Austin pays respect to AJ before more shenanigans ensue.

Between Stone Cold tonight and Raw Reunion, I can't get over the sheer presence of AJ Styles. He's the only modern guy that comes to mind that hasn't been overshadowed by the Legends when interacting with them.

Bob-O wrote: ↑Sep 10th, '19, 12:10 . Between Stone Cold tonight and Raw Reunion, I can't get over the sheer presence of AJ Styles. He's the only modern guy that comes to mind that hasn't been overshadowed by the Legends when interacting with them.

He's in the Kurt Angle category imo, where he's so solid in every area that he can be made to look like an idiot and get the crowd back in the palm of his hands, whether by a promo or by a great match, and carry on like nothing happened.

NWK2000 wrote: ↑Sep 10th, '19, 13:16

Bob-O wrote: ↑Sep 10th, '19, 12:10 . Between Stone Cold tonight and Raw Reunion, I can't get over the sheer presence of AJ Styles. He's the only modern guy that comes to mind that hasn't been overshadowed by the Legends when interacting with them.

He's in the Kurt Angle category imo, where he's so solid in every area that he can be made to look like an idiot and get the crowd back in the palm of his hands, whether by a promo or by a great match, and carry on like nothing happened.

What you're saying is not wrong, but I don't think it's the cause of Bob-O's feeling. I think the reason AJ doesn't get overshadowed the way that others do is twofold:
1. AJ doens't come with that same phony Michael Cole WWE hype telling you how great he is like the other top male stars (Seth, Roman, Braun) do, and the lack of transparently, desperately trying to get us to believe that those guys are just as big a deal as Austin/Foley/Rock/whoever) when we know it's not true means that we don't have that instinctive, negative "sorry, Cole, but Seth Rollins is not even close to being Steve Austin" reaction burned into our brains and can't help but come out when we actually do see those two together.
2. Perhaps more importantly than the previous one, AJ, as the heel, is given license to be a forceful personality for the babyface legend to play off of, while a babyface like Rollins is hanging back and letting the legend have center stage because the people came to see the legend do his/her thing. We've seen Bliss, Drifter, and McIntyre have similar success. I think the only babyfaces they have who wouldn't feel relegated to the background are Becky Lynch and Velveteen Dream.

Big Red Machine wrote: ↑Sep 10th, '19, 21:32
2. Perhaps more importantly than the previous one, AJ, as the heel, is given license to be a forceful personality for the babyface legend to play off of, while a babyface like Rollins is hanging back and letting the legend have center stage because the people came to see the legend do his/her thing. We've seen Bliss, Drifter, and McIntyre have similar success. I think the only babyfaces they have who wouldn't feel relegated to the background are Becky Lynch and Velveteen Dream.

This is a pretty solid take. I feel like Dream could never be in the background of anything, but that's incidental.

Big Red Machine wrote: ↑Sep 10th, '19, 21:32 What you're saying is not wrong, but I don't think it's the cause of Bob-O's feeling. I think the reason AJ doesn't get overshadowed the way that others do is twofold:
1. AJ doens't come with that same phony Michael Cole WWE hype telling you how great he is like the other top male stars (Seth, Roman, Braun) do, and the lack of transparently, desperately trying to get us to believe that those guys are just as big a deal as Austin/Foley/Rock/whoever) when we know it's not true means that we don't have that instinctive, negative "sorry, Cole, but Seth Rollins is not even close to being Steve Austin" reaction burned into our brains and can't help but come out when we actually do see those two together.

It's this. The "it" factor. The face/heel dynamic helps, but that's AJ fuckin Styles. When he's on screen, you know it... he carries himself with the unteachable confidence and credibility of being a big deal. Put him in Seth's role back at the reunion show and you don't get your champion looking like a pathetic afterthought... at WORST you get the scenario where the champ steps back and lets the legends have their moment. What you likely get is AJ clapping/pointing/too-sweeting, but painting a picture of "that was then, this is now". If they blow him off it doesn't matter. He's AJ fuckin Styles, he has nothing to gain from that rub.

Seth does, and that's his whole problem. He hit his ceiling, and it's not high enough. There's no credibility because there's no character.

Big Red Machine wrote: ↑Sep 10th, '19, 21:32 2. Perhaps more importantly than the previous one, AJ, as the heel, is given license to be a forceful personality for the babyface legend to play off of, while a babyface like Rollins is hanging back and letting the legend have center stage because the people came to see the legend do his/her thing. We've seen Bliss, Drifter, and McIntyre have similar success. I think the only babyfaces they have who wouldn't feel relegated to the background are Becky Lynch and Velveteen Dream.

I'd throw New Day into that conversation as well.