One Moment WWE Wants You To Forget From Every Year (1985 to 2026)

28. 1999 - RussoMania

Wrestlemania 15
WWE Network

Vince Russo's creative influence on WWE peaked in 1999, which was something of a for better/for worse situation for the company as it luxuriated in renewed prosperity. With great power came great responsibility for the video shop owner-done-good, and a SmackDown pilot in April foreshadowed a workload he no longer felt viable and a departure for WCW that brought about the end of his and the opposition's presence at wrestling's top table. 

Never was Russo's style as embedded within the market leader as it was during 1999's 'Show Of Show' season, and after a Royal Rumble that left the battle royal gimmick as beaten down as Mick Foley was during the 'I Quit' match, next came a twist-heavy WrestleMania XV that was as much an episode of Monday Night Raw as it was a 'Grandest Stage' showcase. Triple H turned heel and The Big Show turned babyface, but both men were in mid matches that boasted non-finishes in order to arrive at the next stage of their development. The overbooked main event was perfect for the time, but is rendered as the weakest Austin/Rock match from the famous trilogy due to all the bells and whistles. The most Russo of all crimes against the card remains the last minute Intercontinental/Hardcore Championship swap on the go-home Raw. New Age Outlaws Road Dogg and Billy Gunn were in feuds over the respective belts, then won the opposite one just six days out from the show. It resulted in the two being deposited in far colder matches with each others' rivals just because nobody saw it coming, bro.

It did at least boast one of the best stages in the company history - oddly understated considering the excesses of the time. 

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for nearly 10 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 65,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, 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.