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You often hear it from ex-WWE Superstars that the first impression Vince McMahon has of you can prove to be important in how he sees you. Obviously, even if this is true, there are still exceptions to the rule.
Sometimes a WWE Superstar just has 'it' and even a bad first impression can't hold them back. From AJ Styles to a John Cena, let's take a look at five such Superstars who didn't impress Vince McMahon at first but went on to become megastars in WWE.
#5 AJ Styles
AJ Styles made his long-awaited WWE debut during the 2016 Royal Rumble match. Despite the overwhelmingly positive reaction from the WWE fans, one person who wasn't particularly impressed with AJ Styles' debut was Vince McMahon himself.
While discussing his debut on his Twitch stream, AJ said that Vince McMahon thought the reaction he got from the WWE Universe was a fluke:
You've got to find a way to make a name for yourself and everybody has to do it. It's when you get an opportunity to get into the ring, you hope that Vince is watching or someone else. You hope that there is a reaction, right? That was the great thing that I had... the reaction that I got at the Royal Rumble 2016 was awesome. It was amazing, but Vince didn't really believe that - [he thought] that it was a fluke, basically. That's what he thought it was. H/T: WrestlingINC
AJ Styles revealed that he wasn't initially booked for RAW the following night but Vince was convinced to change his mind on that. Styles added that Vince McMahon was not impressed with his in-ring work and told him that he already had Superstars who could do what he saw from Styles. It was only after a conversation with Vince McMahon did AJ Styles learn what exactly the WWE CEO wanted from him:
I wasn't even going to be on RAW the next day, but they convinced him otherwise. I had a match and I think he was [unimpressed], like, 'Whatever, I've got guys that can do this'. And he literally told me that. But once Vince sat me down and said, 'This is what I need from you'. After he told me what he needed, I had one chance to show him exactly who he wanted. And that's what happened. H/T: WrestlingINC
After his conversation with Vince McMahon, AJ Styles quickly changed his mind and since then, has gone on to become one of WWE's biggest stars right now, winning the WWE Championship twice.
#4 Mick Foley
In an interview with Inside The Ropes, WWE legend Mick Foley revealed how Vince McMahon was not a fan of his initially and didn’t even want to bring him to WWE. Mick Foley credited Jim Ross as the person who wore Vince McMahon down and brought Foley into the WWE in late 1995 under a mask:
I was not supposed to be a star in WWE. I have it on good faith that Mr. McMahon wasn’t a fan of mine, at all, and I think the direct quote was, ‘Cactus Jack will never step foot inside a WWE ring.’ So as Mick Foley, I stepped inside as Mankind, and even then, it was just a concession to Jim Ross. Bruce Prichard told me this about four years ago, JR would bring up my name at every booking meeting as a potential talent, and finally Mr. McMahon in the fall of 1995 slammed his hands down on the table and said, ‘Alright, I’ll bring him in, but I’m covering up his face.' H/T: 411Mania
Despite Vince McMahon’s reservations, Mick Foley went on to become a megastar in WWE and a fan favorite. It was Mick Foley in the Mankind persona winning the WWE Championship that finally turned the ratings tide in the Monday Night Wars for good, with a little thanks from Tony Schiavone.
#3 The Undertaker
The Undertaker is a pro wrestling icon. One of the most recognizable WWE Superstars of all time, the Deadman has been an integral cog in the WWE machine for well over a quarter of a century.
On a recent episode of his podcast, WWE executive Bruce Prichard revealed that Vince McMahon wasn’t impressed with The Undertaker initially and compared a young Mark Calaway to a just another basketball player:
We’d had a meeting scheduled I believe in July at some point whenever – around Great American Bash when Undertaker had faced Lex Luger – and Taker had a dislocated hip, but worked the match anyway. The next day he was supposed to meet with Vince, and that didn’t happen. And it didn’t happen because Vince looked at Undertaker and thought ‘Just another tall basketball player with red hair, don’t see anything special.’ H/T: WrestlingINC
Prichard went on to reveal how he had to literally beg Vince McMahon to meet with The Undertaker. Thankfully, Bruce Prichard changed Vince McMahon’s mind because the last three decades of WWE could have been vastly different if he hadn’t. The Undertaker went on to one of the biggest stars in WWE’s history and was integral to their success over WCW during the Monday Night Wars, not to mention his legendary winning streak at WrestleMania.
The Undertaker went on to win the WWE Championship seven times as well as a cabinet full of other titles.
#2 John Cena
Another legendary WWE Superstar who didn’t create a good first impression on Vince McMahon is the ‘Face That Runs The Place’ himself, John Cena. As told to WWE.com, John Cena said that he first met Vince McMahon right after his match against Kurt Angle on WWE SmackDown. Cena revealed that Vince McMahon had not been impressed by what he saw in John Cena that day and one of the first things he said was that he wanted Cena to get a haircut:
They literally dragged me by the arm to Vince's office, threw me in and asked him, ‘What do you think?' I had ridiculously ugly, long, super-dyed blond hair that was shaved bald on the sides. He turned around and with a disgusted look on his face, he said, ‘Cut his hair,' and I was whisked away from Vince like an assembly line.
That was the first time I met Vince McMahon and he was disgusted to look at me. They shipped me out and I immediately got a haircut, which was not dyed blond, but equally as horrible.
John Cena’s career turned around after Stephanie McMahon heard him rapping at the back of the tour bus. Cena has gone on to not only be one of the faces of WWE over the last 15 years, but also tied Ric Flair’s 16 world titles. Vince McMahon and John Cena have come a long way from that first meeting and are close personal friends now.
#1 Randy Orton
We finish off this list with Randy Orton. Jim Ross revealed on an episode of his podcast last year that Vince McMahon didn't initially want to give Randy Orton a chance in WWE because of his dishonorable discharge from the Marines.
Thankfully, Jim Ross managed to change Vince McMahon's mind and WWE didn't pass on Randy Orton. Here's what JR had to say:
No, it didn’t matter. McMahon is that patriotic. I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do, we did it cause I talked him into it. ‘We gotta give him a chance. Everybody deserves a chance, Vince.’ He said it all the time. ‘Let’s give this kid a chance.’ Cause he’s getting one chance now, right? One chance. If it don’t work, he’s done with us. For f’n ever. There’ll be no more recalls and there will be no more call backs; we’re done. But he deserves a chance.’ H/T: WresleZone
Randy Orton has gone on to repay the faith Vince McMahon put in him. Orton has been one of the top Superstars in WWE for the past decade and is a 13-time world champion.
