Vince Russo Really Wanted To Make Tank Abbott WCW World Champion

Vince Russo is probably the most controversial and polarizing personality in the history of the industry. Forget John Cena and Roman Reigns, as Russo is on another spectrum entirely. Some hail him as a savior of professional wrestling while others (Jim Cornette, specifically) wish to sock him in the face as his presence distorted the very essence of the sport.

People legitimately consider the possibility that Russo was sent over to WCW by Vince McMahon, and he was an agent of destruction. This speaks volumes about just how polarizing and controversial Vince Russo really is.

RELATED: The Jim Cornette/Vince Russo Rivalry, Explained

As WWE blazed forward in the Monday Night Wars with the introduction of the Attitude Era, the folks at WCW were adamant on signing Vince Russo to a contract as the Atlanta-based company was struggling to contend with its rival. Eventually, WCW got their wishes granted and in October 1999, Russo, and his buddy, Ed Ferrara, were brought onboard the WCW ship.

WCW Desperately Wanted to Sign Vince Russo

WWE continued on without a single hitch in plans and the company proceeded to enjoy one of the most profitable years, with 2000 breaking records over and over again. Meanwhile, Russo ultimately amounted to nothing significant, and WCW never really attained any sort of victory in the ratings war, even with Russo on their side.

A little bit of realism is always nice in the realm of professional wrestling but Russo and his buddy took the concept way over the limit, with shoot promos and smark jargon becoming far too prevalent in programming. Russo and Ferrara themselves banded together and were introduced as The Powers That Be.

Finally, Russo was given an on-screen presence, and he labeled the most important man in wrestling, despite 99 percent of the fans now knowing who the heck he was.

The company placed quite a bit of importance on the signing of Russo, but his initial run only lasted a mere 3 months, and just days into the new millennia, Russo and WCW had a falling out, courtesy of one of the most ridiculous ideas ever conceived by Russo.

WCW was set to go live on January 16, with the PPV Souled Out. The card was set to be headlined by Bret Hart, then WCW champion, but the infamous kick from Goldberg led to Hart retiring and vacating the belt.

Moreover, Jeff Jarrett, United States Champion, was too sidelined due to injuries and Russo had a few days to figure out how to proceed with the event. Accordingly, a booking committee sat down to draft new creative plans and Russo came forward with a literal game-changer: Tank Abbot as the new heavyweight champion of the company.

RELATED: Worst For Business - Vince Russo Or David Arquette As WCW Champion

Vince Russo proposed the idea of a Battle Royal to decide the new world champion, with Sid Vicious being the first entrant. Vicious would last all the way till the end, before being eliminated by Abbot who would then become champion.

Abbot Was Past His Prime And A Novice In Pro Wrestling

Tank Abbot was a UFC fighter and while he was a beloved icon in the olden days of the sport, Abbot had last fought in 1997, and he was barely known amongst the pro wrestling fans. Moreover, Abbot knew nothing about the industry.

Bill Busch, the head of the company, stepped in and removed Russo from the position of head writer and told that the company would not go forward with Abbot as champion.

Russo, feeling disrespected, went home and Souled Out concluded with Chris Benoit winning the world title. To think that Russo prided himself on sticking up for the younger wrestlers who worked hard. Tank Abbot certainly fits the bill.

Russo was brought back months later, this time alongside Eric Bischoff and the company bared lasted another year after that.

Another highlight-reel botch in the vast catalog of Russomania.