Vince Russo Says He Had To “Fight Off” Violent J For Four Months To Protect Storyline Payoff

Vince Russo is pulling back the curtain on what he calls a creative war behind the scenes at JCW — and it all centers around long-term storytelling versus chasing short-term reactions.

During the February 23 episode of Coach & Bro Show, Russo launched into an intense breakdown of a four-month storyline arc he recently wrote for JCW. According to Russo, he knew exactly where the story was going from the beginning — and he wasn’t about to let anyone derail it, not even Violent J.

Russo explained that the tension wasn’t personal, but philosophical. He believes there’s a major difference between booking television wrestling and booking independent shows. Russo then clarified the dynamic he was working within.

“I literally just came off of writing what I would probably say was a four-month arc. And I knew where that four-month arc was going. I knew what the payoff was. I knew what we needed to do.”

“Now you’ve got to understand, I work for Violent J. Violent J has been doing indie wrestling for 27 years now. JCW’s been around for 27 years. Indie wrestling. There’s a very different mentality with television wrestling and indie wrestling because television wrestling really is all about telling stories, getting the casual fans invested. Independent wrestling is pop. It’s pop wrestling. They’re playing for a pop pop.”

That difference in mindset led to repeated creative clashes over the direction of the story. Russo says he was questioned constantly about decisions that wouldn’t pay off until much later.

“So I’m trying to stay on track for four months. And every other TV I’m getting questioned — ‘But I don’t understand this,’ or ‘Why is one doing this?’ or ‘Why is he doing that?’”

He didn’t sugarcoat how heated things got behind the scenes.

“And for four months, I had to fight off Violent J. I’m just being totally honest with you. I had to say, ‘Bro, I know what I’m freaking doing. I know what I’m doing. I know what I’m doing.’”

According to Russo, the emotional payoff made it all worth it. He claims the conclusion of the story left fans and talent visibly shaken.

“The payoff was yesterday. There were tears in the house and in the locker room. In the freaking locker room.”

Russo even admitted he couldn’t hold it together himself.

“I had to lock myself in a bathroom because I broke down. Because it was emotional. It was a story. It was a fake wrestling story. We knew the finish. And watching it play out — it was emotional.”

Russo used this example to draw a larger comparison to WWE’s current booking philosophy, arguing that emotional reactions only happen when creative sticks to a long-term plan instead of constantly pivoting. His core belief was simple.

“Nothing is ever going to get over unless you put a plan in place and see that plan out.”

The debate over pop booking versus long-term storytelling has been part of wrestling discourse for decades. Russo’s comments suggest that even outside of WWE, that creative tension is still very real.

Do you agree with Vince Russo that long-term storytelling is the key to emotional payoffs in wrestling, or do you think independent wrestling’s “pop” style works better for today’s audience? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.