Why does Vince McMahon seem to miss on so many talents that were so successful outside of WWE?
Vince McMahon does not view a talent as successful until they are successful in WWE. Yes, there are exceptions, such as Bill Goldberg, but for the most part he wants to see them do it in WWE. I am not talking about NXT either, he sees that as a different fanbase under significantly different circumstances. Please understand I am not saying I agree with this perspective but I have enough experience covering Vince to understand his philosophy. I saw AJ Styles said recently Vince was not overly impressed with him when he initially signed. Vince even told him that. Now, Vince loves AJ Styles and wishes he would have signed him earlier. That actually became clear pretty early on in his run. Talent have to win Vince over and that is why I always talk about taking full advantage of any opportunity they are given. If they do not make an impression, they’ll be booked as “just another talent,” with the hope another break will come. I do think this philosophy has caused Vince to miss out on stars, specifically stars like Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens and AJ Styles, who he could have had much earlier in their careers.
Will the Intercontinental Championship be defended at SummerSlam?
The latest rumor suggests AJ Styles will defend the title against Jeff Hardy. That has not been confirmed but it is likely Styles will be on the show defending the title. Initially, it was believed we could see this opportunity go to Matt Riddle but he has moved on to a program with King Corbin for the time being.
Is it true Emily Andzulis was told not to utilize any MMA in her match on Raw Underground against Shayna Baszler?
From what I understand, the thinking was they just wanted Baszler to appear as dominant as possible. We are two weeks in and I remain intrigued with Raw Underground. That may be an unpopular opinion but Shane McMahon has helped viewership and I am all about trying something different.
I saw something on Twitter about AEW having fans in attendance at Dynamite. What’s the deal with that?
AEW, like WWE, is doing closed TV tapings. There are some “fans” allowed in the building but they are people with connections to people that work there. There is a very strict criteria and it is very, very limited. Ordinary fans are not permitted into the closed TV tapings at this time.
I am sure you noticed Shelton Benjamin pinning Apollo Crews in a non-title match on WWE Raw. Why does WWE do that?
Booking champions to lose in non-title matches is one of my biggest pet peeve in the wrestling business. It is a complaint I have had for years and I see no need to book these matches. All it does is devalue the titles and make them look like useless props. The same with short title reigns or multiple switches. Titles should be used as a way to give the champion a rub. Not as a meaningless prop. It is almost like WWE likes to rib people over this, which is why they created the 24/7 title. I am completely against that as well.
The next installment of Ask WNC is scheduled to run on Monday, August 17, 2020.
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