5 AEW stars who had tryouts with WWE but didn't get signed
The AEW roster is jam-packed with exceptional wrestlers, all of whom have journeyed through different promotions throughout their careers. Some of the talents have obvious WWE histories, with the likes of Chris Jericho, Dustin Rhodes and JR all WWE legends. AEW might have convinced a whole slew of ex-WWE stars since the company's inception, but what about the other way round?
A few homegrown AEW wrestlers have tried out for WWE at one point in time but haven't made the cut past their developmental system for one reason or another. Some even had tryout matches on NXT with little buzz after that. In a sense, they were denied by WWE. Here's a look at 5 AEW talent who tried out for WWE but ultimately weren't signed.
#5 AEW star Will Hobbs was once approached by WWE
Will Hobbs is one of the most promising, young stars in AEW currently wrestling as part of Team Taz. His 'Powerhouse' nickname is well-earned as Hobbs boasts one of the most intimidating physiques in the business, is it any surprise that WWE, the land of giants, previously took notice of him? During an appearance on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Hobbs revealed that he had a WWE tryout a while ago, but they didn't follow up with him in the end. Later, WWE suddenly contacted him for a deal soon after he had a debut match on AEW in 2020. Here's what he told WWE:
"The (WWE) try-out was good. They said 'we don’t have anything for you right now.' Years later, they carrot dangled in front of me and I pretty much told them, 'F you.' Right when I appeared on AEW, you wanna be like, 'Hey, remember me?' The way I was raised, I don't have time for that s**t. I'm not 'boo boo the fool' as my Grandma would say. 'Hey, we've been thinking about you and are interested in you.' No, f**k you. I ain't no sucka. I'd rather you tell me 100% no than try to BS me."
WWE's loss is clearly AEW's gain as Hobbs is well positioned to be one of the most popular big men for the company in the coming years.