"Absolutely not" - Veteran still has no interest in joining Vince McMahon's WWE Hall of Fame
Vince Russo says he will reject a place in the WWE Hall of Fame if Vince McMahon ever selects him as an inductee.
Russo worked as WWE’s head writer when RAW dominated WCW Nitro in the television ratings in the late 1990s. The 61-year-old later worked as a writer and on-screen talent in WCW, where he became a one-time World Heavyweight Champion. He also wrote television for TNA/IMPACT Wrestling.
Speaking to Pounding The Meat’s Vinny Vegas, the former writer gave an abrupt response when asked about possibly joining the Hall of Fame.
“Absolutely not,” Russo said. “The Hall of Fame is Vince’s validation. Nobody’s voting for this. Fans aren’t voting. Hall of Famers aren’t voting. It’s Vince’s decision at the end of the day. There are so many guys that should be in the Hall of Fame and aren’t in the Hall of Fame because of heat with Vince. Ivan Koloff… King Kong Bundy… I can go on and on.” [57:18-57:49]
Russo also questioned why Steve Lombardi, better known as The Brooklyn Brawler, is not in the Hall of Fame. Lombardi performed as an in-ring competitor and worked in various backstage production roles for WWE between 1983 and 2016.
The only way Vince Russo would agree to join Vince McMahon’s Hall of Fame
Honoring the #WWEHOF Class of 2022 at #WrestleMania. https://t.co/H9HZVUaCvI
Last year, Russo said receiving validation from McMahon was not a good enough reason to accept a Hall of Fame induction. He also doubted whether WWE would want to publicly acknowledge him ever again.
Elaborating on his Hall of Fame stance, the wrestling veteran said he would only be interested in an induction if the voting system changed.
“If it were different, if it were fan voting, if it were people that were already in [the Hall of Fame] voting, but coming down to whether or not you’re on Vince McMahon’s good side? I have zero interest in that,” Russo added. [58:31-58:47]
The 2022 Hall of Fame was headlined by WWE icon The Undertaker. Shad Gaspard, The Steiner Brothers, Vader, and Queen Sharmell were also inducted.
Please credit Pounding The Meat and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.