Wrestling company refused to hire WWE legend Chyna, according to Vince Russo (Exclusive)
Former WCW and WWE writer Vince Russo recently recalled how he thought Chyna would have been a good fit for the Lucha Underground television series.
Lucha Underground ran for four seasons and a total of 127 episodes between October 29, 2014, and November 7, 2018. Although he never worked for the company, Russo enjoyed the show's storyline-focused concept. He once attended a set of television tapings, where he advised Lucha Underground higher-up Konnan to consider hiring Chyna.
On Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws show, Russo explained how the WWE legend's Spanish background could have been utilized in Lucha Underground:
"I tried to get her in Lucha Underground and they laughed at it. I'm like, wait a minute, first of all, bro, she speaks fluent beautiful Spanish, beautifully, bro. She would have been perfect for that. But, again, things she had done in the past." [5:41 – 6:04]
The former D-Generation X member appeared in adult movies after leaving the wrestling business in 2002. In the video above, Russo explains why that line of work affected her 2011 return to action with IMPACT/TNA.
Vince Russo on Chyna being blacklisted from wrestling
In 2015, Konnan confirmed that he spoke to Vince Russo about the possibility of Chyna joining Lucha Underground. The WCW legend allegedly "couldn't believe the suggestion" and did not see where she could fit into the show.
Remembering the late #WWE Hall of Famer #Chyna on her birthday. https://t.co/tqLatvfkEt
Regarding Chyna's non-PG work, Russo felt that many in wrestling were reluctant to take a risk on hiring her. He even felt that wrestlers who sued WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon were more welcome in the industry than she was:
"People in wrestling are not very forgiving," Russo continued. "When I talk about that, I'm talking about like if you've done anything questionable, you could sue Vince. Suing Vince is different than being in an adult film. If you sue Vince, you can come back. Ah, bro, but if you did that adult film (…) There's a lot of double standards, bro." [6:09 – 6:35]
Chyna passed away on April 17, 2016, at the age of 46. The Ninth Wonder of the World is best remembered for winning the Intercontinental Championship twice and Women's Championship once. In 2019, she was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame alongside her fellow D-Generation X members.
Do you think the former WWE star would have been a good fit for Lucha Underground? Let us know in the comments section below.
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