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Ric Flair Wants John Cena to Tie His Title Record, Says AJ Styles Isn’t The Next Shawn Michaels, More
– On a recent edition of The Ric Flair Show (via wrestlinginc.com), Ric Flair discussed AJ Styles, John Cena, and more. Here are the highlights…
On AJ Styles Becoming an All Time Great:”Time will tell. You can’t say right now if he’s one of the greats. Right now, as we speak, in my opinion, he’s a great worker, but it’s going to be determined by time because the word ‘great’ gets passed around way, way too easily. I understand they are people who are good people and very competent, but the word ‘great’ gets passed around, but, I mean, he’s in that category now. If he stays healthy enough to do this a couple of more years, he’ll be one of the all-time greats. That’s my take on it.”
Is AJ Styles the Next Shawn Michaels?: “I see it, but [they are] not the same thing. Shawn Michaels, if you look at Shawn’s charisma, and when they were trying to put AJ in a position of being a heel, it’s just not him. Do you know what it is? AJ’s just too nice of a guy. Shawn Michaels, when he was in that heel [persona], Shawn could be a prick. Now, he’s a whole different [person]. His life is totally different and his lifestyle. But Shawn could be a prick and that’s what people like you to be. I was a prick. I didn’t care what anybody thought, I said what I thought, but I could back it up. But, once again, I’m not saying AJ can’t be Shawn Michaels, but that’s a tall order. Remember, we had to call him, to get him to come on this show, ‘the greatest of all time’, so, I mean, Shawn, where we are, you’re the greatest of all time. AJ, you’ve got a ways to go. You’re really good, but that’s a tall order, [to be considered the next Shawn Michaels], man, Shawn Michaels.”
On Cena Winning His 16th World Title : “Well, first of all, I text John. I love John. He’s always, even when I’m not there, he throws me name out there and keeps me in the public eye. I would be elated if John got that. I mean, he [has] worked hard enough and it’s never going to affect my legacy. I think the world of John Cena as a person, as a man. But I think the world of John and I think that when I look at what he has done for the company, and, of course, the company has done a lot for him, but his work ethic is incredible. He’s a great guy. He’s a great ambassador. And if he won that title for the sixteenth time, I’d be the first to congratulate him.”