1. Early Life
Vincent James Russo's early life and educational background laid the groundwork for his eventual career in professional wrestling, starting with his academic pursuits and initial professional endeavors.
1.1. Education and Early Non-Wrestling Career
Vincent James Russo, of Italian descent with a Sicilian maternal grandfather, was born on January 24, 1961, on Long Island, New York, and grew up in Farmingville. He pursued a degree in journalism at the University of Southern Indiana (then known as Indiana State University Evansville), graduating in 1983. During his time at the university, he worked for the school newspaper The Shield, first as an assistant sports editor and later as editor-in-chief. He stands 6 in and weighs 190 lb (190 lb). He currently resides in Thornton, Colorado.
Before fully immersing himself in professional wrestling, Russo owned two video stores on Long Island. From 1992 to 1993, he hosted his own local radio show, Vicious Vincent's World of Wrestling, which aired on Sunday nights on WGBB in Freeport. The program concluded precisely one year after its debut.
1.2. Entry into Professional Wrestling
Russo's entry into the professional wrestling world began with his training under the tutelage of Johnny Rodz at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn. He officially debuted in professional wrestling in 1992.
2. Professional Wrestling Career
Vince Russo's professional wrestling career spanned several major promotions, where he gained notoriety for his innovative yet often controversial creative approaches and occasional on-screen appearances.
2.1. World Wrestling Federation (1992-1999)
In 1992, Russo began his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), initially as a freelance writer for WWF Magazine. By 1994, he had risen to the position of editor, operating under the pseudonym Vic Venom. His contributions led to his promotion to the WWF Creative Team in 1996.
This period was critical for the WWF, as Monday Night Raw had hit a ratings low of 1.8 in 1996, with Monday Nitro (its primary competition) enjoying an 83-week winning streak during the Monday Night War. Facing severe competition from World Championship Wrestling (WCW), WWF chairman Vince McMahon tasked Russo with overhauling the televised product. Russo introduced an edgy, controversial writing style, featuring sexual content, profanity, swerves (unexpected heel turns), and worked shoots. His segments included short matches, frequent backstage vignettes, shocking angles, and heightened levels of depicted violence. This distinctive approach became known as "Crash TV," a style heavily inspired by The Jerry Springer Show. The core philosophy of "Crash TV" was that every character on WWF television should be actively involved in a storyline (feud), a departure from conventional wrestling booking that often featured matches between wrestlers not necessarily engaged in feuds. Russo believed that a constant stream of on-screen storyline material would keep viewers engaged and prevent them from changing the channel for fear of missing critical developments.
By 1997, Russo became the head writer for the WWF, responsible for their flagship show Raw Is War and their monthly pay-per-view events. Through the angles he created, Russo played a significant role in WWF surpassing WCW in the Monday night rating war during the Attitude Era. His first written episode as head writer aired on December 15, 1997. In 1998, Ed Ferrara joined the WWF creative team and began collaborating with Russo. Some of the more controversial characters during this era, often cited by critics, included Sable, Val Venis, and The Godfather. Russo was also the architect behind the infamous WWF Brawl for All tournament, conceived after John 'Bradshaw' Layfield (JBL) boasted he could defeat anyone in a real bar fight. Furthermore, Russo contributed to the formation of D-Generation X, the The Undertaker vs. Kane feud, the Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Mr. McMahon feud, the rise of The Rock, and Mick Foley's successful three-face pushes. Within two years of Russo's promotion to head writer, Raw consistently outperformed Nitro in head-to-head ratings.
In October 1999, Russo departed the company, and Chris Kreski succeeded him as WWF head writer.
2.2. World Championship Wrestling (1999-2000)
Vince Russo's move to WCW marked an attempt to replicate his successful, yet controversial, creative style in a new environment, leading to both significant changes and infamous incidents within the promotion.
2.2.1. Hiring and Creative Approach
On October 3, 1999, Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara officially joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Russo maintained that his decision to leave the WWF stemmed from a dispute with Vince McMahon over the increased workload caused by the launch of the new SmackDown! broadcast, coupled with McMahon's apparent disregard for Russo's family life.
Upon their arrival, Russo and Ferrara aimed to implement the same "Crash TV" style that had defined Raw Is War in the WWF, but at an even more accelerated pace on Monday Nitro. This approach involved soapier storylines, more extensive non-wrestling segments, frequent heel and face turns, an increased presence of female performers, fake retirements, more backstage vignettes, expanded storyline depth, constant title changes, and a focus on utilizing mid-card talent more effectively. A notable characteristic of Russo and Ferrara's writing was their tendency to poke fun at the WWF.
Russo's writing style in WCW resulted in a high turnover of championship titles, reflecting his "Crash TV" philosophy of rapid developments. An example of this was his booking of Jushin Thunder Liger losing and immediately regaining the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on Nitro in late 1999, a change that New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) did not recognize in their official title lineage until 2007. Liger lost the title to Juventud Guerrera, a luchador, after being struck with a tequila bottle. The WCW broadcasts under Russo heavily emphasized swerves and segments treated as "shoots," where wrestlers would supposedly deliver unscripted interviews using "insider" terms primarily understood by the Internet smarks, contributing to a chaotic and unpredictable on-screen product.
2.2.2. Major Incidents and WCW World Heavyweight Championship Reign
In January 2000, Russo faced an unexpected creative challenge when he received phone calls from both Bret Hart (then WCW World Heavyweight Champion) and Jeff Jarrett (then WCW United States Heavyweight Champion), who both informed him of injuries that would force them to vacate their respective championships. This compelled Russo to drastically alter his plans for Hart and the New World Order. During a meeting with his booking committee to determine the revised direction for Souled Out, one proposal involved having Tank Abbott, a former UFC fighter and legitimate shoot fighter, win the now-vacated WCW World Heavyweight Championship. The idea was for Sid Vicious to be an early entrant in a "rumble match" and last until the end, only for Abbott to enter and eliminate him with a single punch. Russo stated that Abbott's reign might not have lasted more than 24 hours. However, the day after this plan was devised, Russo was asked to transition into a committee role rather than remain as head writer. He declined this offer and departed the company. His immediate replacement was Kevin Sullivan, who, along with other bookers, opted for Chris Benoit to win the title from Vicious in a singles bout officiated by Arn Anderson.
Three months after his departure, Kevin Sullivan was relieved of his duties in March 2000, leading to Russo's return as lead writer, alongside the re-hired Eric Bischoff. Their collective vision was to reboot WCW, transforming it into a more modern, streamlined company that would allow younger talent to work alongside established stars. On the April 10, 2000, episode of WCW Monday Nitro, Russo was introduced as an on-screen antagonist authority figure. His character became involved in several notable storylines, including the "The New Blood vs. The Millionaire's Club" feud, a highly personal feud with Ric Flair that saw Russo and David Flair shave Ric Flair's hair, as well as Reid Flair's hair, and a feud with Goldberg. Russo also booked Miss Elizabeth's first official wrestling match, which took place on May 8, 2000, against Daffney; Elizabeth departed the company shortly thereafter.
The most infamous incident during Russo's second WCW tenure occurred at Bash at the Beach 2000. Russo had initially booked Hulk Hogan to lose a match against the reigning WCW World Heavyweight Champion, Jeff Jarrett. However, Hogan refused to lose, citing his contract's "creative control" clause, reportedly due to Russo's lack of a clear direction for Hogan's character following the planned loss. In response, Russo booked Jarrett to deliberately lie down in the ring for Hogan. Hogan then delivered a worked shoot on Russo, publicly stating, "That's why this company is in the damn shape it's in; because of bullshit like this," before pinning Jarrett by placing his foot on his chest. Later in the broadcast, Russo emerged to nullify the match's result and publicly fired Hogan, restoring the title to Jarrett and setting up a new championship match between Jarrett and Booker T, which Booker T won. As Russo had declared, Hogan never reappeared in WCW and subsequently filed a lawsuit against Russo for defamation of character, though the lawsuit was dismissed in 2003, with the court ruling that the charges were "groundless" and "were just part of a wrestling storyline." Hogan, in his autobiography Hollywood Hulk Hogan, claimed that Russo intentionally turned the storyline into a legitimate shoot and that he was double-crossed by Turner executive Brad Siegel, who wished to terminate his contract due to his high per-appearance costs. Conversely, Eric Bischoff, in his autobiography Controversy Creates Ca$h, stated that Hogan winning and leaving with the title was a planned work, intended for Hogan to return months later and eventually win a champion vs. champion match at Halloween Havoc. However, Bischoff alleged that Russo's on-screen firing of Hogan was indeed an unscripted shoot, which led to the lawsuit. Bischoff also claimed he and Hogan celebrated the angle after the event, only to be dismayed by a phone call informing them of Russo's actions after Hogan had left the arena. Mike Awesome, a cousin of Hogan's nephew Horace Hogan (who also left WCW after the incident), alleged in a shoot interview that Russo's problems with Hulk Hogan negatively impacted his own WCW run, with Russo reportedly taking out his frustrations on Awesome by assigning him poorly received gimmicks, citing his familial connection to Hogan.
In mid-2000, Russo embarked on a storyline with Ric Flair, which notably included Russo sending police to the ring to arrest Flair during the wedding of Stacy Keibler and Flair's son, David Flair. In August 2000, at New Blood Rising, Russo initiated a feud with Goldberg after confronting him for leaving a match and allegedly "refusing to follow the script." At the subsequent pay-per-view, Fall Brawl, Russo interfered in Goldberg's match against Scott Steiner, costing Goldberg the victory.
On the September 18, 2000, episode of Nitro, Russo participated in a tag team match alongside Sting and Booker T against Scott Steiner and Jeff Jarrett, with the stipulation that the wrestler who secured the pinfall would earn a shot at Booker T's WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Russo ultimately won the match after Booker T dragged an unconscious Russo onto Steiner for the three-count. The following week, Russo challenged Booker T in a steel cage match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. The match concluded ambiguously when Goldberg speared Russo through the side of the cage simultaneously as Booker T exited the cage. However, two days later on Thunder, Russo was announced as the winner and new champion. His reign was short-lived, as Russo immediately vacated the title, stating he was not a wrestler. Russo had suffered a severe concussion from the spear and took time off due to post-concussion syndrome.
Russo's second run as head writer and his brief in-ring career in WCW came to an end after the concussion and other injuries. AOL Time Warner bought out Russo's contract shortly after the WCW buyout in May 2001. Russo later reflected that "WCW and I were never on the same page; it was just that simple."
2.3. Brief Return to WWE (2002)
In June 2002, Russo returned to WWE as a consultant tasked with overseeing the creative direction of both Raw and SmackDown!. However, his second tenure was brief, lasting only two weeks. He quickly departed, stating that "there was no way in the world that this thing would work out." One major storyline idea he proposed was a complete restart of the WCW Invasion storyline, featuring previously unsigned talent such as Bill Goldberg, Scott Steiner, Eric Bischoff, and Bret Hart. Russo ultimately left on his own accord after feeling disrespected during a phone call with Stephanie McMahon. He declined a reported offer of a 125.00 K USD per year stay-at-home 'advisory' role with WWE in favor of a 100.00 K USD per year full-time position with TNA.
2.4. Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2002-2014)
Vince Russo's long and intermittent involvement with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) saw him play various roles, from initial creative architect to on-screen character and a controversial secret consultant.
2.4.1. Initial Creative Roles and On-Screen Character

In July 2002, Russo joined Jeff and Jerry Jarrett's NWA-TNA promotion as a creative writer, assisting in the writing and production of their shows. Russo claimed credit for coining the name "Total Nonstop Action" and that the initial concept, exclusively for pay-per-view, was intended to be an edgier product than WWE. The company's initials, "TNA," were reportedly a play on "T&A," short for "Tits and Ass," reflecting this risqué approach. Throughout TNA's early years, numerous reports surfaced regarding a creative power struggle over the direction of the programming.
During the period of these rumors, Russo made his debut as an on-screen character, appearing as the mysterious masked wrestler "Mr. Wrestling III." He famously helped Jeff Jarrett win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship before being unveiled as Russo himself. In the unfolding storyline, Jarrett expressed a desire not to have Russo's assistance, leading to a feud between the two. Russo then formed his own faction of wrestlers, which he named Sports Entertainment Xtreme (S.E.X.), recruiting members such as Glenn Gilbertti, Sonny Siaki, B.G. James, Raven, and Trinity. S.E.X. engaged in a rivalry with the more traditional TNA wrestlers, led by Jeff Jarrett. Eventually, Russo transitioned out of his on-screen role, and Gilbertti assumed leadership of S.E.X.
After a brief absence, Russo returned as an on-screen character on the May 28, 2003, pay-per-view, where he struck Raven with a baseball bat, helping Gilbertti become the number one contender for the world championship. However, the very next week, on June 4, 2003, during Gilbertti's world championship match against Jarrett, Russo turned on Gilbertti, hitting him with a baseball bat, which aided Jarrett in retaining his title. The following week, on the June 11, 2003, pay-per-view, during a triple threat match for the world title between A.J. Styles, Raven, and Jarrett, Russo teased hitting Styles with Jarrett's signature guitar. Instead, he struck Jarrett, enabling Styles to win the world championship belt.
Russo then managed the NWA World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles for the remainder of his 2003 on-screen run, and the S.E.X. faction was gradually written out of storylines. On October 1, 2003, Russo experienced his first in-ring loss in a tag team match against Dusty Rhodes and Jeff Jarrett, although it was his partner, Styles, who suffered the pinfall. Russo made his final appearance of that year on the October 15, 2003, pay-per-view, in a street fight against Jarrett. It was reported that Russo was written out of the company due to Hulk Hogan's potential signing, as Hogan reportedly stated he would not work for TNA as long as Russo was involved. In February 2004, shortly after Hogan's commitment with TNA did not materialize, Russo returned, but strictly as an on-air character, becoming the "Director of Authority" in the storylines. This time, he portrayed a face character, claiming to have reformed his ways, a development likely inspired by Russo's real-life conversion to Christianity. However, he once again disappeared from television in late 2004 when Dusty Rhodes was "voted" the new D.O.A. over him in an interactive "election" on TNA's website during the three-hour November 2004 pay-per-view Victory Road. Russo left the company after this event. In a November 2005 interview, Russo stated that he never wrote a single show on his own during this particular period at TNA and described his time there as a "total nightmare."
2.4.2. Return as Head Writer and Departures
On September 21, 2006, TNA president Dixie Carter re-signed Russo as a writer for the TNA creative team, where he was paired with Dutch Mantell and Jeff Jarrett.

During the March 2007 TNA pay-per-view Destination X, "Fire Russo!" chants erupted from the audience in Orlando, signaling fan frustration with incidents that occurred during the "Last Rites" match between Abyss and Sting. The "Fire Russo!" chants were also heard at the following month's pay-per-view, Lockdown, held in St. Louis on April 15, 2007. These chants occurred during an "electrified" steel cage match involving Team 3D and The LAX, where lights flickered when wrestlers touched the cage to simulate electrocution. Dixie Carter later stated that this gimmick was created by writer Dutch Mantell, a claim Mantell denied in a 2011 interview, leading to a public dispute on Twitter for several months.
Russo became head of creative for TNA sometime in July 2009. Addressing the "Fire Russo!" chants, he asserted that he was not head of creative during that period and that when the idea of the electrified steel cage was presented to him, he deemed it unbelievable. He often claimed to be blamed for ideas he did not originate. At the September 2009 No Surrender pay-per-view, Ed Ferrara rejoined TNA and began working on the creative team alongside Vince Russo and junior contributor Matt Conway.
On October 27, 2009, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff signed with TNA. Despite their past conflicts in WCW, particularly since their departure after Bash at the Beach 2000, they were paired with Russo. According to Russo, the three met and resolved their differences. Hogan stated in 2010 that he had come to TNA in peace, praising the writing staff of Russo, Ed Ferrara, Matt Conway, and Jeremy Borash for "stepping it up," and expressing that he "loved Russo from a distance." Bischoff also described his collaborations with Russo in TNA in February 2010 as a "very positive experience" and productive.
By October 6, 2011, Russo had transitioned into a contributing writer role, with Bruce Prichard assuming the position of head writer. On February 14, 2012, TNA president Dixie Carter announced that TNA and Russo had mutually parted ways during that week.
2.4.3. Secret Consultant Role (2013-2014)
In April 2014, the PWInsider website reported that Vince Russo was working as a consultant for TNA Wrestling. Russo initially denied these reports. However, on July 15, PWInsider revealed that Russo had accidentally sent them an email containing instructions for TNA's commentators. Following this incident, and after attempting to maintain his denial, Russo admitted on his website that he had been secretly working as a consultant for TNA Wrestling to assist their commentators. He stated that one of TNA's conditions for his involvement was strict confidentiality. Russo's statement was removed from his website less than two days after its publication.
On July 30, 2014, Russo declared himself "officially done" with TNA. He subsequently revealed that he had been working for TNA since October 24, 2013. During this period, he had been involved in creative meetings and critiqued the weekly episodes of Impact Wrestling. Russo stated that he was being paid approximately 3.00 K USD per month, amounting to 36.00 K USD annually, for his consulting role with TNA.
2.5. Aro Lucha (2017-2018)
On December 8, 2017, Vince Russo signed with the Nashville, Tennessee-based Aro Lucha promotion as a script consultant. On April 5, 2018, Aro Lucha's CEO, Jason Brown, clarified via a question and answer session on WeFunder (a crowd-funding website) that Russo had been hired as an independent contractor, not as a direct employee. As of April 2018, Russo was no longer associated with the promotion.
3. Creative Philosophy and Style
Vince Russo's creative philosophy and style are widely recognized for their distinct approach to professional wrestling storytelling. His method centered on deliberately blurring the lines between reality and fiction, aiming to create a sense of unpredictable authenticity. A core tenet of his "Crash TV" style was the emphasis on shock twists, often unexpected heel or face turns, and grand, memorable moments designed to keep viewers constantly engaged. He prioritized creating larger-than-life characters and intricate storylines over the traditional focus on in-ring wrestling action.
Russo's approach often included controversial elements such as sexual content, profanity, and the integration of "shoots", or seemingly unscripted moments that hinted at real-life conflicts or insider knowledge. His belief was that every character on television should be actively involved in a compelling storyline, a departure from conventional booking that sometimes featured matches without direct narrative implications. He contends that storyline and character elements are what truly attract and retain viewers, advocating for entertainment over pure wrestling technicality. Russo is known to criticize the contemporary WWE product for what he perceives as an overabundance of actual wrestling and an insufficient focus on compelling storylines.
4. Other Ventures
Beyond his direct involvement in professional wrestling creative roles, Vince Russo has engaged in various other media and publishing endeavors.
4.1. Online Content and Podcasts
In 2014, Russo began writing a series of professional wrestling columns for What Culture, a UK-based website. He also contributed a weekly column to Chris Jericho's website, Web Is Jericho, until March 2023.
Since 2015, Russo has hosted numerous daily podcasts for his podcast network, "Vince Russo's The Brand," which was formerly known as "The RELM Network." In 2016, he also briefly hosted a podcast on the Fightful Wrestling website. Russo now discusses professional wrestling, entertainment, and more on his podcasting network called "Channel Attitude," which features other wrestling personalities including Glenn Gilbertti, Justin Credible, EC3, Stevie Richards, Al Snow, and Stevie Ray. Additionally, he hosts podcasts reviewing Raw and discussing wrestling news on Sportskeeda.
4.2. Publications
Vince Russo has authored two autobiographies.
His first autobiography, Forgiven: One Man's Journey from Self-Glorification to Sanctification, was released on November 29, 2005. This book documents his early life, his tenure with the WWF, and his conversion to Born Again Christianity. Some readers perceived the book as portraying a negative attitude towards the wrestling business. Originally titled Welcome To Bizarroland, the title and content of the book were revised to align with his newfound faith.
Russo's second book, Rope Opera: How WCW Killed Vince Russo, was published on March 1, 2010. It chronicles his tenures with WCW and TNA Wrestling. The title Rope Opera originated from the title of a television series idea that he had pitched to networks during his time with the WWF.
5. Personal Life
Vince Russo's personal life includes details about his family, his religious beliefs, and significant relationships and conflicts within and outside the professional wrestling industry.
5.1. Family and Personal Beliefs
Vince Russo is an American of Italian descent, with his maternal grandfather being Sicilian. He has been married to his wife, Amy, since 1983, and together they have three children.
In October 2003, Russo converted and became a Born Again Christian. In 2004, he established a short-lived online Christian ministry titled Forgiven. In late 2005, he also produced two shows for his Christian Ring of Glory independent promotion.
5.2. Notable Relationships and Conflicts
Russo maintained a close friendship with Joanie Laurer, professionally known as Chyna, until her death in 2016.
He notably worked with Jim Cornette in the WWF during the 1990s and again in TNA Wrestling in the early 2000s. Their collaboration was marked by regular conflicts due to their diametrically opposing views on the wrestling business. In April 2010, a law firm contacted Cornette, accusing him of making a "terroristic threat" after he wrote a letter stating, "I want Vince Russo to die. If I could figure out a way to murder him without going to prison, I would consider it the greatest accomplishment of my life." In June 2017, Russo filed a restraining order against Cornette following repeated verbal threats of physical harm directed towards Russo and his family. In response, Cornette has publicly sold copies of the restraining order, reportedly to raise money for charity. Their real-life rivalry has been prominently featured in two episodes of Vice TV's Dark Side of the Ring documentary series: one covering the Montreal Screwjob and another focusing on the WWF Brawl for All. These episodes, aired in 2019 and 2020, included Cornette's explicit promise to urinate on Russo's gravestone.
6. Legacy and Reception
Vince Russo remains one of the most controversial and polarizing figures in the history of professional wrestling, his legacy marked by both significant successes and widespread criticism.
6.1. Positive Impact and Supporters
Russo frequently asserts that the story and character elements of a wrestling show are paramount in drawing viewers, emphasizing entertainment over the in-ring technical aspects of professional wrestling. Despite scripting some of the most successful WWF television programs in history and later contributing to WCW and TNA, Newsday notes that Russo continues to be one of wrestling's most reviled personalities due to his often unconventional perspectives on the business. According to Russo, one reason for this negative perception is his critique of the current WWE product, which he believes contains too much actual wrestling and insufficient emphasis on compelling storylines. In his book Rope Opera, Russo himself notes that he has been paradoxically labeled both "the saviour of the WWF" and "the man who destroyed WCW."
WWE credits Russo with being responsible for many of the foundational storylines of the Attitude Era. Similarly, Bob Kapur of Slam! Wrestling credits Russo for steering the company away from the cartoonish style prevalent in the early to mid-1990s and introducing more mature storylines and characters to the promotion. The Rock spoke positively of his experience working with Russo in the WWF, praising his "crazy out of box ideas."
Booker T credits Vince Russo for his ascension to main event status, stating that "if it weren't for Vince Russo, perhaps I would have never been the world champion... at all, ever!" Russo, in turn, expressed gratitude for the compliment and has referred to Booker's WCW Championship coronation at Bash at the Beach 2000 as "the proudest moment of my career, and the greatest contribution I was able to make to the business." Former TNA President Dixie Carter praised Russo as "incredibly talented" in 2014, although she conceded that his presence "proved to be too distracting to continue a working relationship." When asked about a potential return for Russo to the promotion, she stated, "never say never." Various wrestlers who worked with Russo in TNA have spoken fondly of him, including Hernandez, Kurt Angle, and AJ Styles. Velvet Sky and Angelina Love notably credited Russo for being a strong supporter of TNA's successful Knockouts division.
6.2. Criticisms and Controversies
While Russo's impact is acknowledged, he also faces significant criticism. Gene Okerlund claimed in 2004 that Russo's ideas were successful in the WWF primarily because Vince McMahon was able to control and temper them. Ric Flair, during their time together in WCW, doubted Russo's influence in the WWF and later directly blamed Russo for the disorganization and chaos that plagued WCW. Eric Bischoff has asserted that Russo was hired at WCW under false pretenses, having allegedly overstated his influence in the WWF, a claim Bischoff described as "fraudulent." Wrestling promoters Tony Khan and Jody Hamilton have also criticized Russo's role in the downfall of WCW. TNA co-founder Jerry Jarrett expressed regret regarding the decision to bring Russo into the promotion.
Russo's decision to have actor David Arquette win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship was widely regarded as highly controversial. Despite the widespread criticism, Russo defended his decision, citing that mainstream American newspapers covered the story, which he considered a success for mainstream attention. However, WrestleCrap named Arquette the worst wrestling champion of all time, characterizing Russo's decision as a "monumentally damaging blow to a company that was already at death's door." The WWE's Rise and Fall of WCW documentary largely attributed the decline of WCW to Russo's influence, prompting DVD Talk critic Nick Hartel to comment that "while Russo deserves a lot of blame, he was not the only one in charge." R. D. Reynolds was also critical of many of Russo's booking decisions but ultimately attributed WCW's demise to Turner Broadcasting executive Jamie Kellner's decision to cancel WCW programming from Turner Networks. Regarding his controversial tenure in WCW, Russo personally stated, "WCW and I were never on the same page; it was just that simple."
7. Championships and Accomplishments
- World Championship Wrestling
- WCW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Worst Gimmick (1999) - as The Powers That Be
- Worst On Interviews (2000)
- Worst Non-Wrestling Personality (2000)