– Former WCW and TNA announcer Scott Hudson recently spoke with WGD Weekly. Here are some highlights:
TNA’s chances of survival on a long-term basis: “At this point I would have to say they want to because they are making the cuts and making the business decisions that they have to make to get to that eventuality. But, in a business climate like this where scripted sports entertainment is suffering even at the highest level and with their pay roll and their business model and their pay scale, I think it’s going to be tough. If they continue in my opinion it’s going to be as a much scaled down version of what they have now. Not to say they can’t make it, but if they get into another year from now, say twelve months from right now if they are still around, it will be a much different looking company than what you see now.”
The backstage vibe on WCW hiring Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara: “Eric was the one who gave them (the roster) this mega bucks deal and they were making a lot of money with creative control over what their character was doing and how many dates they were working, and now the guy who was making that deal was gone, and their cackles are up, they are ready to get into a fight with the corporate hiercy at WCW at the time. And then here comes Vince [Russo], and Ed [Ferrara], and Bill Banks, all three of them came down from WWF, guy that they didn’t know who are they gonna push, who are they friends with, who do they hate, so you had all this kissing up going on. Kiss you on the cheek in the front, stab you in the back with a knife, that was going on everywhere in WCW and the sad truth is, none of that was necessary, because Vince, and Ed, and Bill, and eventually Eric all got along and we all just wanted the company to succeed. Those four guys were gonna be terrific together, the creativity and the management there would have been of the charts, but the talent was so frightened of losing their spot and their money and their control, that it just became almost like a tornado inside the dressing room.”
Personal views on Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo: “First, I want to say you won’t ever hear me say anything bad about either Vince or Eric. I had nothing but a great relationship with both of them to this day, in 2013; I would follow them into battle. If they wanted to start up a new company and they wanted me in, I’d be there. I had zero problems with either one of those men and I would do whatever they wanted. I just think the world of both of them.”
