Released WWE star on Vince McMahon not wanting him to wrestle
Fandango has revealed that Vince McMahon viewed him as a dancer and not a wrestler when he debuted on WWE’s main roster in 2013.
After over six years in WWE’s developmental systems, Fandango was introduced to WWE fans as a villainous dancer in the build-up to WrestleMania 29. He went on to defeat Chris Jericho at the event in a match that is widely viewed as one of the biggest upsets in WrestleMania history.
Speaking on the Such Good Shoot podcast, Fandango said his nine-minute match lasted longer than originally planned. He also discussed Vince McMahon’s decision to give him a dancer gimmick after Jericho appeared on the American show "Dancing with the Stars."
“It was way too much time for what Vince wanted, I think, and Vince didn't want me to wrestle,” Fandango said. “He didn't want me to be a wrestler. That was the whole thing. He just wanted me to be a dancer. So it was this weird situation. I think we pulled it off as good as we could, you know.”
Watch the video above to hear more about Fandango’s career and his future outside of WWE. He also discussed his NXT run, The Fashion Files, and much more.
Vince McMahon wanted Chris Jericho vs. Fandango to last five minutes
In the finish of the match, Chris Jericho tweaked his knee while attempting his Walls of Jericho submission move. Fandango then rolled up his veteran opponent to record the surprising win.
The former NXT Tag Team Champion explained that Vince McMahon originally wanted Jericho to lose after he dominated a five-minute match.
“He just wanted Chris to beat the s*** out of me for like five minutes,” Fandango continued. “They gave us too much time. So the way that it was supposed to be I think was Chris just beats the s*** out of me and I roll him up out of nowhere. So it was supposed to be the biggest upset, but I think they gave us like 10 minutes.”
In the same interview, Fandango admitted that his character was “ridiculous” and he had no issue with Jericho having reservations about facing him.
Please credit Such Good Shoot and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.