Vince Russo has given his thoughts on the recent Ladder match for the AEW TNT Championship between Cody Rhodes and Sammy Guevara. The former WWE and WCW writer used it as an example of why he doesn’t like AEW.
The ladder match was the opening contest on the “Beach Break” edition of AEW Dynamite, where Guevara picked up the victory and in the process unified his interim TNT Championship with Rhodes’ original title.
The match featured several high profile spots that dropped the jaws of fans in attendance, particularly a springboard Diamond Cutter from Guevara to Rhodes from the top of a ladder. This spot was one that Vince Russo thought was highly unnecessary and dangerous.
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
Speaking with Dr. Chris Featherstone on the latest edition of “The Bro Show,” Vince Russo slammed the Diamond Cutter spot, stating that sooner or later a performer will die in the ring due to taking unnecessary bumps:
“That Diamond Cutter from the ladder, I looked at that this morning horrified, like what the ****, why are you guys doing that? You know how easily Cody's neck could have broken, so it is a turn off to me. That's why I don't watch AEW because when I'm watching it, I'm feeling every second that somebody is going to get paralyzed or die. That's not why I watch wrestling.” Russo said. [21:50-22:29]
The former WCW writer compared the bump to ECW and how he was amazed and baffled at how Paul Heyman could get his performers to do things that were seen as too violent or too dangerous.
Vince Russo wouldn't have liked the main event of AEW Dynamite either
The “Beach Break” edition of Dynamite was bookended by two amazingly violent spectacles. While the show opened with the TNT Championship ladder match, it closed with a bout that was just as brutal.
The main event was an unsanctioned “Lights Out” match between Orange Cassidy and Adam Cole. The match featured steel chains, brawls backstage and a final spot of both men plummeting off the top of the entrance way, through the stage to the ground below. Cassidy picked up the victory, but both men will be forever changed after this match.
The match also featured the surprise debut of Danhausen, who was hiding under the ring during the match. When pulled from under the ring, Cole and Cassidy looked as confused as each other as the "Very Evil One" made his way backstage.
Please credit The Bro Show and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use the quotes from this article.