Former WWE and WCW head writer Vince Russo recently discussed the #SpeakingOut movement and in particular the ‘Bra and Panties’ matches that he frequently gets marked with creating.
“I noticed Alexa Bliss made a comment about Bra and Panty matches, something to the effect of, she ‘respects the women but she wouldn’t do those matches’ or something like that, Russo began on The Brand.
Vince Russo on Gail Kim
“Gail Kim had a comment about how that was traumatic for her and that she had to do a bra and panties match; and she never felt like she could say no. First of all, I love Gail Kim. And, you know, the I’ve talked about this a lot, the mentality of talent thinking that they can’t say no? I just want to say bro, when I was writing? Anybody could have said no, and people did say no.”
Vince Russo would then go on to describe situations where talent did come to him with concerns. “I can remember specific angles that some people were uncomfortable with, and when they expressed that to me? We would ixnay those angles. There’s this mentality in wrestling, and you know bro? Maybe this holds true with Vince McMahon and other people? But there’s this mentality in wrestling if you don’t do what they say, you know, then it’s gonna be held against you.”
Not on His Dime…
The former WWE writer would continue, saying “your career is over and maybe that’s so. But that never happened on my dime. So you know, something very interesting happened. I said to myself ‘okay bro. Now, is this how they’re going to speak out on Vince Russo?’ [using the Bra and Panties match as a weapon against him] But they have to look at the facts.”
Russo would go on to say that he never booked a Bra and Panties match himself, that the ‘Tuxedo Match’ concept was what he copied for certain WCW angles. Therefore the matches he put together were never ‘sexual’ in nature. Vince Russo would make it abundantly clear that he never asked anyone to take part in an angle they were uncomfortable with.
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