Vince Russo calls feud between 2 former WWE champions on SmackDown “insulting” (Exclusive)

The latest episode of Friday Night SmackDown was an action-packed affair as WWE heads closer to its first-ever two-night SummerSlam. Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Damian Priest, got himself a match against Carmelo Hayes after the former was unable to get hold of Aleister Black.

The two had been butting heads for several weeks before Black finally took him out with a Black Mass last week after Priest called him out for attacking R-Truth. The former NXT Champion took out the Archer of Infamy once again this week, interrupting his match against Carmelo and taking him out with another Black Mass for a second straight week.

This segment wasn't taken well by former WWE head writer Vince Russo. He was talking on BroDown on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge and felt that the storyline was 'insulting'. He was annoyed at the fact that there was no reason given for Priest and Black to be after each other.

"Aleister Black gets involved as a DQ here. Here's my question: What is the angle between Aleister Black and Damien Priest? And then the announcers say they're hunting each other down. Okay, bro, why are they hunting each other down? This is what I'm talking about, Mac. Guys like you, me, we're watching this show, and it's so freaking insulting. Why are these guys mad at each other? Why are they tracking each other down, hunting each other down? Did I miss something? Every single match, every single thing is this way. What's the angle, guys? What is the hook? What is the story? Why do I care?" Russo said. [21:05 onwards]

18+ WWE segments - Watch here 😏

With Priest and Black having been involved with each other for the last few weeks, a match between the two seems to be inevitable. As SummerSlam approaches, Triple H could book these two former WWE champions in a match at the Biggest Party of the Summer.

Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the YouTube video if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

Know More

Big issue with Rhea Ripley revealed HERE

Edited by Angana Roy