WWE would have made him look like a geek right off the bat. Say he entered the 2019 Rumble, he probably would have gotten a huge pop but eliminated unceremoniously just like AJ in '16. Here's the difference. AJ knew how to work an American crowd so when he got thrown in with Jericho to 'learn how to work,' he passed with flying colors. If Kenny was in the same situation with Miz or whoever at that time, he would have flopped big time. WWE wasn't and still isn't interested in raw talent, they need a superstar who can promo and do it all. Kenny could pass for that now, but not in 2019. So he made the right choice.