10 Things That Would Happen If Vince Russo Returned To WWE Today

Vince Russo was often credited for trying to find spots for everybody on the roster, no matter where they sat on the card or in the perceptions of the wider audience. It was an admirable trait, and one that was notably absent from WWE when he departed for WCW in late-1999. Vince McMahon was traditionally a top-down operator, and it's fair to say the company has never seen such a focussed effort on acts lower on the totem pole since.

Unfortunately, one of the ways he managed to do this was through some claustrophobic racial profiling. A look towards 1997's Gang Wars highlights the broad issue, with Puerto Ricans, White Bikers and African Americans shunted together in stables based entirely on their race.

Again, whilst Russo shouldn't be held accountable for wrestling's long-held reliance on xenophobia, he was in a position not to perpetuate the issue, and continued on regardless. The 'Piñata on a Pole' match from the November 15th 1999 edition of Nitro may be the single most offensive segment he ever crafted, with Mexican stars Juventud Guerrera, Psicosis, El Dandy, Silver King and Villano V all battling for a $10,000 cheque that sat inside the traditional Latina American ceremonial prop.

Mexican performers were an easy target, especially all bundled together. Enter Becky Lynch. Literally, in the case of Sheamus, Finlay, or Hornswoggle, with Russo replacing a Bex-Plex with Bex-Sex in an effort to somehow make the 'Irish Lass Kicker' more marketable to the lost young male demographic.