TOTAL NONSTOP AGONY: The Rise and Fall of TNA

by Vince Russo

Vince Russo, known as the most successful writer in the history of professional wrestling, brought the World Wrestling Federation to its greatest success during the Attitude Era, creating a brand of wrestling that brought the industry to record heights. Three decades later, Russo is still talked about as one of the most influential men in the industry.


Following the success of his first two books, Forgiven (covering his years with Vince McMahon’s WWE) and Rope How WCW Killed Vince Russo (his time with Ted Turner’s rival), TOTAL NONSTOP The Rise and Fall of TNA picks up Russo’s story as he begins work with the upstart TNA, where the daily drama proved greater than ever. The storylines here feature an indecisive millionaire southern belle, Dixie Carter, who cared more about her image then her wrestling company; the demise of his friendship with his best friend, Wrestling Superstar Jeff Jarrett; the network executives at Spike TV, who understood very little about the business they were in; and the return of his mortal enemies from WCW, Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan.


Russo’s TNA stories are epic, and many have never been told before. The politics, runaway egos, backstabbing, and underhandedness make the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills look like Little Women. Finally, the time has come to discuss this is the tell-all that no one has ever dared, and no one can tell the story better than Vince Russo.

280 pages, Paperback

Published July 14, 2026

Reviews

[Tony Farinella]

First and foremost, if you have the Hoopla app through your local library, you can read Vince Russo’s book for free. If you are morbidly curious to read this book like I was, I would recommend reading it this way. I would never want to give Vince Russo a dime. In the beginning, I found the book to be mildly entertaining, and I didn’t hate myself for reading it. Even though I’m a die-hard Jim Cornette fan, I don’t agree with everything that he says, as there are wrestlers and matches in AEW that I enjoy on a weekly basis while it’s clear that Corny is no fan of AEW. I’ve been accused of having Cornette brain in the past by wrestling fans online. However, when it comes to Vince Russo, you’d be hard-pressed to argue with anything that Jim Cornette has said about him. Corny was right.

There were a lot of things about the book that made it challenging to read. First and foremost are the constant contradictions that come out of Vince Russo’s mouth. He hates the wrestling business, he thinks everyone involved in the business is a snake, a con artist, or a backstabber. Yet, he keeps returning to the wrestling business (he’s currently working for the Insane Clown Posse, wrap your head around that), and he can’t seem to be able to make a living doing anything that doesn’t involve wrestling. I wouldn’t waste my time listening to his podcast, but he can’t stop talking about wrestling despite the fact that he claims the wrestling business ruined his life.

He’s smart not to engage in too many battles with Jim Cornette in this book because he knows he would be verbally eviscerated in no time. When it comes to Eric Bischoff, he comes across like a scorned ex-lover by repeatedly bringing him up throughout the book. He clearly has some unresolved issues with Eric Bischoff. Maybe they would benefit from group therapy together. I would say the first 60% of the book covers his time in TNA, and the final 40% of the book is about his podcasting career. One thing remains evident about Vince Russo‘s life: he’s always fucking things up, and it’s never his fault. He also feels the need to say multiple times, “I’m going to be completely honest with you,” or “Let me tell you the truth.” Are we supposed to believe that everything else you’re telling us is a lie and now you are going to be forthcoming?

Russo’s entertaining to a certain extent, but his stream-of-consciousness writing style and incoherent ramblings become insufferable. He has an incredibly high opinion of himself, and it’s clear that after 30 years in the wrestling business, he still hasn’t learned a damn thing. I really struggled to finish this thing, and his writing style gave me a massive headache. In the end, Vince Russo is someone who never belonged in the wrestling business, point blank. He weaseled his way into the business and with the exception of a few ideas that were filtered through a creative team, he was a failure in wrestling. His greatest attribute was his ability to get people to believe his bullshit and to keep offering him high-paying jobs that he didn’t deserve or earn.

[Lance Lumley]

Vince Russo is one of the controversial and polarizing people in pro wrestling in the modern era, from his attitude era writing for the WWF, to WCW's last few year run. The third book in his memoirs deals with his time in TNA where most of the book is about how Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff took over from Dixie Carter where she allowed the two to keep what they were doing in WCW to continue regardless of the financial costs to make Hogan look good.
There is a lot of Eric -bashing in the text, along with some jabs at Jim Cornette throughout. My review is based on how the author gets his points across, NOT if I agree with him or not. Russo gives some unique points to the situations and many must realize that wrestling is a world where people put themselves over to gain position and as he states, everyone is working others.
One complaint is that there isn't much about the wrestlers (except some brief moments like the Sting /Jeff Hardy match where Hardy was intoxicated and ruined a pay per view main event). It would be nice to have more tales about what Vince saw or heard from the other wrestlers. But again, it's his tale to tell, and he has some convincing points of view. Remember readers, we weren't there so the author must be giving the benefit no matter what we hear on other podcasts or websites.
For an in-depth review, go to my page (follow and subscribe) at:
https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...

[Kevin Muir]

Typical Russo

While a five star read, know that you are reading a Vince Russo book. He's full of crap and a liar, the entire book is spent trashing Eric Bishoff and Jim Cornette while Russo does no wrong. Numerous failures plague him yet it's always someone stabbing him in the back. He constantly talks about being a Christian yet cusses in the very next sentence. Vince Russo is one of the biggest fraud and hypocrites in not only wrestling but the world.

[Lucas]

Russo starts by saying he’s not going to bury anyone, then spends the next 50% of the book in a seemingly endless argument with Eric Bischoff. The second half of this book quickly touches on his failed pretzel venture, before talking about podcasting and how he needs money so he’ll keep podcasting about wrestling despite repeatedly saying he hates the whole business.

The best way to read the book is through exploring Russo psychologically, since he is an interesting figure in that way.

But yeah it’s not a good book. It’s not a history of TNA at all. It’s basically just a bunch of score settling with his critics while reiterating every page that he never lies. Even if you’re a huge fan of Russo I have no idea how you would enjoy this. For Russo, who describes himself as a great writer, and basically the one person capable of bringing the masses to watch wrestling based on his incredible understanding of what is “entertaining”, this book is poorly written and boring.

[Dan]

My thanks to ECW Press for an advance copy of this new book that looks at the world of professional wrestling through the eyes of one its most controversial and outspoken insiders, a man who made matches, made legends made mistakes, and in many ways made himself mad in all the ways one can use the word.

I have been a fan of quite a lot of things. Movies, books, music, manga, comics, wrestling, pens, watches, and a whole lot more. Though I have never embraced fandom. I've gone to events, but don't spend all my time thinking, dwelling, reworking, re-dreaming the things that I like. If something has changed, like Star Wars, I go, well I hope they enjoy it, maybe I will come back. I have never posted an angry screed, nor thought of killing anyone over what I have enjoyed. I might be disappointed, but well I will find something else, and move on. To others this is kind of hard. Grown-ups arguing over fifty year old movies, men complaining about woke characters and girls in movies. These are bad, but nothing beats the world of wrestling and the choke hold it has on people. Watchers, wrestlers, and those behind the scenes. One never really quits wrestling, performers go past their bodies breaking points. People do conventions, interviews, always waiting to get the call, to get booked. Fans will re-book tiny events, think of ways to do things differently. Better, faster and more. Wrestling gets in the blood, in the mind, in the soul. And the stories are never, ever the same. Though a few people try to set the record straight, wrestling loves the legend, more than the fact. TOTAL NONSTOP AGONY: The Rise and Fall of TNA is written by Vince Russo a controversial figure in wrestling history, and details the events of his time in an upstart promotion, prepared to take on the big boys of the WWE, until wrestling legends and their mythology, and numerous problems got in the way.

Vince Russo started in wrestling first as a radio show, than a video store owner, before making his way in to WWF as a worker in their magazine. WWF, known better as WWE now after losing the rights to their name, and getting the F out, was just bubbling under, looking for something to make their reputation. This Russo was very good at. Making spectacle of the performers, making everything bigger, badder, faster, and keeping things moving, always moving. This of course made people mad, especially those who liked rasslin, over wrestling. Moving to the competition Russo helped WCW increase their market, until he left with a bad taste, and even more enemies. Russo began working to TNA, Total Nonstop Wrestling a few years later, bringing his ideas and even more his energy to a company that might have been. But in wrestling nothing is ever sure, and if things can go wrong, they usually do. Trouble came with management who didn't know what they were doing, or what they had. They turned to legends, those who had made money once before, like Hulk Hogan and Eric Bichoff, one a legend of the ring, the other a legend in hanging on to wrestling and his own legend. They brought their own baggage, wrestlers past the expiration date, ideas that never gelled, and even worse ideas that promoted themselves over new talent. And all Vince Russo could do was watch while things went from bad, to beyond botch bad.

A book for fans of wrestling. Russo has a kind of style that might not be fore everyone. Stream of consciousness as he calls it, but one that tends to start with something go into a rant, sometimes religious, sometimes on something else, and then back to end the chapter. Also one has to know the players at the time. There are no well this was Awesome Kong, or this is Bobby Roode. One gets their names, and what they did, beat people up, lose out on the championship, or whatever. Fans though who will read this, will know these names so that won't be a problem. The book is pretty straightforward, and might be familiar to those who know the fortunes of TNA, though Russo adds quite a bit. There is a settling settling of grievances, but not as much as I expected. Funny, but sad, and even I who know better and try not to get caught in nostalgia began to think, hmm who different would wrestling be if this happened, or that happened.

Very inside. Many wrestling terms, a lot of lingo and of course good ole kayfabe. Performers are just assumed to be known to readers. Also it is so apparent that wrestling really does not give up on those who spend anytime in it. There really is a symbiotic relationship, people can't get away no matter how they say they can, if that phone rings, they are back in the squared, or in TNA's case rounded circle ready to go. A book that is both funny, informative, full of truth, mythology, and almost a warning to mothers not let their children grow up to be wrestlers. A book that will start many interesting discussions online.

[Paul Sutter]

Part of the charm of the world of wrestling are the characters who have been of the sport. Not only the wrestlers themselves, but the people behind the scenes who wave their magic wands so to speak, to help make the spectacle in the squared circle what it is today, and as well in the past.
This is the third book from Vince Russo about the sport, and he seems to imply it will be the last one. The book has seventy-five chapters, the majority of them two of three pages. But he starts out with a bang with chapter one titled, “Hogan, you big bald, son-of-a-bitch!” Well if that doesn’t grab your attention then nothing will.
Russo is not without his own controversies, as some people over the years have not had the most complimentary things to say about him. But there are others who consider him a genius, as he is credited with being the brains behind the WWE Attitude Era, and upon leaving it, he was one of the masterminds behind WCW bringing to being a legitimate contender to the WWE in the wrestling wars of the 1990’s.
He talks about clashing often with Vince McMahon, who didn’t appreciate Russo, necessitating his joining WCW. But many said his greatest accomplishments came when he became part of TNA. In many ways he gave it legitimacy, and as he talks about his tenure there, it was filled with more ups and downs than a rollercoaster ride at times. He clashed with Eric Bischoff in WCW, and when he went to TNA there went Bischoff as well, and it was far from smooth times there.
Dixie Carter was the owner of TNA, who really knew little about wrestling. He says that while he reported to her, others talked to her behind his back, including Bischoff and Hulk Hogan. There are several he disliked the most in the business, and they were Bischoff, Jim Cornette and Paul Heyman. They were adversaries more than team players, and ego played a big role many times, especially with Hulk Hogan and the manner in which he wanted the direction of the organization to go.
Russo also talks about life after TNA, and his attempt at Podcasts, and being urged to do so by Stone Cold Steve Austin. The third book from Vince Russo is most interesting detail wise, and some have said parts of it were stretches of the truth, but there is no denying the author’s contributions to the sport, and his passion for putting the best possible product in the wrestling ring.

[Josh Roberts]

Maybe the most unreliable narrator of all time?

Is Dixie Carter a sweetheart in over her head or is she multiple slurs for women?
Is Hulk Hogan only evil around Eric Bischoff or is he always a narcissistic mark for himself?

He’d often contradict himself or his stories in the same paragraph, but multiple times throughout the book his stance on very important people in his life swings wildly.

I believe about 5% of what I read, but I read 100% of it in his voice in my head, making it an easy read at the very least.

[Matt.]

I used to love wrestling when Vince Russo was writing the shows, so I was excited to read this book, and it did not disappoint. I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars because I was hoping he would spend more time discussing his USA consultant gig and his review shows after his TNA run. Even so, it was an entertaining and insightful read that I would definitely recommend to wrestling fans.

[Tom]

I feel like, after reading all 261 pages, he didn't say anything. Take out anything regarding Cornette and Bischoff, and it's a 10-page book.

[Jeffrey T]

Abysmal

Wow - self-serving hype train; with horrible style. Thought I’d take a chance as I love wrestling books, but this is truly horrible - skip it!!!

[Steve Cimino]

a book about wrestling that mentions maybe a dozen wrestlers