10 People Most Responsible For TNA's Failure
3. Vince Russo
Vince Russo’s name has been a buzzword for professional wrestling failure for decades. He’s worked for WWE, WCW, and TNA since entering the business in 1992, and while it’s often too easy to point the finger in his direction, Russo has left behind a legacy of embarrassment almost everywhere he’s worked.
Initially brought in as a writer by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett, Russo combined his creative duties with heading the god awful Sports Entertainment Xtreme (S.E.X… good one, lads) stable onscreen. He left the company in 2004 after describing his time there as a “total nightmare,” but returned again from 2006-12, then secretly from 2013-14, thus triggering Spike TV’s decision not to renewal Impact’s weekly broadcast.
His role in TNA’s downfall cannot be overstated. As per his usual gameplan, Russo implemented a number of outlandish, over the top storylines that attempted to move TNA’s product away from traditional wrestling values, and the results were the same as in WCW. His Electrified Steel Cage Match, Reverse Battle Royal, and Knockouts Lockbox Challenge remain among TNA’s worst ideas, and when you consider the some of the dross that this company has produced, that’s saying something.
Dixie Carter’s over reliance on Vince Russo shredded her relationship with Spike, and destroyed her reputation. Russo’s gone for now, but don’t rule-out an eventual return: Billy Corgan is said to be among his keenest admirers.