Former WWE Writer reveals what went wrong with HORRIFIC match

In the world of WWE, there are matches that go down in history, and then there are those that are remembered for the wrong reasons.

The infamous Kennel From Hell match at WWE Unforgiven 1999 falls into the latter category. Vince Russo, the man behind the creative curtain at the time, recently shed light on what went wrong with this notorious match.

The Concept Behind the WWE Kennel From Hell Match

The match was designed as a unique spectacle, featuring Al Snow defending the Hardcore Title against Big Boss Man.

The setup was a Hell in a Cell cage surrounding the ring, with another cage containing dogs outside and the objective was to escape the cage, but the execution fell far short of the vision.

Russo, known for his…innovative…ideas, had envisioned a match that would break away from the repetitive nature of wrestling bouts.

The idea was to introduce an element of danger and unpredictability with the inclusion of dogs. In Russo’s mind, these were not just any dogs, but ferocious attack dogs, snarling and circling the ring, adding a layer of tension and excitement to the match.

The Reality of the Kennel From Hell Match

However, the reality was starkly different from Russo’s vision. The dogs turned out to be harmless puppies, more interested in licking hands than posing any threat to the wrestlers.

This discrepancy between the concept and the execution led to the match being poorly received by fans and critics alike.

Russo, in his characteristic style, refused to shoulder the blame entirely. He maintained that the concept was flawless, and the fault lay with the dogs.

He admitted that he had not considered the possibility of the dogs being pets rather than trained attack dogs: “Like that’s exactly what happened bro these were the laziest [dogs]. I swear to God, and like I said I 1,000% blame myself for that because I never took that into consideration. I’m literally convinced these are going to be attack dogs. So, since they weren’t that actually sucked” he said to Chris Van Vliet on Insight.

Lessons Learned from the Kennel From Hell Match

Russo’s revelation about the Kennel From Hell match serves as a lesson in the importance of thorough planning and consideration of all possible outcomes.

His assumption that the dogs would be aggressive and threatening led to a significant oversight in the execution of the match.

In retrospect, Russo accepts that he should have taken into account the nature of the dogs. His conviction that they would be attack dogs was misguided, and the reality of their tame behaviour significantly undermined the match’s intended intensity.