Ex-WWE writer accuses Vince McMahon of purposely booking Triple H's superstars to fail (Exclusive)
Vince Russo believes Vince McMahon may have deliberately booked former NXT Superstars badly on RAW and SmackDown.
Dozens of men and women have struggled to make an impact on McMahon’s main roster in recent years after showing promise on Triple H’s NXT. Ember Moon, for example, held the NXT Women’s Championship for 139 days. She later performed on RAW and SmackDown before receiving her release in 2021.
Russo, WWE’s head writer in the late 1990s, spoke to Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Dr. Chris Featherstone about superstars’ experiences on the main roster compared to NXT. He speculated that McMahon purposely wanted some people to fail to send a message to Triple H:
“Vince McMahon and Triple H… are we going to make sure that she fails on the big stage? And how do we do that? Just put her out there, just put her out there. Because if she doesn’t know who she is, the people at home certainly aren’t gonna know who she is. I’m telling you, bro, there was a lot of that going on,” said Russo.
Watch the video above to hear more from Vince Russo on why Vince McMahon’s reinvention of Triple H’s NXT brand has been “building for years.” He also spoke about Jade Cargill’s recent AEW TBS Championship victory.
Vince Russo thinks Vince McMahon should have repackaged Ember Moon
Stay OUT of @WWEEmberMoon's way! #RAW https://t.co/QiOL2lhjkI
Ember Moon’s WWE character was often compared to a werewolf or a vampire. Vince Russo had previously given his opinion that her “goofy” persona needed to be altered before she left NXT for the main roster.
If Vince McMahon really wanted Moon to succeed, Russo believes the WWE Chairman would have done more to help fans understand her character:
“Trust me, there are trained wolves out there. You find a wolf with a trainer. The next thing you know, she’s walking a wolf to the ring. All that stuff, bro, but to throw her out there, ‘I’m Ember Moon, I’m sticking my tongue out, I got contacts.’ Come on, bro, you don’t stand a shot.”
In September 2021, NXT received a new name (NXT 2.0) and presentation. According to PWInsider’s Mike Johnson, members of the brand’s creative team now report directly to Bruce Prichard and Christine Lubrano instead of Triple H.
Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling if you use quotes from this article.