Vince Russo thinks one of wrestling’s biggest problems today has nothing to do with booking. According to him, the issue is that too many wrestlers simply don’t want to have larger-than-life characters anymore.
Speaking on The Coach and Bro Show while discussing the lineup for this year’s Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match featuring Lash Legend, Tiffany Stratton, Sol Ruca, Roxanne Perez, Jacy Jayne and Lola Vice, Russo criticized what he sees as a lack of distinct personalities among today’s talent.
Russo then said his opinion was reinforced by conversations he’s had with people inside WWE. While noting that co-host Jonathan Coachman has his own sources, Russo claimed someone he trusts told him many of today’s wrestlers aren’t interested in developing memorable characters and are focused almost entirely on putting on great matches.
“I wanna make this clear to everybody watching this. Coach has his sources. I have some conversations with WWE people of high caliber. So, Coach, I am told that a lot of these wrestlers today don’t wanna be characters. They don’t wanna do wrestlerettes. They just wanna go out there and have five-star matches. I was told that by somebody I believe, and I don’t doubt it one minute.”
Russo has long argued that personality and storytelling should come before in-ring action, so his latest comments line up with criticisms he’s made for years about modern wrestling. Whether fans agree with him or not, he believes the industry has shifted away from creating memorable characters and toward chasing match quality instead.
What’s more important to you as a wrestling fan: larger-than-life characters or five-star matches? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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