10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (March 11)
Find out who told Kevin Owens to stop wearing singlets in WWE...
Kevin Owens may have just been smashed by Bill Goldberg at Fastlane and consequently shoved from the main event mix, but the former WWE Universal Champ still has a grudge match in store with Chris Jericho at WrestleMania to look forward to.
It also shouldn't be forgotten (despite the recent success of Goldberg) that Owens carried Raw's World Title scene on his back from the Summer of 2016 right up until WWE's latest pay-per-view; this is made remarkable when taking a moment to realise that KO has never been a stereotypical 'WWE Superstar', and that his lack of a chiselled frame or classically handsome look makes that sustained period on top even more amazing.
Things could have been very different for Owens had he not received advice from one unlikely source during his time in NXT. Find out here who pressed KO to just be himself, along with numerous other wrestling facts we didn't know last week.
Joining Owens, there are facts and stories about the likes of Kurt Angle, Jake Roberts, Luke Harper and even The Mean Street Posse. There's also an embarrassing story involving Spike Dudley and Vince McMahon that you won't believe.
Let's look at the facts...
10. AJ Styles Credits Samoa Joe For Changing WWE's Mindset
The rise of AJ Styles throughout 2016 was a thing of beauty for those who have followed his journey through companies like TNA, ROH and NJPW; becoming one of WWE's top performers was never a guarantee for Styles, this despite his world-class abilities between the ropes and under-rated skills on the microphone.
Shortly after AJ made his debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble, it became clear that he'd nestle snugly into the WWE system without having to prove anything in NXT. The same couldn't be said for Samoa Joe, because he was one ex-TNA star who did have to raise eyebrows in NXT first before landing on the main roster.
Appearing on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, a ponderous Styles was keen to point out Joe's influence on WWE's top brass.
According to AJ, the fact that his Samoan buddy landed in WWE first (Joe debuted in May, 2015) proves that Joe paved the way for upper management to start showing interest in guys like himself; in AJ's words, Joe displayed an excellent attitude, leading to WWE wondering what other former TNA standouts might be like.