10 Times Impact Wrestling Went Too Far

8. The Vince Russo Omnishambles

Velvet Sky
TNA

There's a comical charm to reliving or reviewing some of Vince Russo's work with the benefit of hindsight, not least because he's still (sort of) at large.

A byword for bad wrestling b*llocks because sensible minds can see the Attitude Era for the collaborative perfect storm it was, Russo's handiwork is his legacy even if he doesn't quite realise how bruised and broken that is. A recent offer to All Elite Wrestling reads like something from Kayfabe News, but Cody and co would probably need to consult with their television network before accepting it anyway.

TNA certainly didn't.

Hiding his employ from Spike during what some would argue their most prosperous period, Russo's internal involvement in TNA was outed when the self-appointed creative genius emailed wrestling journalist Mike Johnson instead of Mike Tenay with some company correspondence. Spike bosses had specified that he not being involved, so the company simply said he wasn't and left it at that. What a swerve, bro!

The net realisation after the fact was mind-boggling - Dixie Carter (or somebody with her sign-off) wanted Russo so much that they were willing to lie to their paymasters to make it so. Maybe we are pieces of sh*t and he is a genius after all?

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett