Chris Russo: Wrestling Entertainment

Chris Russo ( right ) with Afa the Wild Samoan

By Julianne Dellorso

Chris Russo's job is to entertain. But it's different than the way in which the typical sportscaster is supposed to entertain the audience. Russo is an announcer for the WXW, where his role is to be a storyteller.

"It’s not a play by play thing anymore and the color like you see on TV with other sports," Russo said. "You want to tell a story. When people flip the channel with their 15 second attention span, you have tho give them a reason to have people care about the people that are in the ring."


Speaking to me on the phone as he was getting ready for the day, Russo began to weave a story about how he got into broadcasting for the WWE. Russo grew up in Virginia, a "huge fan" of wrestling, as he put it. He went on to study at James Madison University, where he didn't major in broadcasting, like many aspiring sports broadcast talents do. He said he thought it would be too difficult to get into journalism, so he majored instead in International Affairs.

Russo is engaging, emphatic, and enigmatic on the phone; some of the strongest qualities to have as an In-Ring Announcer and Commentator.

And he's got me hooked on his story. "You want to be sucked into the story. You want to care, you want to believe. And the announcers are part of that mission," Russo said.


Transcript of the interview:

J: My first question is just how did you get into sports announcing?

C: Always a $64 thousand dollar question. It actually kind of spurred originally from my time at Clear Channel. Way back in the day in college. Being in a small school, small town, Clear Channel was one of the smaller Clear Channel stations, so they had availability for someone who is young and stupid like myself to actually be on the air. Then from there it kind of grew into opportunities when wrestling came in town. You know, small little wrestling sort of organizations. When I moved down here to Florida, I got quickly hooked up with a wrestling organization that has very close ties to the WWE. I paid my dues for 2 years at a small organization. The people that had the connections saw something in me thought I would be of value to the big billion dollar empire up in Stamford so they pushed me along. Just the right place at the right time with a little bit of luck and hard work. So kind of that’s how one thing led to another to be able to move along to work for Vincent Mann.

J: So now you went to JMU for your undergrad, is that correct?

C: That’s correct.

J: Okay. Did you study sports broadcasting there?

C: No actually I didn’t. I was debating whether or not to study journalism in college. Actually when I was finishing up high school I got a couple offers to Syracuse and to Missouri to their communications school. If I saw on your LinkedIn profile that you’re at Syracuse now?

J: That is also correct.

C: Nice. Congratulations getting in on a very good school.

J: Thank you.

C: But no I decided against that because journalism is a very difficult career to get into, and kind of where you would have to start. And your career path would take you. I decided I wanted to study something I would get greater pleasure and value out in my undergrad. But it just so happened that it worked out very nicely I was still able to pursue my sports broadcasting and love and passion in another direction without having to study in school.

J: Were you a wrestling fan growing up?

C: Oh absolutely. Absolutely. I’m a huge fan. Been a fan since I was a wee little one. I think it’s one of those things where to be really good at that position for wrestling it’s really preferable if you know a little bit about wrestling. Right? And unfortunately with the WWE they’re an entertainment company which their primary is entertaining so especially for broadcasters and announcers they don’t care. They’ll bring in anybody. They believe they can teach wrestling. Its if you have the background knowledge. But I truly believe the opposite. If you have the wrestling and a little bit of announcing knowledge that I think that benefits. But who am I to say right? I’m not the one that’s in charge of a billion dollars.

J: How do you prepare to announce a match?

C: I think this is where sports announcing could do a much better job. The great thing about the WWE with Vincent Mann is if you’re announcing a match, it’s not a play by play thing anymore and the color like you see on tv with other sports. You want to tell a story. When people flip the channel with their 15 second attention span, you have to give them a reason to have people care about the people that are in the ring. Of course it is entertainment but for me to prepare I have to understand, okay who are the people in the ring, where to they come from what is it that they’re looking to do, where are they looking to go and then more importantly to understand the parameters around the match. Is this the for the heavy weight championship? Is there is there a tension between the two from a rivalry going back? You have to understand the back stories and be able to explain them so the match almost takes a back seat. So to prepare its all about the back story. Understanding who these people are. The crowd, the tv, audience make them want to care and make them understand why every match is important. So that’s how it’s a little different than prepping for a sports broadcast right where you just get stats.

J: Right. I was just going to ask you about the controversy of the whole WWE/ WWF not being real wrestling, more just you know a media story. But you already touched on that for me.

C: Yeah so well look. Ever since Vincent Mann came out in the 80’s and said yes you know this is all fabricated this is all pre-determined it is an entertainment vehicle consider it like the movies or any soap opera. You know it isn’t real, it isn’t reality but you suspend your disbelief. You want to be sucked into the story. You want to care, you want to believe. And the announcers are part of that mission. To deliver that suspension of disbelief and so no one doubts or no one ever questions saying oh my god I can’t believe its not real. Cause look even the Boss will say its real because the people care in the ring they believe it to be real right or else no one would watch. But at the end of the day it is entertainment, it is storytelling as opposed to you know x’s and o’s and all those stats as I mentioned.

J: Right. Alright well I am actually out of time for today but thank you so much for speaking with me.

Audio of the interview: 

https://soundcloud.com/delljk7/chris-russo-audio/s-LIAAQ