10 Things That Would Have Happened If Vince Russo Booked Every WWE Era
6. John Cena's Merchandise Would Be Gathering Dust
John Cena's merchandise numbers mean far more to WWE than TV ratings. TV ratings mean far more to Vince Russo than they ever did to wrestling on the whole. He holds his success in that department in the highest regard, which is odd. His numbers at the helm of WCW were completely abysmal.
In any event, there is absolutely no way that Russo could have held out as long as WWE have done in turning John Cena heel.
WWE's refusal was maligned for years. It's only now, twelve years after he became the man, that overtures have cooled. Fans have accepted Cena in the elder statesman role, now that he loses from time to time, and understand that he is crucial to the bottom line. He was a necessary evil to carry WWE through a down period. If WWE had relented, and turned Cena, they would have made damn sure to get it right. They'd have spent months on the project.
In Russo's hands, Cena would have turned more times than the Nurburgring Nordschleife, swerving on partners with such frequency that there would be no character left, just an empty McGuffin - which is ironic, since Russo is on record as suggesting the lack of authentic characters is what's hurting the wrestling business. That, and video games (?).