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JBL's Poker Tournament was a common thread throughout the latest RAW episode, as WWE seemingly utilized the angle to add some comedic value to the three-hour proceedings. Vince Russo, however, disliked the poker segments and felt it was an unimpressive attempt by WWE to incorporate some humor into its shows.
Vince Russo spent eight successful years in WWE's writing team during an era when Vince McMahon and his team rewrote the rules of professional wrestling programming. Russo helped create some of the most iconic storylines from the 1990s when the company offered several amusing angles apart from its more serious main event-level feuds.
The former WWE head writer admitted that scripting a funny storyline can be a very tricky challenge due to the risk of getting a muted reaction from the audience.
Vince Russo categorized JBL's Poker Invitational as a failed idea from WWE. He didn't mince his words while criticizing the creative decision-making, as you can view below on this week's Legion of RAW:
"Chris [Featherstone], I've got to tell you something because I've been in this position many, many, many times. There is a huge difference and yet a fine line between good comedy and bad comedy. And wrestling, 90% of the time, tends to fall on the side of bad comedy. This is bad comedy, guys. This is a three-stooger comedy, bro. That's exactly what this is. Just bad, campy, stupid, silly, unfunny comedy!" [32:15 - 32:53]
WWE veteran Vince Russo shares his rule of thumb while writing comedy in pro wrestling
As noted above, there is a very fine line between good and bad comedy in wrestling. In addition to working for WWE, Vince Russo also had stints in WCW and TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, where he unsurprisingly had more freedom to experiment with the creative side of things.
Russo revealed that he would ideally scrap plans for a funny angle if he felt it could potentially not get over with the fanbase.
"And, Chris, here was always my rule of thumb, if it had the chance of going down like this, don't do it. And bro, if you do it, you've got to realize you're really over the top." [32:55 - 33:08]
Vince Russo shared an example from his time in TNA, where he worked with one of the most popular comedic characters in the company's history, Shark Boy.
The 61-year-old veteran explained that the segments featuring Shark Boy may have been overly ridiculous on paper, but they were a massive hit with the crowd. Vince Russo added that company officials might have poor judgment about the kind of TV that makes fans laugh.
He continued:
"I can remember a scene in TNA, bro, where Shark Boy was on his deathbed. And it was so over the top, but we knew it was over the top and ridiculous. He had a character who was the Shark Boy, bro. You know it's ridiculous, but they don't know it is ridiculous, bro. They think this is funny." [33:09 - 33:31]
Did you enjoy the JBL Poker Invitational on RAW? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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