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KELLER BLOG: After Vince Russo works alone after Dutch and Jarrett depart, would a reunion with Ed Ferrara work? Sep 20, 2009 - 1:37:03 PM
With Jeff Jarrett and Dutch Mantel out of the booking process in TNA, that has left Vince Russo alone for several weeks. During that time, ratings have sunk. The drop in ratings can largely be attributed to stiff competition from football. Nonetheless, Russo can't handle doing all of TNA's booking and script writing himself indefinitely. If Dixie Carter wants to stick with Russo, who could work with Russo to help steer the ship and edit his widely acknowledged lack of discipline when it comes to pacing and focusing on selling PPVs?
How about his old partner in crime from their days co-writing WWF Raw during its peak ratings run and their cut-short stint together writing WCW Nitro when the wheels were coming off?
That man is Ed Ferrara, who is widely rumored today to be returning to TNA's booking team starting with tonight's PPV.
Dutch Mantel told Jason Powell in an exclusive interview at www.prowrestling.net, he often tried to rein in Russo's rapid-fire pacing. Ferrara, in an exclusive "Torch Talk," said the same thing about Russo. Everyone, in fact, who was around Russo during his stint with the WWF agrees that he "needs an editor." Vince McMahon tends to get all the credit for editing Russo during his days in the WWF, but Ferrara was right there by Russo's side co-writing those shows.
In the "Ultimate Insiders" DVD interview I did with Russo and Ferrara several years ago, they spoke about their dynamic, and how they each filled in each other's weaknesses and kept each other in check. They also said their goal each week was to write a show that Vince McMahon would see no need to edit much.
So if Carter wants to stick with Russo, Ferrara might be a good fit. As evidenced by his "Torch Talk" interview earlier this year, he has kept a peripheral eye on the wrestling industry and has a lot of thoughts about what works and doesn't work. He's frustrated to this day by the rug being pulled out from under he and Russo during their short stretch of just over a couple months writing Nitro.
If a Russo/Ferrara reunion happens, it'd be their chance to prove their critics wrong and write their own final chapter.
[Vince Russo & Ed Ferrara photo credit Wade Keller (c) PWTorch]
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