Steve Carrier on May 2, 2018
Russo is joined on today’s show by his co-host, Jeff Lane, Glenn Gilbertti & Stevie Richards.
Russo comments on a WWE official apologizing for the botch at the end of the Roman Reigns/Brock Lesnar match from the Greatest Royal Rumble. He thinks it’s funny that the officials remain nameless for years, but the minute a finish gets botched WWE has them issuing public apologies.
Richards notes that the finish was dangerous and Reigns could have broken his neck. As we saw on Smackdown, Reigns continues to get booed and he thinks WWE should just turn him heel. Russo says this angle should have been all over RAW, and even if Lesnar wasn’t originally booked WWE should have paid him to be there so they could address that finish.
Russo says the “Moment of Bliss” segment was the best thing on RAW again this week. Hamin thinks WWE is listening to their advice on this show, because this promo sounded exactly like something he’d write. He adds that this was the only redeemable thing in 5-hours of WWE programming this week.
Lane mentions that Finn Balor’s “I like that butt” line had to be total rib on him. Hamin was shocked that after the controversy surrounding LGBT rights in Saudi Arabia, WWE decided to throw that line in there for Balor this week. Just when you think WWE is going to be promoting a positive image for the LGBT community, they throw something like that out there.
Russo groans at the thought of Titus O’Neil’s fake fall on RAW this week, after legitimately falling during his entrance at the Greatest Royal Rumble. He thought there were plenty of more creative options for O’Neil coming out of that slip up, but this was not good.
Russo mentions that initial reports suggested that WWE wanted to use Rousey to work with Stephanie McMahon, in order to simulate the McMahon/Austin angle from the attitude era. He still thinks they’re going to bring that storyline back, but he doesn’t understand why they’d start it, go away from it, and then bring it back later. He points out that they probably did this because they don’t know what else to do.
Russo was blown away by the Seth Rollins promo on RAW. He calls Rollins a “total freaking mark” and he has no idea when the marks made it into the ring. He notes that there has to be some separation between the performers and the fans, and adds that we’d never see Roddy Piper act like that during a promo.
Richards says they’d often do this silly stuff during house shows; chanting along with fans and things of that nature, but they’d never do it on television. Vince McMahon always told the performers to address the camera, not the live audience, but now it’s changed entirely. Russo wonders when that change happened, and why. He adds that WWE has a product that sucks and it’s that simple. They’re working for the fans they already have, not the audience they’re missing.
Hamin says that guys like Rollins and Balor have to go because they’re absolutely “rotten”. The main event of this week’s RAW was a perfect example of that. At one point Rollins hit a Superplex into a Falcon’s Arrow, then Balor kicked out which was ridiculous. He adds that anyone in their backyard can do big moves, but these guys are in the main event of RAW and they should know how to tell a story.
Russo points out that if you’re working like this you’re not a great worker, you’re an acrobat. If you’re going to call yourself a professional wrestler, you need to sell when something looks like it hurts.
Moving onto Smackdown, Russo wonders how the heel, Nakamura, who’s been breaking the rules all along with low blows, is now rewarded with a no DQ match WWE Title match. He points out that this logic doesn’t make any sense at all.
Hamin wonders why Samoa Joe can’t come to the ring to confront people. He continues to cut his promos via pre-tape from the backstage area or on the top of the ramp. Russo adds that WWE’s cameramen aren’t doing Joe any favours by shooting so close to his face. Joe doesn’t come off as a scary Samoan to Russo because all he can think is, “this is one freakin’ ugly dude”.
Richards notes that WWE isn’t doing anything creatively with Bobby Lashley right now which is too bad, because they could have built to something special between him and Brock Lesnar.
Russo congratulates Kane on winning the Republican primary in Knox County’s Mayoral race, adding that Kane is “one of the nicest guys in the business, far and away”.
That sums up today’s episode of Vince Russo’s The Brand. You can listen to the show yourself anytime here, and I’ll catch ya tomorrow for another recap!
May 2, 2018 9:10 pm
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