Vince Russo names an underrated former WWE star Vince McMahon didn't understand (Exclusive)
Vince McMahon was the undisputed decision-maker in WWE for decades, which also meant several wrestlers didn't reach the intended heights due to his preferences. Vince Russo recently explained why McMahon never understood Gangrel's character.
Responsible for giving Edge and Christian the spotlight during their early days, Gangrel spearheaded the vampire-themed 'Brood' faction and provided fans with some of the most bone-chilling visuals during the Attitude Era. Despite having a unique character, Gangrel never really made it big in the WWE, even though he had multiple stints in the company.
Gangrel's career was the main topic of discussion on The Wrestling Outlaws, during which EC3 admitted that the 55-year-old was "awesome" and still "goes hard" whenever he appears these days, the most recent of them happening for AEW.
Vince Russo also loved Gangrel's work and specifically found his gimmick really appealing. Russo wasn't surprised that WWE didn't make Gangrel a bigger name, as he believed Vince McMahon would not have understood the character:
"He is awesome, bro, he is awesome! You know, bro, a lot of that had to do with Vince. Vince is never going to get that. Bro, you've got to understand; that's why it's not a surprise to me that the second trial of it didn't work under Vince McMahon. He is never going to understand that, bro, and embrace something like that. If Vince McMahon didn't understand something, bro, you were dead in the water." [From 3:55 onwards]
Vince Russo on Gangrel coming up with his character in WWE
Gangrel's rise to popularity happened during the Attitude Era when WWE also actively pushed the boundaries of its TV product.
Vince Russo played an important role in shaping it as the head writer but clarified that The Brood didn't come through him. In fact, the idea of having a wrestling character styled around vampires originated in the mind of David Heath, the man known to the wrestling world as Gangrel.
Russo recalled how Gangrel made him red books about vampires, helping him get familiar with the on-screen presentation:
"I don't want to say it came through me, bro because it came through David Heath; I mean, that's where it came from. I picked his brain; he told me what books to read. I am not a vampire. That's where all that stuff came from." [4:08 - 4:21]
Gangrel recently appeared at AEW Double or Nothing to help Adam Copeland defeat Malakai Black and, based on the reactions, had quite an impactful cameo.
Please embed the video and credit The Wrestling Outlaws if the quotes from the article are used.