Roddy Piper Shooting on Vince Russo (to his face)

[X]

I have no idea how I never saw this video until earlier today:



A little background:

One of Piper's more controversial TNA moments came during one of its weekly pay-per-view shows. Vince Russo at the time was at the center of a massive power struggle (kayfabe) between the TNA roster and Russo's stable of young wrestlers called Sports Entertainment Xtreme. Piper had requested a segment to plug his new book, but instead, used the time to basically shoot on Russo and his effect on the world of professional wrestling. Piper touched on subjects from the death of Piper's real-life cousin, Owen Hart, for which Piper held Russo to blame, to the downfall of WCW amongst other touchy subjects. Russo came to the ring basically "in character" to confront Piper. But, when Piper got in Russo's face, Russo made the comment that Piper was "a moron". Piper not only took offense to the remark, but delivered a "potato shot" to the side of Russo's head. Russo immediately realized that Piper's heat with him was legitimate, and quickly backed off unsure of what Piper might do next. When The Harris Brothers hit the ring to try and cool the situation down, Russo became visibly upset as Piper continued to vehemently shoot on him. Russo got so upset that at one point in time it took both the Harris' to restrain him. Piper later said in a shoot interview that everything he had to say to Russo was real and that he was willing to get physical if Russo had taken it that far.[citation needed] Russo retaliated later by saying that he and Owen were very close and that Piper wasn't even with the company the night Owen died so he had no way of knowing how upset he was with Owen's death

Can't believe I never saw that until earlier today. Fucking awesome, Piper is the man.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Really??? That was how I heard of TNA. I remember being told by my brother that "The Wrestling Channel" had a promotion ran by Jeff Jarrett on it. I didn't really take an interest, but they used to have some Mexican wrestling on there too. I was watching CMLL and they went to breaks, and it was an advertisement for Piper showing up on TNA/NWA Wrestling.

You can see that they were desperate for name recognition. It was like bait, they used Russo to get Piper in so that he could cut a great, and somewhat truthful promo. And the line, "You killed Owen Hart," is one of the more personal lines used in a shoot that the person actually means.

Piper genuinely hates Russo, believing that Russo is the 100% reason for Owen's death. Great shoot and one of TNA's better moments. Well, more historic.

 

[Coco]

 

[Hazardous]

you're not the Anti Christ, you're the Bin Ladin of Professional Wrestling.. I literally LOL'd.
I always loved the Hot Rod, but this is classic right here. If only more people stood up to Russo like this.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

This video is a classic. Seriously. I've seen it quite a few times because it's just good to see someone say what so many people had been thinking for a while.

 

[shattered dreams]

Interesting. It would be slightly more interesting if some of the stuff he was saying wasn't ridiculous. It would be amusing to see him show up and cut this same promo on the other Vince though. Aside from the WCW money, and softcore porn, it pretty much all applies now.

 

[Shocky]

I love roddy Piper. Pretty much his opinion of Russo is spot on. I still prefer the rundown he did on McMahon. One of my favorite lines ever was " the only business you were any good at was the one your daddy gave you." the man is a promo god.

 

[Shadowmancer]

There is a reason he is more Important to hulkamania than Hogan himself

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

It would be amusing to see him show up and cut this same promo on the other Vince though.

You mean Big Vince? I'm guessing McMahon wouldn't be such a pussy, which is exactly what Vince Russo is.

 

[Hazardous]

Also Piper said what millions of people think about him. Million don't hate Vinny Mac. Maybe a few thousand, but that's about it. Russo had a few good idea's back in the 90's, but without the Mcmahon filter, he has more bad idea's used than good.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Also Piper said what millions of people think about him. Million don't hate Vinny Mac. Maybe a few thousand, but that's about it.

Bullshit. Far more people hate McMahon. Why? People actually know who he is.

 

[The Crock]

Great shoot. I would have loved to see Piper beat Russo's ass.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

I love how Russo became a supreme bad ass... roughly ten seconds after the Harris boys hit the ring.

 

[ThUnDeRpHoEnIx]

^I know.I was waiting for a fight to break out but the Harris boys hit the ring.Great shoot though.

 

[Vega]

Piper is just jelaous because he never was world champion. Just wanted to point that out for how ridiculous it really is.

 

[Shocky]

Piper wasn't a world champion because Russo wasn't booking when he was around. In the Russo era e probably would have been a ten time champ. Piper not being a world champion says more of the worth of those titles before that asshole Russo booked them into worthlessness.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Roddy Piper was the IC Champion when the IC Championship had 10x more worth than the TNA World Heavyweight Championship today. He's one of the greats to have not held a World Championship.

 

[X]

I get tired of these "Piper never won the big one" arguments when the dude was a 3 time Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight champion, which at the time was a MAJOR championship probably just behind the WWF and NWA world titles in terms of importance in the United States at the time.

 

[Con T.]

Funny thing... I love, however, how Piper blames Russo for Owen's death, completely, and doesn't say anything about how Vince McMahon has final say on everything that happens on camera.

Riddle me this; why do most people believe Vince Russo's writing was good in the WWE? Because he had Vince to hold on to control of him, right? And in this case, Vince also didn't have Vince controlling his content? Now, Vince is held blameless.

Don't get me wrong, no one in this thread has said otherwise. Piper has, though.

 

[Con T.]

Also, how dare Piper criticize my American born right to like to watch a 500 lb Samoan sit in my face? What right do you have, Piper?!

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Owen talk made me cringe.

 

[Kenny Powers]

This was a great time in TNA. Where shoots were real and not made up Twitter or youtube shoots.