Vince Russo thinks there’s a reason former WWE stars can arrive in AEW with plenty of name value and eventually start feeling like just another wrestler on the roster. As far as Russo is concerned, great matches alone aren’t enough, and the responsibility falls on Tony Khan to give those wrestlers something meaningful to work with creatively.
While speaking on Russo’s The Brand, Al Snow first brought up Jon Moxley as an example. Snow acknowledged Moxley’s charisma and remembered him feeling like a genuine star during his WWE run, but believes some of that mystique disappeared after he moved to AEW.
“When he went to AEW, you could see that star dwindle. Like they still utilize him in a top role, but that mystique, that whatever that was about him, that ambiance that surrounded him in WWE is no longer there at all. Like he’s just another part of the woodwork.”
Snow felt the same thing had happened to several other former WWE names, pointing to Christian Cage, Adam Copeland, Miro, Andrade and even Chris Jericho. That led him to wonder whether Kofi Kingston and Austin Creed could eventually suffer the same fate following their own move to AEW.
Russo agreed there was a problem, but his explanation for it was very different. He pointed out that he and Snow naturally see wrestling through different lenses because Snow approaches it as a wrestler while Russo looks at it as a writer.
“This is where, you know, this is where you and I have an issue. Okay, just hear me out for a while. Hear me out for a while because you’re a wrestler at heart. I’m a writer by heart. Here’s where you and I have a difference.”
For Russo, the problem starts with what Tony Khan actually gives established wrestlers once they arrive in AEW. He believes Khan repeatedly sends experienced names out to have great wrestling matches, something those performers are already perfectly capable of doing.
“They go over there. Everybody you just named, they go over there and the booker, Tony Khan, with every one of those guys, he sends them out to have a great wrestling match. They’re all capable of going out and having a great wrestling match. These guys are veterans. They’ve been doing it all their lives.”
Russo’s issue is what happens after that. A former WWE star can have another strong match, but if there’s nothing beyond the wrestling itself to make people care, he believes that wrestler eventually stops feeling special.
“But they go out and have a great wrestling match and we’re sitting here saying, ‘Okay, there’s nothing special about them anymore. Now they’re just another wrestler on the roster.’”
That’s where Russo believes Khan’s creative approach falls short. In his view, established wrestlers don’t necessarily need help figuring out what to do between the ropes. They need an actual purpose, story or piece of material that gives everything they’re doing a reason to matter.
“And that’s where I say from a writing perspective, if you don’t give them material or some meat on the bone or a purpose or something to work with, bro, they can go out there all night long.”
Christian Cage became Russo’s biggest example. After more than 25 years in wrestling, Russo doesn’t see how simply sending Christian out for another match every week is supposed to make audiences see something they haven’t already seen from him.
“How at this point in his career is Christian going to continue to stay over by Tony Khan just sending him out there to wrestle every week? What can Christian possibly do that’s different from the last 25 years?”
Russo then put the question directly to Snow. If Christian, Adam Copeland, Miro and other established names aren’t being given meaningful creative direction, he wanted to know what they’re supposed to do by themselves to make audiences care again.
“So now you, I want you to tell me what Christian, Edge, Miro and all those guys can do without help creatively to make people care again. Go ahead.”
That disagreement ultimately came down to how much responsibility belongs to the wrestler and how much belongs to the person booking them. Russo wasn’t willing to accept that someone like Christian should be expected to create that feeling entirely through his matches.
“Yeah, we’re forever going to disagree on that because, like I said, you using Christian Cage as an example. You put him out there every single week with no story and just go out there and have a great match.”
For Russo, it doesn’t matter how talented or experienced Christian is. If the company gives him 15 minutes to wrestle without giving fans a reason to care about what happens during those 15 minutes, there’s only so much he can accomplish.
“I don’t care what Christian Cage does during that match. He’s never going to be able to take a step out without some help and some direction. I don’t care what he does during that 15-minute match. You’ve got to give him a purpose.”
Snow may believe former WWE stars tend to lose their aura after moving to AEW, but Russo sees that as the symptom rather than the cause. His problem is with Tony Khan relying on talented veterans to deliver great matches without consistently giving them enough creative material to make those matches mean something.
Do you agree with Vince Russo that Tony Khan needs to give former WWE stars more creative direction instead of relying on great matches to keep them special? Let us know in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
