Former Star Accuses WWE Of Stealing His Gimmick

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Former WWE, WCW, and ECW star Big Vito has publicly accused WWE and Paul "Triple H" Levesque of "ripping off" his established Italian street tough/gangster persona for the NXT character of Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo.
Vito, who made a name for himself with this gimmick long before his more widely remembered WWE run as a cross-dresser, released a strong statement on X.
In his social media post, Big Vito, referring to himself as "THE Don," directly addressed Triple H. "I've got an honest question for Triple H. I've lived this lifestyle my whole life. I've been doing this gimmick since 1999," Vito stated.
"I'm still the Don in the squared circle, but this kid—who has publicly disrespected me—has stolen everything but the shoes on my feet." Vito further claimed that WWE had previously sought his input for similar concepts.
"Your own people have reached out to me, asking for help with "family" storylines. Those ideas? Mine," he asserted. "Talent relations even called me, said I'd be "brought in" down in Florida.
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Yet here I am—a 35-year veteran—watching WWE bury me while they rip off my gimmick wholesale." He emphasized he has proof for his claims: "And yes, I've got the receipts to back up everything I'm saying here."
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 11: A general stadium view during WWE Monday Night RAW at Toyota Center on March 11, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 11: A general stadium view during WWE Monday Night RAW at Toyota Center on March 11, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
Big Vito's "Italian street guy" persona was prominent during his time in ECW as part of Da Baldies and in WCW with The Mamalukes, where he held the WCW Hardcore and World Tag Team Championships. This was before his later WWE stint where he was controversially booked in a dress.
I've got an honest question for @TripleH . I've lived this lifestyle my whole life. I've been doing this gimmick since 1999. I'm still the Don in the squared circle, but this kid—who has publicly disrespected me—has stolen everything but the shoes on my feet. Your own people have… pic.twitter.com/VuGbenim3O — Big Vito LoGrasso (@TheBigVitoBrand) June 2, 2025
Lorenzo currently portrays a character in NXT aligned with Tony D'Angelo's mob-themed "family," which Vito evidently sees as a direct imitation. Vito questioned the integrity of using his established character.
"So tell me: are we really going to keep doing this? Keep embarrassing Italians with this nonsense? Keep disrespecting my 35 years in this business?" he asked.
He then addressed Stacks directly: "Stacks — I get it. Imitation is supposed to be the sincerest form of flattery. I've got a few old leather jackets if you need them, but I doubt you can pull off the bald look. Just remember: no matter who you put in the "costume," they'll always be living in my shadow until I give my stamp of approval."
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