Review- Rope Opera: How WCW Killed Vince Russo by Vince Russo

Vince Russo is a man of many titles in professional wrestling—head writer, the man who destroyed World Championship Wrestling, reborn Christian and the man who wrote David Arquette to win a wrestling World Title.

He is without question the most controversial non-wrestler to ever appear in pro wrestling. In his second autobiography, Rope Opera: How WCW Killed Vince Russo, Russo takes the reader on journey back to his state of mind during the final days of WCW and his arrival in Spike TV’s Total Non-Stop Action wrestling federation.

Much like his first book, Russo is open and honest on what happened behind the scenes and off-camera, but does not go out of his way to bury people and expose how many of them are true cut throats in the wrestling business. However, this does not stop him from letting out his frustration on Triple H refusing to lose to D-Lo Brown, how Bill Goldberg acted like a spoiled brat when he refused to put over Scott Steiner and how “incompetent” Stephanie McMahon is as the head of creative in World Wrestling Entertainment. Throughout his memoirs, Russo openly states how Vince McMahon is a greedy selfish person who only sees people for their money value and how he never wants to be like the man he slaved for in order to build the Attitude Era in WWE.

Short memories or criticisms on quirks in everyday life pop up randomly, but for the most part Russo keeps the book focused on his newly found beliefs on God and how he was dying as a person in almost every way possible thanks to the horrors of working in Atlanta. Wrestling fans finally get Russo’s side of Bash of The Beach 2000 all in one chapter and how he did make a difference as the ratings went up with him in charge. Becoming a wrestling character took a brutal toll on Russo as injuries started to affect not only his physical state but mental as well.

The dark cloud that Russo gained in WCW carried over into TNA with him. Bitter and frustrated over pretty much anything that bloggers or the nonsense that came out of former head of creative for TNA Jerry Jarrett, father of Jeff Jarrett. Russo remembers an interview with TNA announcer Mike Tenay and could not believe how angry and hateful he was. His on and off friendship with TNA founder Jeff Jarrett is one that even Russo questions as the book comes to an end. Trust and faith in his colleagues is tested many times over for Russo, to the point that he wonders if you can really trust anyone in the wrestling business since the majority are all trying to protect their “spot” and will bury anyone in their way.

A break from TNA and a 21-month break from writing the book, has Russo energized and looking forward to his life. His faith in the Lord keeps him strong until getting rehired with TNA. The book ends on a bit of cliffhanger as Jeff Jarrett lied to Dixie Carter, but the lie is never revealed. Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff just arrive in TNA as he went to press with the book, leaving his future in question still to this day.

The New Yawker who loved to tell a story told it despite criticizing the head of management, the wrestling talent and even though it cost him a job in WWE and possibly again in TNA. The book is completely Russo’s perspective—not some propaganda or hollow memories through ghost writing.

Do not expect a book that is in chronological order, Russo knows that the majority of readers are going to be wrestling fans, but the wrestling is at times buried in his childhood or with his family. Reading his first book Forgiven is almost a must to understand how his relationship with the McMahons went sour. For those that are turned off by religion, you will be turned off by this book. Love him for his contributions or hate him for his “Crash TV”, Russo changed the wrestling business twice because like the book he dared to be different.

Rope Opera: How WCW Killed Vince Russo

Vince Russo

255 pp.

ECW Press

$22.95

March 1, 2010