Hardcore Legend Holds WWE Culpable for Destroying ECW Talent’s Career as Vince McMahon “Messed With His Head” – “Could Really Be a Difficult Existence”

Being a commentator in WWE can be pretty taxing. Especially when you have Vince McMahon in your headset barking orders. Vince McMahon is well-known for his austerity. The WWE patriarch deals with things on WWE programming with fastidious care. And he once “messed” with a former ECW announcer’s head. WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley, recently discussed how WWE and Mr. McMahon are responsible for ruining Joey Styles’ career.

Joey Styles was a prominent commentator in ECW. In 2006, Styles did commentary for WWE. Ahead of ECW’s One Night Stand, Styles cut a scathing worked shoot promo, condemning Vince McMahon and his company. Although his promo was a work, the brevity of his run with the WWE alone shows that Styles had had enough.

Mick Foley accuses Vince McMahon of wasting Joey Styles’ career

While speaking on Foley is Pod, the Hardcore legend talked about how, according to him, Vince McMahon pushed Joey Styles to the edge. When Styles joined WWE as a play-by-play commentator, they forced him to conform to the standards of WWE. Specifically, Styles had to conform to the rules laid out by Vince McMahon. However, his broadcasting style did network out according to the specifications of WWE programming.

Styles eventually shifted from commentary to behind-the-scenes. Mick Foley claims that Styles’ existence was made “difficult” with Vince McMahon in his “head”. He said, “I thought Joey was better before they messed with his head, honestly. I thought they’re trying to take away the things that make Joey, Joey.”

Foley then stressed the importance of having the freedom to make mistakes in order to learn better. But McMahon did not like his staff making mistakes on TV. He was rather unforgiving when it came to slip-ups.

Foley continued, “And when they get in your head and make you clear that ‘yeah we brought you in but we want to change the things about you that you were most certain of and now you have Mr. McMahon in your head, it could really be a difficult existence on an announce and I’m sure JR has spoken to that even being the very best in the business. They tried to break him down and remake him.”

Foley then proceeded to liken it to Jim Ross’ situation. It’s no secret that JR has had his fair share of unpleasant experiences with the powers that be in the WWE. The Voice of Monday Night Raw has shared multiple stories of being chewed out by Vince McMahon.

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Nevertheless, after being removed from the announce desk, Styles found success as WWE’s Vice President of Digital Media Ad Sales and Digital Media Content for wwe.com. Joey Styles’ release from WWE came in 2016. After a controversial run in the Indies, Styles left the wrestling industry and never turned back. McMahon didn’t allow any leeway for even his top stars, who engaged in commentary sporadically.

Vince McMahon once reprimanded CM Punk while he was on commentary

Let’s admit it, CM Punk likes to speak his mind and beat his own drum. Punk refuses to play a character that does not resonate with him. In 2010, CM Punk was temporarily out of action due to an injury. However, he joined commentary at the behest of Vince McMahon.

While speaking with Rene Paquette on Oral Sessions, Punk recalled acquiescing to working on the commentary table until he healed up. According to him, on the first night on commentary, Vince McMahon started yelling in his year. Punk did not know it was common for commentators to have McMahon screaming in their years.

He said, “First night on commentary, Vince started yelling in my headset. I elbowed [Jerry] Lawler, wrote a note to him that said, ‘which is the volume button?’ He pointed to it and I turned it all the way down. When we took the headsets off after the show, I was like, ‘Did you not know you can do that?’ [Lawler] goes, ‘I knew I could do that, but we’re going to get yelled at.’ Vince never said anything.”

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Punk, luckily, did not face any consequences for his insubordination. What do you think about Vince McMahon’s strict principles and his treatment of Styles? Comment below!