10 WWE Champions That Didn’t Fit Vince McMahon’s Mold
7. AJ Styles
It’s
still surreal to see AJ Styles in WWE, not only thriving on Smackdown but
having held the WWE Championship. According to Styles, the fans’ disbelief
doesn’t compare to that of the boss.
On
an episode of Edge & Christian’s Pod of Awesomeness, Styles shared
that McMahon probably thought his reaction at Royal Rumble 2016 was a “fluke.” “I
definitely don't think Vince expected that. I've heard stories that Vince said,
'nobody's going to know who this guy is, and you want him at No. 3?'"
McMahon
is too busy to keep tabs on the wrestling world outside his empire, so it’s
understandable that he wouldn’t know the reputation Styles had earned in TNA,
ROH and New Japan. Of course, it didn’t take the chairman long to realize the
ability of the Phenomenal One.
In
an interview with Sam Roberts, Styles revealed that McMahon changed his perception
after a particularly aggressive appearance on MizTV. "I think Vince kind
of likes a tough guy to some degree. And I'm not saying I'm Brock Lesnar, but I
fought all my life."