The Greatest Wrestling Experience in My Life by Vince Russo

I stopped enjoying my job in January 2000.

That’s when it stopped for me. The same time WCW politics took me down hard, and I took my ball and went home. It was never fun after that. As a matter of fact it got far worse. Yeah, there was a glimmer of hope when TNA first started under Jeff Jarrett, but once Dixie became involved and I was put smack in the middle of their on-going war . . . it SUCKED again. Add the arrogance of Eric Bischoff—sucked harder. Add Bruce Prichard and his political, back handed, self-serving ways—I took my ball and went home for the last time. It’s been six years since I’ve been employed full-time by a wrestling company.

Since February 2012, I’ve been on my own. I’ve done a show, here, or there, but basically, I’ve done everything in my power to stay away from the Devil’s Playground which is called Professional Wrestling. The truth is–when I have to leave my house to do something wrestling related in order to put food on my table—I get violently ill from the time I leave my house . . . until I arrive back home. Yes—I grew to hate the business I once loved.

It’s been five years since Ron and Don began talking to me about their vision of a Lucha company here in the United States. I love Ron and Don Harris. Admired them the very first time I met them back in the mid-90’s. Two giant-sized identical twins—with hearts that are even bigger. When I went to WCW, they sent me a pair of cowboy boots to make me feel at home . . . I still have those boots, and there may be holes in the soles—but, they live on forever. And, to just make you clearly understand who Ron and Don Harris are . . . they are the guys who still call you even though you can’t do nothing for them career wise.

For 5 years, that phone rang on, and off, but I’d notice that the calls started coming closer and closer together. Finally—when the screws were put to them—also by TNA—Ronnie and Donnie made the decision to follow their dream . . . and they wanted to take me along with them. God, I am just so grateful.

What I experienced this past Sunday night, was far and away, the single, most enjoyable, most memorable night I ever had working in the wrestling business. It was wrestling the way it was MEANT TO BE. No egos, no power, no back stabbing, no positioning, NO BULLSHIT. Just a bunch of hard, blue collar workers, that Ron and Don had become friends with over the years. Guys that never got caught up in the political cesspool of professional wrestling. Guys that JUST WANTED TO DO THEIR JOBS. Man, so many names to mention, Keith Mitchell, Rocket, Greg Horn, Greg, Bob, Rafael . . . just too many to mention. Yes—here we were—all those misfits with all those labels—Konnan “who gets fired everywhere he goes” the Harris Brothers “who don’t have a clue to what they’re talking about” and Vince Russo “the guy who killed the wrestling business—and the one that NOBODY can work with”. Yup—all those absolute schlepps, together in one arena, for one night—which equated to—-THE GREATEST DAY I EVER SPENT IN THE WRESTLING BUSINESS!!!

It’s just so hard for me to put into words because–quite frankly–I didn’t think it was possible. Not for even one second, did any of the two days on the job feel like WORK. We all gathered, and we gathered as a FAMILY. There were no personal agendas—-NOT ONE. We were all there to make Ronnie and Donnie’s dream come true—-period . . . end of story. By night’s end, the entire SOLD-OUT crowd was up on their feet cheering ARO-LUCHA, ARO-LUCHA . . .before the start of the show many didn’t even know the promotions name.

And, oh, by the way—the talent I witnessed in the ring . . . far and away better than anything I’ve seen on the USA Network in the last decade.

This is for all of you. Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever think that there isn’t a shinning, blinding, spectacular light at the end of that dark, hopeless tunnel. It’s there. You just have to believe it’s there. You just have to believe that in the very end . . . GOD controls it all!

Thank you Ron, Don, Jason and everybody who rekindled my fading hope.

I love you all.