AJ Styles spoke with Tyler Breeze on Fanatics Live about his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble in 2016. Styles revealed that Vince McMahon, referred to as “redacted” during the interview, did not know who he was.
“I think I’m 37 when I come to WWE. The redacted name did not know me. He had no clue who I was. I think it was guys who had worked with me, probably with TNA and whatnot, that were able to say, ‘Let this guy come in third at the Rumble.’ Finally, he’s like, ‘Fine, let him.’ Then, the reaction happened, but he still didn’t believe it. He was like, ‘it’s a fluke.’
“The next night, I had a match and it was okay but it wasn’t anything special. He’s like, ‘I have 100 guys who can do what you just did.’ What he was saying was true. I was trying to be something that is trying to be the babyface. I should have just been AJ Styles. He told me what he wanted and I was like, ‘I know that guy.’”
AJ Styles talks about how “redacted” didn’t know who he was when arriving to WWE. pic.twitter.com/hV90MGpmeq
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) March 29, 2024
(quote courtesy of Jeremy Lambert)
