The Context

Here we have Jim Ross, with Vince fucking Russo, no less (going by Vic Venom), scolding nervous Livewire callers for being nervous while asking questions. Russo rather quickly chimes in for the producers to dump callers, but JR, who had already turned heel on television, was leading the charge here. Ross was asked if Randy Savage was coming back to the WWF, and he said the WWF was building around youth and didn’t need wrestlers his age. When asked about Roddy Piper coming out of retirement to face Hulk Hogan (at Starrcade ‘96), he says that Piper’s artificial hip means he has no business in the ring and that he watched the match with Hogan and fell asleep.

Analysis

It has come to light that the WWF was negotiating with Savage not long after this Livewire episode. Also, Roddy Piper had his last WWE match some fourteen-fifteen YEARS after this episode in the ultimate irony. Ross was playing up the heel persona here for certain, but also seemed at least mildly irritated with the show’s callers. It’s quite a sight to see Vince Russo playing good cop or at least “less of a dick” cop compared to JR.

The Video