WWE
In 2025, WWE saw multiple titles change hands, yet fan reception to new champions has often been lukewarm. According to former WWE writer Vince Russo and veteran broadcaster Jonathan Coachman, this isn’t a talent issue, but a fundamental failure in booking philosophy. On the latest edition of the Coach & Bro podcast, the duo specifically targeted the handling of World Heavyweight Champion Gunther as he heads into a high-stakes Career vs. Title match against AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble.
“They Elevate Nobody”
Russo argued that WWE has lost the art of using a championship to elevate a wrestler to the “next level.” He cited recent examples where titleholders felt no more important after winning gold than they did before.
“Go back and look at the history… Once somebody gets the belt, they are the guy. They are now protected. The focus is now on them… How many times have we seen them put a belt on somebody, not elevate them at all, and then take the belt off of them… They put the belt on people, and it elevates nobody.”
The “Legend Killer” Loop
The conversation turned to Gunther, who recently retired John Cena and is now threatening to do the same to AJ Styles. Coachman criticized the build, noting that since winning the title, creative has done “zero, nothing” with the champion other than having him show up and laugh. Russo predicted a repetitive, hollow cycle for “The Ring General.”
“So Gunther retires a legend. OK, then we do two months of nothing with Gunther. So what now? Gunther is going to retire another legend… So now Gunther is going to become the legend killer. But there’s two months of nothing between retiring every legend… No, guys, you’ve got to fill in those blanks every two months to keep that story going. That’s what they’re not capable of doing.”
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