Russo shares another story from when he was working in TNA. Before Bret Hart returned to WWE, Russo got Hart on the phone and nearly had him convinced to come work at TNA. Russo told Bischoff about his idea to get Hart involved in the company and Bischoff loved the idea. Bischoff then went behind Russo’s back to Hogan and Hogan played his ‘creative control’ card and nixed the concept. Russo still doesn’t hold that against Hogan because that was Hogan’s prerogative, since TNA gave him creative control in the first place.
Instead of just being honest with Dixie Carter, Bischoff started burying Hart to Carter saying he was too old, washed up, and too hard to deal with. He did this to protect Hogan because he didn’t want Carter to get mad with Hogan. Russo was angry with Bischoff for burying his friend and they had to have a big meeting where Russo explained the entire situation.
He says to this day he hasn’t seen a master work a room like Bischoff did that day. Prior to all of this Russo had shared some of his thoughts on Carter’s business practices with Bischoff in confidence, and Bischoff turned to Carter during this meeting and told her everything Russo said about her in confidence. Suddenly the entire meeting revolved around Carter and Russo’s relationship, taking all the heat off of him and Hogan.
