Wrestling legend says Vince McMahon looks at 37-time champion like a "son" (Exclusive)
Mick Foley once said that in order to be pushed by Vince McMahon, he needs to be a fan of yours. That certainly was the case for AJ Styles, who won McMahon over quicker than anybody in recent times. Wrestling legend Vince Russo gave some insight into how McMahon views Styles in real-life.
During the latest episode of Writing with Russo, former writer Vince Russo and Dr. Chris Featherstone discussed the report from February about WWE being interested in signing Kenny Omega amidst rumors that his AEW contract was coming up. Russo then said that reaching AJ Styles' level of success would be a highlight for Omega in WWE. Styles has won 37 championships across major promotions – WWE, IMPACT Wrestling (fka TNA), ROH, and NJPW.
Vince Russo added that Vince McMahon may not be interested in Kenny Omega, who he described as being a "little out there." He compared the situation to that of AJ Styles, who Russo believes Vince McMahon views as a son:
"[From] what I see of Kenny Omega, I never met Kenny Omega in my life. In interviews, Kenny Omega comes off as a very nice guy. But Kenny Omega also comes across to me as being a little 'out there'. Vince [McMahon] isn't going to jive with that. AJ [Styles], yes. I could see Vince looking at AJ like a son. That's how AJ is, he's a good ol' southern boy. It really is 'yes sir, no sir' - that is an angel. AJ is an angel." (1:44-2:17)
You can watch the full video below:
A WWE legend once had to fight with Vince McMahon to sign AJ Styles
This scene from Money in The Bank with AJ Styles and Bryan Danielson fighting in Vince McMahon’s office might never be topped 😂😂😂 https://t.co/GEJJX9Abv8
While it's now well-known how much Vince McMahon respects AJ Styles, he never fully fits into the Executive Chairman's image of a top star.
On an episode of The Wrestling Outlaws last year, Road Dogg revealed that he had to convince McMahon to sign AJ Styles to WWE.
"I fought, literally fought for him to get hired there. I had known of him... I knew everything about him. I'd seen his career in TNA. A lot of times Vince is in that WWE bubble and doesn't know about these guys. So I knew what AJ was capable of and what he brought to the table. So one of the first big arguments me and Vince got in was over AJ Styles. He (Vince) didn't see or know what to think, and I pushed a little too hard trying to say that he was over."
It looks like Road Dogg's persuasion paid off with interest. AJ hasn't been on WWE TV for the past few months due to an injury. However, one can expect him to return soon.
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