Vince McMahon ignored two new WWE stars due to height, ex-writer thinks (Exclusive)
Vince McMahon was WWE's creative figurehead for 40 years between 1982 and 2022. Vince Russo, WWE's head writer in the late 1990s, recently addressed why McMahon never signed the Motor City Machine Guns.
Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin made their name as one of the world's best tag teams in TNA between 2007 and 2012. On the October 18 episode of SmackDown, they defeated A-Town Down Under and Los Garza on their WWE debut.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling's Writing With Russo host Mac Davis, Russo questioned whether Sabin and Shelley's height held them back. He also referenced how McMahon finally signed AJ Styles in 2016 after The Phenomenal One spent 12 years in TNA.
"I would say with Vince it was probably their size," Russo said. "Absolutely, absolutely, yeah. Bro, look how long it took Vince to hire AJ Styles. And as great as these guys are, they're not AJ. Look how long it took Vince to give AJ Styles a job." [5:31 – 5:55]
Watch the video above to hear Russo explain how he would book Motor City Machine Guns on SmackDown.
Vince Russo highlights big problem with WWE tag teams
The October 18 episode of SmackDown also featured Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa's win over Pretty Deadly and The Street Profits.
While watching the match, Vince Russo noticed that WWE rarely provides individual backstories for tag teams like Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford.
"You have tag teams but, bro, we still have to know who the individuals are. We look at Street Profits tonight, man. I don't know anything about Dawkins. The only thing I know about the other dude [Montez Ford] is he's married to Bianca Belair. They've gotta be separate. You've gotta know about these separate human beings," he said. [6:13 – 6:41]
Russo also gave his take on why Motor City Machine Guns are not as special as they once were.
What are your thoughts on Motor City Machine Guns' debut? Hit the discuss button and let us know.
If you use quotes from this article, please credit Writing With Russo and embed the video, giving an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.