Austin Aries Blasts WWE for Forcing Him Into a Style That Didn’t Fit

Austin Aries isn’t holding anything back when it comes to his time in WWE, especially the part where the company tried forcing him to wrestle like a “small guy.”

During his appearance on WWP Episode 2, Aries explained how the system didn’t understand his approach to realism, size, and fighting psychology — and why some of the people giving him instructions had no business telling him how to fight someone bigger.

Aries made it clear that WWE’s mentality didn’t line up with how he worked. He explained that agents wanted him to completely change his approach simply because of his size, even when it made no logical sense.

“This was something that I had to deal with in WWE where they wanted me to wrestle like a small guy. And I’ve never wrestled like a small guy.”

Advertising

Advertising

Things got worse when he was told how to face an opponent nearly a foot taller. That’s when Aries finally pushed back, questioning how these producers even understood what they were suggesting.

“I had to argue with them once because I was wrestling a guy who was 6’7. And they were telling me how I should wrestle this guy. And I had to ask these producers that were probably about 6’6 to 6’8 themselves — how many fights have they been in with a guy that’s a foot taller than them? Because if you’ve never been in a fight with a guy a foot taller than you, I don’t know how you’re going to give me the strategy of what works for me.”

As Aries put it, the strategy a huge agent uses in a fight is not the same strategy someone at 5’8 would ever use. That disconnect, he said, was a major problem.

“What works for you at 6’8 fighting a guy who’s your size is different for me at 5’8. I can’t use that same strategy because that’s a losing strategy.”

The host then jumped in with a comparison, pointing out that size never determined believability in the ring. He praised Chris Benoit’s realism and intensity, comparing those traits directly to Aries’ own presence.

“Chris Benoit — like I see a lot of the way Chris Benoit moved in the ring, bumped, sold, did everything — it was believable. And he was like 5’9 or whatever he was.”

He added that Aries carried the same kind of energy that made people believe he could fight anyone regardless of size.

“I saw the same in you. You’re just a machine in the ring. You don’t have to be seven foot tall if you look like you can whoop someone’s butt and move around like you can.”

Aries agreed with the idea that presence matters more than height. He explained that plenty of bigger wrestlers don’t give off the aura of someone who could win a real fight, while smaller, more intense wrestlers absolutely do.

This moment summed up Aries’ entire point — WWE’s system often removes the authentic edge from wrestlers who work with realism, psychology, and grit, instead forcing them into a mold based solely on size.

Austin Aries’ honesty about WWE’s creative disconnect shows exactly why many wrestlers struggle in that system. It’s not about size — it’s about what looks like a real fight, and Aries knew exactly how to bring that into the ring.

What do you think about Austin Aries’ take on WWE’s size mentality? Do you think WWE still pushes that mindset today, or has the company changed? Drop your thoughts below — we want to hear from you.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.