MVP Says He Won A Bet That He Could Have A Successful Feud With This WWE Star

Prior to his run with The Hurt Syndicate in AEW, MVP was closely associated with WWE for years, and spent time working there as a producer in addition to his onscreen role. Back in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, MVP took part in a feud with one of his co-stars that he now says had its origins in a bet he made backstage.

"The very-talented Apollo Crews was kind of floundering," MVP said on "Marking Out." "I remember meeting Apollo and working with him a little bit, and seeing [that] this guy's got some skills, man. Great personality, impressive look. Short for the WWE universe, for Vince's [desired] stature, but I saw something there."

Someone who didn't see Crews the same way was John Laurinaitis, the former producer whose WWE career ended when he was named in the Vince McMahon sex trafficking scandal. According to MVP, Laurinaitis didn't think the company could do anything worthwhile with Crews, so MVP bet him a steak dinner that he could have a feud with Crews that gained traction with the WWE audience.

"I said, 'You're on. I bet you a steak dinner. Give me Apollo Crews, I bet I get something out of him,'" MVP continued. "So I talked to Apollo and I said, 'Hey, man, I'm gonna tell you straight up. This is a conversation I had with Laurinaitis. They say ain't nothing in you, you ain't got it. I disagree."

MVP gave Crews some tips as they were building out their feud, including to make his in-ring aggression more visceral so the viewers (and management) can see it in his performances. The former WWE star said that Crews took his advice, and it led to a successful program between the two. In the end, MVP said Laurinaitis bought him dinner, during which he chose an especially expensive steak.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Marking Out" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.