"It was a size thing" - Vince McMahon did not want AEW star to be in a major WWE storyline (Exclusive)
The infamous 'higher power' storyline from WWE's Attitude Era was briefly discussed on the latest Legion of RAW episode, where Vince Russo spoke about WWE's original candidate for the role.
Many fans already know that Christopher Daniels was slated to be introduced as the higher power of The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness faction. Vince Russo revealed that he pitched the idea to WWE as Daniels was one of the hottest talents on the independent circuit at the time.
However, Vince McMahon wasn't familiar with the current AEW star back then and immediately shot down the plan when he saw him for the first time at a WWE taping.
Here's what Vince Russo recalled about McMahon's reaction to Christopher Daniels:
"No, bro, it was supposed to be Christopher Daniels. What happened was, Chris Daniels was very, very hot on the independent scene back then, and you know, he was the Fallen Angel. I pitched the idea that it be Chris Daniels. And bro, what happened was Vince had no idea who Chris Daniels was. So, Chris Daniels shows up at TV to do this, and Vince goes to me, 'Who is that?' I'm like, 'Vince, that's Chris Daniels.' Vince took one look at him and said, 'That's not the hype. We're not doing that.' That's when, at the last minute, 'It was me all along.' It was supposed to be the Fallen Angel."
22 years since “It’s Me Austin, It Was Me All Along” was heard as Vince McMahon was revealed as the ‘higher power’.
Rumour is Christopher Daniels was considered for the role!
Who would you have had instead?
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Vince Russo wanted to build upon Christopher Daniels' 'Fallen Angel' persona and push him as an evil on-screen character in WWE.
While Daniels had the skill set to be the 'higher power,' Russo believed the superstar's size forced Vince McMahon to change the creative direction.
"We didn't have a long-term plan," Russo continued, "but you know, we were really going to develop him like an Aleister Black. You know, a Fallen Angel, really evil, and we were really going to develop that character. And again, nothing against Chris. Me and Chris kind of have a checkered past. Nothing against Chris. It was a size thing. You know Vince could not get past the fact that he was small."
Christopher Daniels's brief WWE stint and current AEW status
Daniels signed with WWE (then WWF) in 1998 on a developmental contract but was used as an enhancement talent for the majority of his run. It's still astonishing when you realize that he has been wrestling since 1993 and is still an active performer at the age of 51.
While Daniels has not wrestled a match for AEW in a while, the respected star recently spoke about his desire to compete more often for Tony Khan's company.
The well-traveled wrestler is eager to return to the ring for AEW, but he is also aware of the promotion's stacked roster. In addition to his in-ring commitments, Daniels is AEW's Head of Talent Relations and continues to be a crucial backstage figure.
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