened. Okay. The first a dark Side I did was about the Brawl for All Okay, And when I made the decision to do that, I'm like, bro, like, this is this is no big deal. This, This isn't the plane ride from Hell, like, this is the Brawl for All tournament? How how did this come about? There was nothing scandalous about this nothing. So I'm like, okay,
I'll talk about the Bral for All. I'll take responsibility for me pitching the idea of Vince and everything else. So I thought it was no big deal. So I agree to do the Bral for All episode. And during that episode, the the producers of the episode, they decide that they're going to turn it into Vince Room so versus Jim Cornett Okay. So now I see that air and I'm like, you freaking guys like Siri. I understand TV's all about freaking ratings, but don't don't blindside me
like that. Okay, So Francine, fast forward two to three years later, they call me again to do Bash at the Beach. So first thing I said is, are you guys freaking kidding me? I did the brawl for all with you guys, and you guys turned it into a Vince Russo Jim Cornett angle, which there is no angle. I could give two shits about Jim Cornette. I am so over and so past Jim Cornette. I could give two shits. So I said, and you have the goal to come back to me and ask me to do
this Bash of the beach. So Franccene right hand to god. You know, I am a you know I've been podcasting now for ten years. This is how I make my living. I don't want to go back to any wrestling company. That will never happen. So they basically said to me, Vince, what will it take you to do the Bash at the beach. Francine, I threw a ridiculous number at them, ridiculous and they said, okay, we'll pay you that, and I said, okay, I said I want that upfront, okay,
and and and they paid me that ridiculous amount. So I did Bash at the Beach. But again, Francine, you got to understand something for me. Anyway, when I go into the when I go into like these dogs you know, these dog side shows, my whole thing is I am not going into I'm not burying anybody. I'm not burying. You're gonna ask me what happened, and I'm going to tell you what happened. I'm not gonna sit here and bash anybody. And if you watch the Bash at the Beach,
you see Bischoff just I mean just absolutely burying. I did not say one negative word about Eric Bischoff. I did not say one negative word about Hulk Hogan. That's not what I do. If you want to ask me what happened, I'm going to tell you what happened. Whether you want to believe that or not is up to you. But you can watch me on those shows. I do not talk negatively about anybody.
Well, you said that on the first one. They made it you against Jim Cornett. On this one, it was you against Eric Bischoff, And did you know that going in that that was going to be the absolute absolutely?
But the money they paid me was ridiculous. Okay. So I was like, guys, like I said, I am gonna come here, I am. You're gonna ask me a question. I'm gonna tell you the truth. I'm not interested in burying Hulk or Eric, and I'm not gonna do that from that point on, Yes, Francine, I knew they were gonna do whatever they wanted with it. But like I said, man, the money they paid me for it was ridiculous.
Yeah, I'm sure. I just saw it, and I was just I was interested in the concept, not really knowing you that well. And never I met Eric bischoffl one time, shook his hand and walked away. I've never met haw Coogan. But you hear certain things and you never know what's true what's not true.
Well, you know when I'm saying something, it's.
True, it's true. It's always true. Okay.
One thousand, I at almost sixty three years old, a grandfather of two. There is nothing in this world I would ever I have you really think I'm gonna lie about wrestling shit? From thirty years ago. Like seriously, I'm gonna lie about it, and I'll tell you, Francine, I would never if it was you know, they they have shows that are character assassinations on people. I wouldn't ever do one of those shows. If if, if they're gonna pay me money to bury somebody, I'm not gonna take
that money. I'm not gonna take that money. Like you know, they did a show on Tammy. I'm not I'm not gonna go on I mean that that that that poor woman's had enough problems. I'm not gonna go on that show and bury Tammy, no matter how much you pay me. But if it's something like Vince, what happened at Bash of the Beach, This is what happened at Bash of the Beach. Whether you want to believe me or don't believe me, I don't give a crap.
So I know you don't do conventions and stuff, But if you did, are you the type of person that would go and shake their hand or would you just ignore them?
Shake Who's hand?
Shake like a Bischoff's hand?
Lancy, I I don't have a problem with anybody, with anybody. You know how many times I've come on here and said, I will do a face to face with Eric Bischoff, I will do a face to face with Jim Cornett. I will do a face to face with Dave Meltzer. I don't have a problem with any of these people, but for some reason, they don't want to do a face to face with me. So you tell me why. If I had anything to hide, I certainly would not
publicly put that out there. So when I publicly put it out there and nobody accepts it, I gotta ask myself why.
I think you're a good debater. Maybe they're scared. I don't know.
It has nothing to do with with debating.
It has a debater.
It has to do with who's telling the truth and who's lying. That's what. And it also has to do with this friend scene. They're still playing their characters. Okay, Eric Bischoff is playing Eric Bischoff on his podcast. Jim Cornett is playing Jim Cornette on his podcast. So they're saying a lot of things in character because their audience can't tell what's fact and what's fiction. I don't play my freaking character. I left my character in the ring
when I walked away from wrestling. I don't play character. What I play is you ask me something, I'm gonna tell you the freaking truth.
That goes back to what you said before about everybody believes it is real. The comments that we get about this show is everybody sees how real Francine is. There's no characters to be found on these airwaves. Being a part of the brand for the years that I was, that's what I can say about listening to what you said, there was no Vince Russo character. What you saw was what you got every time you hear Bischoff. And I was around Bischoff a lot, and I worked with Bischoff
on conventions and shows. He could turn on the character and you got the nWo Eric Bischoff. You know, bad guy, I'm cool, too cool for the room. You got that. And that's what these podcasts have spawned is another group of characters. And now the fans that also watch the show and listen to the podcasts have become a part
of these worlds. So whereas the brand is like kind of a family, these podcasts are just like the wrestling crowds and they buy into these characters that now the wrestlers have made on podcasts.
You know you know absolutely, Chad, because you know, Francine, you had the list of these beefs, right, and why I'm in all these things. Here's the perfect case scenario, Chad of what we're talking about. I'm sitting here minding my own business the other day and I come across a story where it was a podcast and somebody asked Jake Roberts about Vince Russo being in the Hall of Fame. So my first question is, Guys, I worked with Jake
on maybe one, two or three occasions. Every time I work with him, he was gone the next week because either you know what Jake was dealing with at the time. So every time I work with him, I turn around and he would be gone because of something that he did. So I worked with him very, very very rarely. So now now the question comes on a podcast to Jake Robins, what do you what would you think about Vince Russo
being in the Hall of Fame. So my first question is, why are you bringing Vince Russo's name into an interview with Jake Roberts when I had nothing to do with the dude's career. Okay, So Jake Roberts turns around, laughs and says, f no, my dead dog had better ideas than Vince Russo, okay, bro, So what what? Why? Why is Jake saying that when Bro I can go down the list? Obviously I never had any kind of a relationship with him. He has no idea who I am
as a human being. And oh, by the way, under my thumb to wrestling companies had the best ratings they ever had in their history. And I'm talking about WWE and DNA that was drawing over two million people. So it's real simple. Why is Jake saying that? Jake is saying that because he knows that's what the interviewer wants to hear. Jake wants to get over with the cool kids. Oh man, look at Jake. Look at what Jake said
about ventures. That's why he's doing it. You think you think Jake Roberts has any idea of what I booked and what I didn't book What was my idea and what wasn't my He has no freaking idea. What is he trying to do. He's trying to get over with the cool kids, that internet crowd, the wrestling marks. So I understand that, and I get it, but I'll be honest with you, Bro, the dude is older than me, and it's like, you know, bro, if you if you you really, you're gonna bury me who you don't even know.
You don't have any idea of what I booked and what I didn't book to get over with the Mark crowd, Like, Bro, you're gonna be doing this when you're seventy seventy five. That's why, for instance, I don't rip people because if you look in my response to Jake Roberts on Twitter, what did I say? I said, Jake Roberts was probably the most creative when it came to character and story in the history of the business. So I'm not gonna sit there and rip you because I know exactly what
you're trying to do. I think it's sad and pathetic, but at the end of the day, I am going to put you over because I don't have a problem with you, Jake, So you could say whatever you want about me, because I understand why you're saying it.
I feel like you're such a likable guy. I don't understand like all of this negativity that comes towards you.
Because they're feeding into it. This is what this is what today's wrestling marks the dirt sheet writers. This is what they want. And what does Jake want to do at the end of the day. Come on, Francine, let's be honest. He wants to get over with aew because maybe I even think he's working there now I know he was, I don't know if he's on hiatus. He wants to get in good favor with them, So how do we do that. I'll just throw rocks and stones
at Vince Russo because that's what they like. And you know, my thing is, bro Man, if you want to get back into the business that badly, bro, say whatever you want about me, Like, if it's that important to you to get back into wrestling, throw me under the bus all day long.
I don't get it.
I'm gonna ask Jake anything past nineteen eighty nine.
Yeah, well I think it's the point. Yeah.
I have one one final question for you, biggest misconception about Vincero's.
Deep, very deep question.
God, that's it's so that's hard to say because like I put it like, I put it all out there, I don't I don't hold any punches, like.
I feel like you're not understood. You're very complex.
I don't Branstein I think I'm very, very simple, Okay, Vince. Vince McMahon put me in a position. This is where this all started. Vince McMahon put me in a position. Vince. You have to get as many people to watch our show as possible. You have two hours to do it. Okay, that's it, period, Francine. I swear you Here's here's what people don't understand. And Francine, I don't know about your background.
Here's people I don't understand. And if I hear this story one more time, I swear to God, I'm gonna puke in my own mouth. I had a dream. Oh, when I was five years old, I dreamed of being in the main event of WrestleMania. I had a dream, Francine. When I was writing in the wrestling business for WWEWCW TNA, it was not a dream. It was a job. It was a It's no different than what I'm doing now. It's no different than when I own video stores. It's no different than when I worked for CBS Publishing. I
had a job. And no matter what job I'm in, you're gonna get one hundred and ten percent from me, and I'm gonna do the absolute best I can. So. It wasn't a dream. I wasn't a mark for the business. I wasn't so thankful to be there. I had a job to support my family. And that's what's so hard for people to freaking understand that, Like, I wouldn't have killed for a job in the WWEE Francceine. I got hired first as a freelance writer, and then from there
the editor got fired. I got the editor's job. Television writing wasn't even on my radar. It's not something I wanted to do. They were paying me sixty grand as the editor of the magazine franccene I thought that was all the money in the world. They moved me to Connecticut. I was able, you know we're talking about now, Back in ninety five, I was able to support my family
on sixty grand. I was made. I had no inspirations of writing TV and being the head writer of Raw and writing in limousines with Vince Ruth, with Vince McMahon. You think any of that crap ever caught crossed my mind. Shit happened because it was supposed to happen. Everything happens for a reason. All that stuff was supposed to happen. But people can't fathom this wasn't my dream. This isn't what I lived for, paying dues and all that bullshit. It's a freaking job, man.
Ninety nine percent of the boys in the business had this dream they were two years old. Like I'm like you, I kind of fell into it. I never I didn't even like wrestling until I was nineteen years old. Like, I didn't watch it my whole life. I wanted to be a mother. I was playing with dolls, yes, when I was, you know, ten years old, saying one of these days, I'm going to be a mommy.
That was my dream.
That was my fau because you because you were normal. You were normal.
I'm still say I'm one of the most normal people that this business tried to corrupt but did it yep, because there was so much temptation and it just wasn't my pay Yep. You know, thank God. I thank God every day for where I'm at and what I have, and I am probably one of.
The more normal people. You know, we're all a little little tiny.
Bit wacky, right of course, but.
There's way more wackier than I am, right, you know what I mean? And like for the years. I want Like I thought I was gonna be married at twenty I wanted five kids, right, you know, I wanted this nice house and I didn't get that. I didn't meet my husband until thirty four. Now I have two beautiful children, I have a great husband, I have a great home. Like, this is what I dreamed of wrestling, right, I get where you're coming from.
Yeah, I mean, I gotta. I got a degree in journalism and I wanted to write. I got the job as the editor of the WWF magazine. Oh great, this is this is all that I wanted. But it's like when this isn't when this isn't your life, like twenty four seven, Like they've got a problem with that, and I'm like, my god, this will always be a job to me.
Man. Yeah, yeah, well I'm not kissing your ass because you know, I like you. My favorite time was in the nineties. Lots of the things that you wrote I was very entertained with. I've said it how many times I don't watch the current product. I watch it when I need to. I watch clips of my friends, and I watch things that we have to report on. But I was a die hard fan. What drew me in
was most of the shows that you worked on. So to me, that was when wrestling was at its peak and it was very entertaining, and that's when I would sit there for the three hours and enjoy the whole ride. You know, now, I don't have the willpower to sit for three hours.
Ye you know what it is, I swim to god. It really dawned on me, I'd say about a couple of weeks ago, and Francine, I swear to God, Chad, if you start looking at it this way, it really becomes much more understandable. Okay, And I've come to the conclusion. Listen, I watched the shows and I rip the shows every week. And here's why I ripped the shows because I say to myself, bro, when that show is over, there is no way in hell you can look in the mirror and say I did the absolute best that I can.
It's lazy booking. Everything is drawn out. They're just trying to fill three hours. But then I finally came to the conclusion because I noticed, like Franccene, TRIPLEH was making like just so there were so many mistakes that was like wrestling one one, like so many just simple stupid mistakes, and as a guy that worked with Triple H and respect to Triple H. I'm sitting here and I'm saying, Bro, this guy came from Killi Kowalski. He can't he Bro. I can't sit here and say Triple H is an
idiot and doesn't know what he's doing. But there's no other explanation because the things I'm talking about are elementary. Then you know, as I'm pondering this, Fricine, I come up with the answer. I think in twenty twenty three. Right now, it's this simple. I think the WWE are looking at themselves as strictly content creators, and it doesn't matter if the content is good, if the content is bad, if the content doesn't draw ratings, none of that matters.
Because now you know, with streaming services and you know SmackDown was just picked up by USA and now they're shopping raw. They are content creators. I don't think they care about that content because come on, Francine, at ECW, you are around some of the greatest talents in the business that are still talked about today when you turn on their show, I swear to you fifty percent of that roster has no business being on television zero. You know,
they're never gonna get over. Nobody's ever gonna remember who they are, so why are they there. They're there to create content. That's all they care about. So when if you can start looking at it through that as through that aspect, it really explains why you're just not getting good television shows anymore.
I love your honesty. That's that's the one thing I admire about you, Vince. You're You're just honest to a fault. And I appreciate you coming on and giving us your two cents about the business these days because I appreciate it.
And you know, Francine, like I can talk for all three of us. Here's the one thing that bothers me about that concept, Francine. This is your show. Chad's producing your show, he's your co host. This is my show, this is my podcast. Listen, man, when my name is attached to anything, I want it to be the best it possibly can. I don't care if people love it or hate it. I got to be able to look at myself and say, Bro, you gave it, your role,
you did everything. So here's what I'm talking about, Francine. One word pride. What's your freaking pride. I don't care that your content creators, your name is on this? What happened to your pride? Because I'm sure chat and Francing you don't want to put anything out there that shit. And I'm sure that if you thought it was shit, you do it over. I've done that. I've recorded shows on my own that I thought were shit that I've
done over. So like that. That's the one thing is like, bro, whether your content creators or not, your name is on this, where's your pride? That's all you have.
To end with that because we can't say no more. They tell people where they can find you on social media and what to sign up for.
Yeah, guys, I'm just I'm just going to tell you one thing, man, because again, it's the holidays, Black Fridays, every weekend, so we have a deal right now. If you've never been a member of our Patreon, you could see it right on the screen. Just go to patreon dot com, forward slash russo TWC and sign up for your free week.
I appreciate you so much, thank you for coming on. I think you're a three timer now, Yeah, I think so.
Yeah, he came on once then he co hosted when you were sitting and then this would be number three.
Yeah, you've done a lot of good business to get It's always a pleasure speaking to you, sir. I have the utmost respect for you, and uh, everybody go over to the brand and sign up because this man knows what he's talking.
About, and I will have their band give you my best.
Thank you so much for coming on. Merry Christmas, Happy New.
Year, and to thank you guys, have a great.
Take care.
He's look that that hour flew by, and there were so many things that he touched base on that I just feel like was groundbreaking.
Got Oh I got a big one.
You're marking it down.
Oh I got a big one I got We also need a bro count, we need a bro counter.
Yes, But I've always you know, I always see people pick at him, and I just always had the utmost respect for Vints because he tells it like it is. And again, you know they always say there's two sides to every story, mine, yours and the truth. Right, he just seems like he's just telling he doesn't care at this point, Like he said, what's he gonna lie about something that happened twenty thirty years ago, like, who cares? You know, you give your side and that's that and
I respect that about him. He doesn't seem to care if he pisses anybody off by it either, you know. No, So he's very entertaining. To this day, he's.
Still on it.
Yeah, I remember, you know, growing up, you heard the name. You know, you heard he was Vic Venom who wrote in the magazine. You know, when he was on TV sometimes he did some commentary. You heard the first shoot interviews by Cornett where he buried him, so you got a perception of who he was, and then you heard the jump to WCW. He became an on air character and Bill this great heel persona that carried into what
the real guy was. And until you can find out who the person is, people have still associated that perception from the nineties to what he is today and I can't fathom that now. Preparing for my first interview with him in twenty sixteen, that's where I started to really see who he was as a person and completely changed what I thought because I was like, Wow, this is a this is a completely different man.
He's such a nice man.
Yeah, he's a nice he's a family guy. I'm not even talking about the faith stuff and his beliefs. He's just a dedicated, hard working dude with a family who was dedicated to his craft and he just wants to put out a good product. And he's just been a complete misunderstood person in terms of his job. Now the heaves and stuff. I mean, it's easy to go after that kind of personality. So I have no dog in the fight as to who he's fighting with or whether
he's right or wrong, or they're right or wrong. But it's it's.
Interesting to hear his side, and he's a pison, so you know, I like that about him, and.
I've always said I think that's a lot to do with the fact that he gets a lot of hate as well.
Why because he's Italian.
Just the New York aspect of it, it's very misunderstood. It can be taken the wrong way. Fish out of water. I'm in Virginia, I'm from New Jersey. It's a fish out of water. I can I get it.
I didn't do any preparing for this, Like every question just popped in my head as we were speaking, and I'm glad I thought about the dark dark side of the Ring episode because like I said, as I was watching that, I'm like, man, they are double teaming him and just trying to destroy him, and that's what that show does. Like he even said it, you know he was blindsided the first time.
Yeah, but it was.
It's always interesting to get his take on things, so I always appreciate him coming on. So that was a very very good episode. I thought, they're all good on here. What can I say? We give you the best content out there.
So I content hotness.
Yeah, cizlin lit as the kids would say. But Chad, what do you got going on? How can people follow you on social media?
You can follow me on X on Twitter at Chad E and B. You can go to my website is ibexclusives dot com, Instagram is at ib Exclusives. I just want to encourage everybody to head over to our YouTube channel and grab a membership. Subscribe, subscribe, subscribe. I'll let you give the big pitch. But that's what the focus is right now. So yeah, that's all I have right now, but I'm sure there'll be more coming in the near future.
The year is almost over, and I think, like you said earlier, twenty twenty four is going to be a huge year for both of us.
The YouTube has blown up or one video is almost at twenty k, which is amazing. That's a million I give my thoughts about you know, tell me Sitch sentencing and we're gonna probably hit twenty k within the next couple hours on that one. But we need your support. I want to get to ten k by the end of the year. And it's amazing how many people watch and are not subscribed. So go over to ecwdva freecceine, hit that subscribe button, ring that bell so you get
the notifications. It is free, it does not cost you anything. If you like additional content. For five ninety nine a month, you can have a channel membership and that gets you exclusive clips that no one else can see except for remembers. So that's something to dive into. But again, just if you could just subscribe, that would mean the world to me. And if you want to follow me on social media, you can find me at ECWDVA Free Scene. I'm gonna change my outro line. I hope you were staying safe.
I hope you were staying healthy, and most of all, I hope you were saying streng