Vince McMahon would not have worked with current WWE Superstar 20 years ago according to Vince Russo (Exclusive)
Vince Russo believes Vince McMahon’s approach to booking changed drastically in recent years compared to two decades ago.
The former WWE Chairman and CEO retired last month amid sexual misconduct allegations. In the months leading up to his departure, the 76-year-old appeared in several segments with his on-screen protégé, Theory.
Russo was WWE’s head writer when RAW drew its highest television ratings in the late 1990s. Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling’s “Writing With Russo” show, he explained how he was selective regarding which characters interacted with McMahon’s villainous persona.
“When we were doing Vince and [Steve] Austin, whoever crossed Vince McMahon’s path, we were very picky because Vince was the most over heel on the roster,” Russo said. “So you’ve got to keep that over. You’ve got to massage it, you’ve got to keep it fresh, so you’re very, very careful about who you’re running by.” [1:26-1:52]
Fast forward to modern-day WWE, and Russo thinks the likes of Theory would never have been booked with McMahon in the Attitude Era. He also claimed that Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns are the only “over” superstars on the roster.
“Bro, Theory? Theory and Vince would have never, ever, ever happened 20 years ago,” Russo continued. “I see that all the time, Chris [host Dr. Chris Featherstone]. They take people that are… I don’t even wanna say over. I don’t know, who’s over? If you asked me who’s over in the WWE, SmackDown and RAW, who’s over? Roman Reigns and Brock. That’s it.” [1:53-2:23]
Watch the video above to hear Russo’s thoughts on a possible future segment between Reigns and WWE’s new head of creative, Triple H.
How Vince McMahon booked Theory
https://t.co/sRsdzc7WAk
After a brief stint on RAW in 2020, Theory returned to the brand from NXT as part of the 2021 WWE Draft. Within a month, he began featuring in teacher-student segments backstage with Vince McMahon.
The storyline led to a major moment at WrestleMania 38, where Pat McAfee defeated Theory before losing an impromptu match against McMahon. All three men received stunners from Steve Austin moments later.
Theory held the United States Championship for 75 days after defeating Finn Balor for the title in April. He also won the Money in the Bank contract in July, which means he is guaranteed a world title opportunity at a time of his choosing.
Have you enjoyed Theory’s booking over the last year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling’s “Writing With Russo” and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.