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Vince Russo admitted there was a certain crowd so obnoxious that he had to stop watching the show, on the latest episode of The Wrestling Outlaws,.
He was a creative writer in WWE during the peak of the company's popularity in the Attitude Era. Several of the legendary storylines were the brainchild of Russo, and he has remained a wrestling figure ever since.
For context, it was likely the 2014 period he was referencing. Around that time, there was a lot of buzz being built around NXT (in the black and gold era). Several superstars rose from the ranks - including Paige, Becky Lynch, Sami Zayn, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks.
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The show was gaining traction among a "hardcore" audience that some referred to as "smart marks" or "smarks". These are the "educated" fans who have stuck by wrestling since it lost its popularity and remain the most vocal audience.
Speaking to Road Dogg and Dr. Chris Featherstone on The Wrestling Outlaws, Vince Russo admitted he had to stop watching NXT. He stated that he found the Full Sail University crowd in Orlando to be highly obnoxious:
"I was not watching NXT and because I was podcasting, so many people told me 'Vince, you need to watch NXT' when it was first hot. I watched it when Becky [Lynch], Charlotte [Flair], and all of them were there first. Bro, I swear to god I had to stop watching NXT. That crowd was so obnoxious. I could not stand that crowd. They were so obnoxious, that I didn't want to watch the show because of the crowd. The talent had nothing to do with it. The crowd was so obnoxious" (6:17-7:05)
Road Dogg added to this, stating that they wanted to be a part of the show and the only way they knew how to was by hijacking it:
"It was the same crowd every week and they wanted you to know it. I remember me saying 'I'd love to just go out in the parking lot and wait for these guys'."(7:08-7:14)
You can watch the full video below:
The crowd wasn't the only reason why Vince Russo stopped watching NXT
Vince Russo seems to have an issue with the vision and direction of NXT between 2013 and 2021. Before it went through a rebrand, it was admittedly something that was more popular among smaller hardcore audiences and did not target the masses.
Some even called it an independent promotion within WWE as several independent superstars were signed and pushed during the peak of the black and gold brand. Vince Russo slammed NXT for having a massive payroll and failing to draw in viewers on TV.
Vince Russo also felt that it didn't align with Vince McMahon's vision, and added that Nick Khan may have also been responsible for the change in the brand's direction.
Do you agree with Vince Russo's take on NXT?
If you're using the quotes from this article, please give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed The Wrestling Outlaws video from YouTube.
Ex WWE writer blasts Liv Morgan HERE
