Vince McMahon held discussions about giving the WWE Championship to 165-pound star
James Ellsworth has revealed that WWE writers discussed the possibility of booking him to win the WWE Championship during his time with Vince McMahon’s company.
Ellsworth became involved in a storyline with AJ Styles in 2016. He even defeated the then-WWE Champion in a title match on the October 18, 2016, episode of SmackDown. However, due to a disqualification, the title did not change hands.
Speaking on the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast, Ellsworth said talks took place in McMahon’s production meetings about him possibly capturing the gold from Styles:
“People would come up to me like, ‘Hey, man, in the meetings they’re talking about you winning the title.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, okay.’ People did say it to me. Vince McMahon himself never said it to me, but I didn’t pay too much attention to it. I’m a realist – they’re not gonna put the title on me, and they shouldn’t.” [9:40-10:00]
Ellsworth added that anything can happen in the world of wrestling. However, at five-foot-eight and 165 pounds, he knew he did not fit the mold of a typical WWE Champion.
James Ellsworth never thought Vince McMahon would make him WWE Champion
Yes, @RealEllsworth has beaten @AJStylesOrg THREE TIMES!
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Only 54 men have held the WWE Championship during its 59-year existence, including icons such as Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, and Steve Austin.
Given the history of the prestigious title, James Ellsworth did not seriously think McMahon viewed him as world championship material:
“If that were to happen [WWE Championship win], it would have changed [Ellsworth's career] forever. That would have solidified anything anybody could want in the business. Yeah, the writers here and there said stuff to me, but unless it’s out of Vince McMahon’s mouth, it doesn’t matter. That’s his show, that’s his company. He’s the boss. The end.” [10:33-10:58]
Ellsworth appeared in WWE between July 2016 and November 2017 before returning for another short run in June-July 2018. The 37-year-old added that McMahon said he could potentially return in the future to revive his storyline with Carmella.
Please credit the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.