Joey Styles "Shoot" Highlights Before WWE Release: Using Term "Belt," PG, Finn Balor, Joey Ryan
As noted, Joey Styles was recently released by WWE. He stopped tweeting on July 29th, shortly after participating in a Facebook Q&A, which was deleted and never put back online. Below are some of the highlights from the Q&A:
* Styles said that he had to beg for controversial questions, and he said to consider it a "shoot interview" on a WWE medium. He noted that any heat that's generated from the Q&A should be directed at him directly. Cathy Kelley joked, "someone's getting in trouble."
* Kelley noted that she loves Styles' interview because of his honesty. Styles said not the live ones because WWE edits them, and that the stuff he said that got cut out has been phenomenal.
* Styles was asked was asked how far ahead of time WWE.com got information. Styles said that things for web branding, like logos, etc. are gotten as soon as they are approved because so many pages have to be changed. As for what's going to happen on RAW or SmackDown, Styles said that one member of the WWE writing team conveys that information to one member of WWE.com, and it doesn't go to him so he finds out about storyline surprises at the same time the fans do.
* Styles was asked if anyone could take the belt from Asuka is Bayley isn't able to defeat her. Styles pointed out that he has nothing against the term "belt" and joked that it would get him in trouble. He said he understands using the term title, but when it's used in a match, belt is appropriate since a title is not a physical object. "So that's strike one against me already on this Facebook live," Styles joked. Styles said that he doesn't think anyone is as good of a Striker as Asuka, and they might have to go outside of NXT to find a striker that can match her. He said that there are a lot of talented women in developmental that aren't on NXT television.
* Styles was asked if the New Era stars were as hungry as stars in the old ECW, and Styles said "absolutely." Styles said that there were wrestlers in ECW that liked to party after the matches, while stars of the New Era don't. He said the stars of the New Era are the hungriest he's seen.
* Styles was asked which former ECW stars he'd like to see back. Styles said that Tommy Dreamer was approached for the draft, but he's too busy with his House of Hardcore promotion.
* Styles said that he thinks Finn Balor is the next big thing in WWE. Styles said that "luckily the announcers didn't beat us over the head with it over how much he weighs but he's not a monster," and that he always thought Gorilla Monsoon's old quote about a good big man beating a good little man was nonsense. He said that he thinks Finn is a future world champion.
* Styles asked wrestlers to stop doing suicide dives. He said that in the past it was special, but now even big people do it and it's not worth the risk. He talked about Sasha Banks almost landing on her head during her Women's title match with Charlotte. "If it's not special, don't do it anymore. That move frightens me."
* Styles said that if he could come back to call a match, he'd like to call a women's match on WrestleMania because when he was commentating, they weren't really competitive like they are today. He said he thought the women's match at WrestleMania 32 was the best match on the show, and said "thank heavens" for WWE dropping the term Divas because he hated that term.
* Styles was asked about the WWE Universal title not being named the WWE Universe title. He joked that his response might get him fired. He said that fans aren't crazy about either name. He would have rather had Ambrose's title be called the "WWE SmackDown Championship" and the new one the "WWE RAW Championship. Ultimately he said that people will get used to the name.
* He thinks both brands should have their own set of titles, and brand them like NXT, so you'd have the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, the RAW Women's Championship, etc.
* Styles said that the three man announcing team is terrible. He noted that it works in some sports, but since wrestling moves so fast that makes three announcers too much.
* He prefers the product being PG as opposed to PG-13. He said that you have to work harder when you don't have blood and profanity, and it's smarter business to be PG. It forces people to be more creative.
* He talked about loving the New Day and talked about how much merchandise they moved, calling them an ATM machine for WWE.
* Styles was asked about WWE "shoving Roman Reigns down [fans'] throats," which we covered before. He said that it's because Vince thinks it can work, and he's been right much more than he's been wrong. Cathy Kelley noted her female friends love Reigns, and Styles said that's part of it, noting that moms bring kids to shows and moms love Reigns.
* Styles was asked if WWE tries too hard to cater to the IWC. Styles said no, because they don't want Reigns and yet WWE pushes him.
* When asked what indy wrestler WWE should hire, Styles said Joey Ryan and noted that he would have to tweak his gimmick in WWE. He feels that Ryan can do his character in a PG way. He said he doesn't know Joey Ryan, but appreciates his work. He thinks Joey Ryan done PG would be very entertaining.
* At the end of the Q&A, Styles joked that people will remember the Q&A because it was what finally got him fired. He said that to all the sports sites that cover WWE, like ESPN who have people covering WWE that don't know the business, they can reach out to him on Twitter if he gets fired.