WWE veteran Vince Russo has responded to criticism from ECW icon Rob Van Dam in a verbal matchup.

RVD, making his AEW debut, criticised Vince Russo for turning Jeff Hardy into a heel in TNA in 2010, calling it the “dumbest idea”.

Former WWE writer Russo responded by defending his position in the thrilling world of The Wrestling Outlaws, highlighting a past free of disputes with RVD and an unreserved appreciation for the esteemed WWE Hall of Famer.

“I don’t remember this conversation,” said Russo. “I’m sure it took place if [RVD] said it did. I don’t remember. You know what I get so sick of sometimes? Everything’s my fault. (…) This is when [Eric] Bischoff and [Hulk] Hogan were with the company. There was [Ed] Ferrara, me, Bischoff, Hogan — there were a few on a ‘creative team’ at the time. Bro, we did a big angle that was a great angle because I even remember. It was called ’10/10/10,’ and on October 10th, 2010, something was gonna happen,” an article from sportskeeda.com shared.

The “10/10/10” story gave rise to the fearsome Immortal stable, helped along by Jeff Hardy’s clever transformation into a heel at that year’s Bound For Glory spectacle.

However, Hardy’s reign as a malicious force was abruptly cut short by an extremely dramatic confrontation with Sting five months later at Victory Road in 2011. 

Vince Russo convincingly defended Jeff Hardy’s metamorphosis into a TNA heel in a calculated move that sparked excitement throughout the wrestling community.

Rob Van Dam claimed it was “stupid” to transform Hardy into a heel.

But Russo countered that by saying all involved in the project, including WWE legend Hulk Hogan, approved of the idea.

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