WWE veteran defends questionable Vince McMahon decision (Exclusive)

WWE SummerSlam is just around the corner, with a celebrity match lined up. While wrestling veteran Vince Russo is not very pleased with these kinds of matches, a particular one booked by Vince McMahon makes complete sense to him.

Russo is quite critical of how celebrities like Jelly Roll are being booked in pro-wrestling matches. One of the earliest instances of it was Mr T teaming up with Hulk Hogan at the first WrestleMania. However, the wrestling veteran is okay with that because of the kind of character Mr T portrayed, despite some concerns at the time.

Speaking on Writing with Russo, Vince Russo explained how celebrities should be booked in pro-wrestling matches.

"Mr. T was a legit tough guy. You know, we knew he wasn't a wrestler. But we also knew he was a bouncer, he beat people up. He was a legit bad you-know-what. So okay, let's see what happens to him, you know what I mean? I just hate the message, bro, that anybody can go away two weeks, practice, and come back and be a professional wrestler." [7:37 onwards]

The WWE veteran does not think the pro-wrestling business is being protected enough

Jelly Roll being booked to fight at WWE SummerSlam is not something that Vince Russo is happy about, considering how a recent segment had the celebrity choke-slamming Logan Paul.

Speaking on the same episode of Writing with Russo, the veteran stated:

"I hate the message of anybody can be a professional wrestler. I just hate that message, bro. Because that it is bad enough that we tune into WWE and you're already saying that, you're already looking at the Johnny Garganos and the Zayns, and you are saying that anybody can become a wrestler now. You are already saying that. Now, I gotta put on Kimmel... I gotta see Jelly Roll put Logan Paul through a table, which would have never happened in a million years. I would have reversed it, put Jelly Roll through the table." [2:12 onwards]

It remains to be seen how Jelly Roll's match at SummerSlam pans out.

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About the author

Shubhajit is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda, reporting on WWE news. He has a Master's degree in English and has been working in his current role for over 2 years.

A fan of pro wrestling since childhood, Shubhajit decided to start creating content on the sport out of passion. Before covering a piece of news or rumor, he conducts thorough research, ensuring information in his work is reliable and completely accurate.

Although Shubhajit admires numerous pro wrestlers, his current favorite is WWE superstar Drew McIntyre. He is fond of The Scottish Warrior’s character work and innovative quips.

If there is one storyline he can work on in WWE, Shubhajit would book Roman Reigns’ future with The Bloodline following WrestleMania XL, where he lost to Cody Rhodes. He would have Reigns’ stablemates excommunicate him, laying the foundation for a gimmick change for the former. After Reigns’ exit from the faction, Shubhajit would portray him as an anti-hero trying hard to claw his way back up to the top.

Apart from reporting on pro wrestling, Shubhajit enjoys competitive gaming and reading.

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Edited by Jacob Terrell