Vince Russo firmly believes top star should never win the AEW World Championship (Exclusive)
AEW has had several notable World Champions in its first few years, from inaugural champion Chris Jericho to current four-time champion Jon Moxley, and only other two-time champion CM Punk. One top AEW Original is poised to win the company's top title in the near future, but Vince Russo has just opened up on why this is a bad idea.
Orange Cassidy is set to receive his second-ever shot at the AEW World Championship on Saturday at the sixth annual Full Gear PPV. He will face Jon Moxley in their third singles bout. The wrestling world continues to speculate on the match, and the discussion has included exclusive Vince Russo remarks on a controversial championship opportunity for Cassidy.
Freshly Squeezed should be kept away from All Elite Wrestling's World Championship, according to Russo. The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion and Dr. Chris Featherstone recently did a role-playing bit on the latest episode of WrestleBinge from Sportskeeda Wrestling, with Russo portraying Tony Khan's new head booker, and Featherstone portraying Cassidy.
A potential scenario had Cassidy making the case for why he should be booked in a World Championship push, noting that such a reign would help push forward any momentum AEW has. Russo was asked what he would say in response to Cassidy's pitch:
"I would tell him that he doesn't need the title. You have a gimmick, and you have a gimmick that's over... we use the title to help people get over, and people that need the title, so it would behoove us to put the title on somebody else," Vince Russo said. [From 3:40 to 3:57]
Cassidy has had just one World Championship opportunity in AEW. Double Or Nothing 2021 saw Kenny Omega retain the title over Cassidy and PAC in a Triple Threat. The 27-minute match ended with Cassidy pinning Omega, only for the champion to counter the pin and roll up the latter for the win.
AEW Full Gear angle on Orange Cassidy vs. Jon Moxley
Two of All Elite Wrestling's biggest stars representing different eras are set to clash in the main event of Full Gear on Saturday. Orange Cassidy will be fighting for the future of AEW as he challenges Jon Moxley for the World Championship while trying to stop The Death Riders' takeover.
Cassidy vs. Moxley at the sixth annual Full Gear PPV is actually a rematch from one year ago. In the lead-up to Full Gear 2023, Moxley defeated Cassidy to become the third International Champion at All Out. The former Dean Ambrose was dethroned by Rey Fenix just seventeen days later, but Cassidy won the title back from Fenix twenty days after that at Title Tuesday.
The first successful defense of Cassidy's second reign came against John Silver. He then retained over Moxley ally Claudio Castagnoli, and two weeks later retained over The Purveyor Of Violence himself at Full Gear 2023. Now the company has booked Cassidy vs. Moxley for Full Gear 2024, but with the former WWE Superstar as the defending champion.