3 WWE superstars Vince McMahon isn't a fan of, and 3 he is

Mick Foley once famously said that to be pushed by Vince McMahon, the boss needs to be a fan of yours. It definitely holds true in Foley's experience, because he didn't have the prototype look of a lot of the top stars of the Attitude Era.

However, Foley had a very different factor about him that helped him captive not only the fans' hearts but McMahon's as well. He was a prominent star during the Attitude Era, and through the years, there have been many superstars who have tried to win over the boss but have failed.

However, it was and still is, the very cream of the crop that manages to capture McMahon's attention and fandom. Sure, there are superstars who he becomes a fan of by taking one glimpse, but the truth is that many have had to really earn his respect. When it's all said and done, that's what truly separates the good from the great. Here are a few superstars who Vince McMahon is a fan of, and a few who he isn't.

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#3. Isn't a fan of - Tyler Breeze

This one seems like a no-brainer in many ways, because Tyler Breeze felt like he was doomed from day one on the main roster. His gimmick alone felt like a handicap despite the fact that he had proven in NXT that he truly belonged at a higher level.

While some fans expected him to have midcard success, they soon learned of the harsh differences between NXT and the main roster. Despite entertaining fans with the Fashion Police gimmick, Breeze hasn't really had anything going for him creatively.

While some argue that the Fashion Police should have won the SmackDown Tag Team titles while they were hot, Fandango's injury ensured that Tyler Breeze would no longer be featured on television.

#3. Is a fan of - AJ Styles

AJ Styles is one of the examples we refer to when we mentioned earlier about superstars having to earn McMahon's respect. In fact, Styles himself revealed that he really didn't expect to be anything more than a midcarder in WWE.

One major difference that definitely helped Styles reach the top (apart from just his exceptional talent), was the fact that he carefully listened to Vince McMahon's advice.

McMahon was very blunt to Styles early on, telling him that he's got plenty of guys on the roster who can do what he does. What he wanted to see out of Styles was a pit bull, an aggressive side to his character.

AJ Styles added an edge to his character and proved to McMahon early on that he's by far the most reliable performer in the company. Having flown from South America to the United States on short notice to be a replacement on a PPV to face Finn Balor proved that he's a company man, and he was soon rewarded with a one-year WWE Championship reign.

#2. Isn't a fan of - Shinsuke Nakamura

This might be a little hard to believe for some, because Shinsuke Nakamura found quite some success in the early going on his main roster run. His first year not only saw him beat the likes of John Cena and Randy Orton clean as a whistle, but he was even a WWE title challenger, a Royal Rumble winner and was in a marquee World title match at WrestleMania.

However, it seems now in hindsight that Vince McMahon was giving a shot to Nakamura because of all the hype, but at the end, his United States title reigns and booking creatively seem to suggest that there really isn't much interest anymore.

Naturally, McMahon would have pushed him more so he can get closer to the Japanese market. Nakamura still holds an important place in that regard, but McMahon has constantly been hesitant to pull the trigger on him.

#2. Is a fan of - Drew McIntyre

Though the last few months haven't really shown it, Vince McMahon is still very heavily invested in Drew McIntyre. It probably has more to do with the fact that other superstars are being focused on.

However, McIntyre has been protected more often than not, and he seems to be getting groomed for a legitimate run as a main eventer. McMahon was a big fan of McIntyre even in his first run where he was green and relatively inexperienced on SmackDown.

Now, everything about him is better - his look, his skills, his persona and overall presentation. There's a lot more to him now, and it's clear that he's won McMahon's fandom back.

Don't be surprised to see McIntyre begin to get another major push as 2019 rolls on. He's most definitely destined for great things, and just because he isn't being pushed now, doesn't mean he won't get pushed at all.

#1. Isn't a fan of - Zack Ryder

This, unfortunately, seems to go way back to even 2011 when Zack Ryder was one of the hottest stars on the roster. Ryder has had a countless number of start-stop pushes, but it turns out that all of them just end with the same result - Zack Ryder going back to the sidelines.

It's a real shame, because Ryder had proven many times that he could get over organically. He was ahead of the curve in WWE back when he used to have his own YouTube channel and use it to gain more popularity.

He would have been a great consistent midcard act, but Vince McMahon and other backstage officials don't seem to view him as anything more than a sympathetic babyface who they can use to get heat.

Many have criticized Ryder for being a superstar that's just "happy to be there", but we don't really know the full story.

#1. Is a fan of - Seth Rollins

The very fact that Seth Rollins is being primed as Roman Reigns' replacement on top of the WWE mountain should be evidence enough that Vince McMahon has faith in Seth Rollins. The fact of the matter is that he's always been a fan of The Shield trio, very much including Dean Ambrose, who he shares a good relationship with.

However, McMahon sees a top star in Rollins, and it's no surprise that for many years, he was the second-most pushed superstar in WWE. If you watch the WWE 24 documentaries of Seth Rollins' 2016 comeback, and even the WrestleMania 33 special, you'll see that McMahon has a lot of affection towards Rollins, both as a person and as a performer.

He's always praised him highly, and the fact that Rollins has managed to find a good balance as a babyface is one of the most likely reasons why he's being pushed to the top in 2019.