For better or worse, AJ Styles was never a Vince McMahon guy.
The former Chairman of the Board reportedly didn’t like debuting him under his tried and true gimmick from the indies at the Royal Rumble, and even though he won multiple titles within the promotion, many fans expected him to earn even more due to his unique combination of high-level in-ring abilities and incredibly reliable work on the microphone.
But is Styles a Paul “Triple H” Levesque guy? Well, he was asked that very question in a special interview with SHAK Wrestling and let it be known that he truly appreciates the compassion he shows to the wrestlers who entrust him with their careers.
“He’s really smart, and he really cares. That’s what we need. We need someone who not only wants to put on a great product but cares about the people that are working for him and doing their best. Sometimes we hit a wall and we’re not sure exactly what they want or what they want us to do. Just having that communication to say, ‘Hey man, this is what I need.’ It flips just like that, and you understand it. Sometimes we just need time, maybe more time in NXT,” AJ Styles explained via 411 Mania. “I appreciate the fact that he cares about [us] because I’ve seen so much talent that definitely had a right to be in the WWE, but we didn’t give enough time to develop. I feel like we kind of ruined their lives to some degree because this is the peak of wrestling and we just said, ‘You’re not good enough’. I hate that. That’s not true, mind you, but that’s what we’ve said doing what we were doing, and I don’t think Triple H is willing to do that without giving someone a chance.”
Could AJ Styles simply be politicking ahead of one of the biggest shows he’s wrestled in a very long time? After being tasked with filling an upper mid-card role under McMahon over his final few years with the promotion, it’s notable that Styles is getting to be Cody Rhodes’ first big opponent at the WWE Champion, especially considering their career similarities. While this match may prove nothing more than a one-and-done, Rhodes worked an expansive program with Shinsuke Nakamura last fall to solid effect for both performers’ careers, and if Levesque sees a similar future for Rhodes and the “Phenomenal One,” who knows, maybe he could have something very interesting just over the horizon, instead of another OC reunion that leads nowhere.
Austin Theory loves working under Triple H, too.
Speaking of WWE Superstars who have extensive experience working under both Triple H and Vince McMahon, Austin Theory, one of the true focal points of the final era under the old Chairman of the Board, was asked how the two eras compare in an interview with Ten Count Media and let it be known that while he appreciates everything he did under his old boss, he’s excited about the future too.
“Well, for me, you know, starting from NXT and going on to the main roster and having that time with Mr. McMahon and, you know, doing the selfie gimmick and becoming the youngest Mr. Money in the bank, becoming the youngest United States champion and kind of that being the top off with the Vince McMahon era. And then going on and having the big match with John Cena at WrestleMania,” Austin Theory explained via Ringside News.
“And then kind of going to SmackDown and in a way finding myself with Grayson Waller and becoming the greatest undefeated tag team champions. Now being, as you said, you could call it the Triple H era. Man, we’re just on another level now. You know, we’re having PLEs all around the world. We’re right here in France today. We got a PLE here tomorrow in Lyon, France, and tonight we got SmackDown. So for me, the trajectory has been insane. And it’s only going to keep going because Austin Theory is the rocket, man.”
Is Theory being pushed as hard in WWE under Levesque as he was with McMahon? No, not really, but then again, he is still a WWE Champion alongside Grayson Waller, and while he might not get the same amount of television time as before, he’s all but eliminated the “X-Pac Heat” that came along with his selfie gimmick. All in all, a major win for A-Town’s finest at what could have been a disastrous inflection point within his career.
