Vince Russo Explains Why He Never Joined AEW

Vince Russo didn’t hold back when asked why he’s never worked with AEW.

Speaking on the January 23, 2026 episode of the Mic Check podcast, Russo laid out his reasoning—and it comes down to one simple rule: if a promoter’s footing the bill, they’re going to call the shots.

“Oh, see, that’s real simple, and that’s part of the problem too,” Russo began. “When you’re the promoter and it’s your money, you want to write the show. It’s that simple.”

He went on to say that over the years, countless promoters have approached him to write for their shows—but almost none of them actually wanted to hand over full creative control.

“I can’t tell you how many calls I’ve gotten from promoters over the years saying, ‘I want you to come in and write our show, write our show,’ and I’m like, ‘No, no you don’t,’” he explained. “It’s your money — you’re going to wind up writing the show.”

Russo then specifically called out Tony Khan and Triple H, describing both as “wrestling marks” more interested in booking what they enjoy rather than what the audience actually wants. That, according to Russo, is where both promotions are getting it wrong.

“You’ve got Tony Khan, who will tell you himself he was booking matches when he was six years old in his little knapsack. The guy’s the biggest wrestling mark on the planet, okay?”

Now, on the other side of the coin, it’s not his money, but Triple H is a huge wrestling mark too,” Russo added.

Here’s the problem: both Triple H and Tony Khan are producing a wrestling show every week that they like,” he said. “Who gives a shit what you like?”

Instead, Russo argued that data—not personal taste—should be the only guiding principle behind wrestling creative. He believes most wrestling shows today suffer because they’re not built around analytics or audience feedback. And his solution? It’s straightforward.

“When I’m writing a show, the only thing that can tell you what direction to go — the only thing that’s concrete evidence — is the numbers,” he stated. “Everything else is a freaking opinion. And quite frankly, I don’t give a shit about your opinion, and I don’t give a shit about my opinion. We’ve got to serve the masses. What do they want?” Russo said.

That’s where the numbers, the ratings, the minute-by-minutes, all that stuff comes in — because they tell you what they want. If you want to increase ratings, here’s all you’ve got to do: give them more of what they want and take away what they’re not watching.”

Love him or hate him, Vince Russo continues to stir the pot—and he’s clearly not interested in playing nice with today’s biggest wrestling executives.

Do you agree with Vince Russo that ratings should dictate everything in wrestling? Do you think he should join AEW one day despite his stance? Sound off in the comments below.

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