Violent J Reveals How Vince Russo Was Recruited to Help Rebuild JCW

Violent J is opening up about how Vince Russo ended up inside Juggalo Championship Wrestling — and it wasn’t some overnight deal.

During a recent appearance on the Crazy Train podcast with Jasmin St. Claire, the Insane Clown Posse co-founder explained that bringing Russo into JCW was a calculated move as he worked to transform the company into a respected independent wrestling promotion.

At the time, Violent J was studying the wrestling landscape closely. He had spent time observing NWA, MLW, GCW, AAA in Mexico and Japanese promotions. That research made him realize JCW had the production tools and talent — but needed a stronger creative engine.

That’s when Vince Russo came into the picture. Violent J didn’t deny Russo’s polarizing reputation in the industry, but he made it clear he respects the former WWE and WCW writer’s creative mind.

“Vince Russo is either loved or hated. And he is so controversial in wrestling. And he’s undeniably a genius. Nobody can deny that. He is every bit of a genius.”

At first, Russo was only expected to appear as an on-screen character. But the conversation evolved quickly.

“First he was just gonna come in as an on TV character. Then he said, ‘Well, if I’m gonna come in as an on TV character, I want to write the show.’ And I was like, ‘You will? Will you do that?’”

The discussions weren’t instant or simple. Violent J said the process took months, especially because JCW was already in the middle of a long-running storyline at the time. But eventually, the deal came together.

Now, Russo handles writing duties while Violent J collaborates on structure and direction. The goal isn’t to compete with WWE — it’s to build JCW into a profitable, respected independent brand.

“We know without a shadow of a doubt, JCW will never be competition for WWE. That’s not our goal. But what we will be is a respected independent wrestling company that’s making money, that is successful in the United States. That’s what we will be.”

For Violent J, bringing in Vince Russo wasn’t about headlines. It was about growth.

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