5 Current WWE Wrestlers Vince Russo Would Have Helped (& 5 He Would Have Ruined)
Few figures in wrestling draw such strong - and occasionally hostile - opinions as Vince Russo. The writer who helped shape WWE's Attitude Era more than anyone aside from that other Vince wasn't exactly able to replicate his success during future stints in WCW and what was then known as TNA.
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However, even his strongest critics would have to admit that Russo was at least always conscious of those toiling on the mid- and lower-card. Although his "Crash TV" style of booking often meant that episodes of Raw or Nitro seemed to have a million things happening each segment, at least wrestlers who weren't headlining shows had something happening. WWE's television landscape is much different today than it was in 1998, but there are at least five members of its active roster who we think Russo might have been able to help - and five who we think he probably would've ruined.
10 Helped: Gunther (WALTER)
WALTER made quite a name for himself with his no-nonsense, hard-hitting style throughout Europe in the 2010s, especially with Germany's Westside Xtreme Wrestling. Eventually, his work with American independent promotions Progress Wrestling, Evolve, and PWG caught WWE's eye, and upon his 2019 debut for NXT UK, WALTER looked like the type of can't-miss, main roster-ready prospect creative teams salivate over.
When WALT... err, "Gunther" made his debut on Smackdown in April 2022, fans were already speculating on how long it would take for him to become Just Another Guy on the roster. While Russo might have taken things in a different direction entirely, his version of the Austrian powerhouse would certainly have been anything but forgettable.
9 Ruined: Io Shirai
We'd like to think that by 2022, Japanese wrestlers shouldn't have their gimmicks be reliant entirely on their nationalities. WWE veterans like Asuka and Shinsuke Nakamura have enjoyed success with established personas, but despite Io Shirai's undeniable in-ring ability, she has yet to break into the upper echelon of its women's roster, remaining at NXT 2.0.
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In the reductionist hands of Russo, we could see his desire to find a gimmick for everybody - which, as we've said, was sometimes a very good thing, too - as potentially bad news for Shirai. It remains to be seen whether she can eventually replicate - or even exceed - Asuka's main roster accomplishments, but it's a bit too easy to imagine how Shirai's character could take a stereotypical turn.
8 Helped: Butch (Pete Dunne)
Although former NXT UK Champion and British standout Pete Dunne has been making the best out of his new gimmick as Butch - a heavily maligned, cartoonish departure from his successful "Bruiserweight" character - his sudden transformation into an unhinged, diminutive attack dog upon his main roster call-up and association with Sheamus and Ridge Holland had fans scratching their collective heads in early 2022.
Russo's ideas usually at least tried to accentuate a performer's positives - in Dunne's case, his impressive in-ring skills and creative mind. Instead, he's been largely relegated to a supporting role in a snakebitten feud with The New Day which, although entertaining at times, is doing nothing for Dunne's prospects as a top contender.
7 Ruined: Dominik Mysterio
All things considered, Dominik Mysterio's career thus far has to be considered successful. Despite carrying the daunting legacy of a father who helped revolutionize an entire style in the industry, the younger Mysterio - despite being, by technical standards, a cruiserweight - stands nearly a full foot taller than Rey and has a build more similar to many of today's heavyweight competitors than Lucha Libre stars of the past.
WWE has generally taken its time with Dominik, who shows flashes of potential but has benefitted greatly from mostly being kept in the tag team division. The Mysterios have faced a bit of criticism for using Rey's status to help Dominik, who probably should have spent some time in NXT. However, his push has been nothing compared to that of David Flair's during the Vince Russo era of WCW, which anybody who thinks they've seen nepotism should certainly check out.
6 Helped: Damien Priest
Despite Damien Priest's prior association with Bad Bunny and reign as United States Champion, he'd been looking a bit lost in the shuffle as of late. Although that seems to be changing now that Priest has found his dark side after aligning with Edge at WrestleMania 38, it's going to take some top-tier long-term storytelling to regain the momentum that was lost.
When Russo had the book, however, we didn't see that much of what Priest spent too much time doing over the past several months - trading wins and losses with other mid-carders without much direction. In fact, with most U.S. (and Intercontinental) Champions being treated like interchangeable parts these days, we're reminded that although it seemed like everybody got a turn with the mid-card titles under Russo's watch, at least they were doing something.
5 Ruined: Otis
Built like a Mack truck and owning the type of weird charisma that can't be learned at a wrestling school, Otis is among several examples of someone that got over with an audience organically - in his case, as half of Heavy Machinery and in an on-screen romance with Mandy Rose. Of course, then WWE creative had to turn him heel, stripping every element that helped get fans behind the former NXT star.
So why do we say Russo would have ruined Otis if he's already been the victim of bad booking? He's one of the rare talents who managed to recover - in Otis' case, thanks to the kayfabe guidance of Alpha Academy partner Chad Gable. No matter how bad things got for him, it was nowhere near what some were subjected to under the Russo era, and we shudder to imagine what ridiculous and offensive ideas Vince might have come up with - especially during the relationship with Rose.
4 Helped: The Viking Raiders
Believe it or not, there was a time when Erik and Ivar of the Viking Raiders looked like WWE's next dominant hoss tag team. The team once-known as War Machine in Ring of Honor and New Japan and the War Raiders in NXT had a hilariously botched Raw debut where there were questionably rebranded as the "Viking Experience," which felt more like the title of an interactive exhibit at an archaeological museum.
What should have been a hiccup turned into something that they couldn't recover from, as the men long known as Hanson and Rowe were quickly lost in the shuffle, especially once their forgettable 98-day Raw Tag Team Championship reign came to an end. In this case, Russo's stubborn nature - refusal to back off a push or angle when it's clear that fans disapprove - could've helped, as the burly brutes might not have been so easily abandoned.
3 Ruined: R-Truth
If there's one thing that we've learned during R-Truth's decade-plus second WWE stint, it's that he's up for nearly anything. In many ways, this - along with his undeniable charisma and knack for comedy - has helped keep him relevant long past others' expiration dates, as it's been years since he's been in a meaningful program.
Anyone who knows Vince Russo by now probably knows where we're going with this: if Russo had a talent who was so loyal that they'd be willing to be put in embarrassing situations time and again like the first Black NWA World Champion, it's almost guaranteed that he'd take matters to extreme levels.
2 Helped: Finn Balor
For somebody as talented, popular, and unique as Finn Balor, it's tempting to spend a lot of time wondering where - aside from unfortunately-timed injuries - it all began going wrong in WWE. However, by this point, it's unquestionable that part of his problem is that he's a bit stale. His Demon alter-ego has its limitations and Balor hasn't been reliable enough to justify investment from a creative team that sometimes seems unable to book and chew gum simultaneously.
Maybe Fergal Devitt has ideas that just aren't being used, or maybe at his surprisingly advanced age of 40, he's become a bit complacent, but for everything Russo's been accused of over his career, nobody can say he's not creative. We can't guarantee that the answer for Balor is simply a change - any change - but we're starting to wonder if it might be better than no change whatsoever.
1 Ruined: Nikkita Lyons
When Nikkita Lyons' impressive NXT 2.0 debut went viral in February, it was very much thanks to her ample assets. The young amateur Taekwondo champion began her wrestling career in 2018 with Women of Wrestling as Faith the Lioness only a year out of high school, and her progress over the next year was enough to lead WWE to sign her to a developmental contract in 2021.
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If there's one thing Vince Russo is known for not taking seriously, it's women's wrestling. Lyons may have seen success under a Russo regime, but it's safe to say that her booking would have been less-than-Evolution-worthy. Although there's certainly room for sex appeal in wrestling - no matter the competitor's gender - it's hard to imagine anything tasteful proposed by Russo for women like Lyons, no matter their legitimate ability.
