Vince Russo has already explained why he left JCW, but he’s now pointing to another issue that wore him down during his time with the promotion. According to Russo, the problem was never how much money JCW had—it was how that money was being spent.
Speaking on the All Axxess Podcast, Russo was told that JCW’s tight budget probably made things difficult. He agreed the promotion didn’t have unlimited money, but said he knew that before he ever signed on.
“Yeah. No, but I kind of knew that going in, you know. But, again, I’ll be honest, and I’ll give you a little more than I would ever say to anybody else because we have a relationship now. It’s how the money is allocated.”
Vince Russo said that’s where he started having problems. He felt some of the spending decisions didn’t make much sense and even compared the situation to what he called the “Tony Khan syndrome.”
“That’s ridiculous. Like, if it were my—now, you know, again, bro, it’s kind of the Tony Khan syndrome. Violent J is a millionaire. I don’t know if people realize that or not. Bro, ICP’s been around for 36 years. Violent J is a millionaire. And, bro, millionaires and billionaires don’t spend money like you and I would.”
He said he’d look at where money was being spent—and where it wasn’t—and struggle to understand the priorities. Russo then explained that he’s always taken the opposite approach. He considers himself extremely frugal and wants to make every dollar count.
“And, you know, you look at some of the choices and where they’re spending the money and where they’re not spending the money, and you’re like—but you can’t get in their headspace because you’re not a millionaire. You’ve never been a millionaire. So, you know, like, that was tough too because, bro, I’m very frugal and I watch every dollar, and I’m going to make sure I get the most bang for my buck.”
He also said being careful with money doesn’t mean underpaying people. If someone earns more money, Russo says he’d happily give them a raise. But if he thinks someone’s asking for too much, he won’t just hand it over. Russo admitted those different philosophies eventually became another source of frustration during his JCW run.
“And, bro, I’m going to give somebody a raise without them asking for it, and I’m not going to give somebody what they ask for because what they’re asking for is ridiculous. So, like, that kind of came into play too, which was difficult to handle at times.”
These comments add another piece to Russo’s exit from JCW. He’s already talked about creative differences and struggling with the company’s day-to-day structure, and now he’s saying he also couldn’t get on board with the way money was being allocated.
At this point, Russo’s departure sounds less like the result of one major incident and more like months of little frustrations piling up. The budget itself wasn’t the issue, according to Russo—it was everything that came with it. And in the end, he decided it just wasn’t the right fit anymore.
What do you think about Vince Russo’s comments? Do you think spending priorities can be just as important as the size of a wrestling promotion’s budget? Let us know in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
