"I was pretty heartbroken, you know?" - AEW star recalls his immediate reaction after getting snubbed by WWE
Before AEW burst onto the scene in 2019, it seemed as if the only major promotion in pro wrestling was WWE. A current member of the All Elite Wrestling roster remembers feeling heartbroken after being rejected by WWE.
The star in question is AR Fox, who became a full-time member of the AEW roster in late 2022 after a series of excellent matches that led to a surge of fan support. This ultimately led to a job for the 35-year-old.
It's been a long road for AR Fox in wrestling, as he told Chris Jericho on his Talk is Jericho podcast that he remembers the day he tried out for WWE's developmental brand FCW early in his career, only to be snubbed at the end of it.
"I did a tryout for FCW when I was super new, I think that was the one they hired Tyler Breeze. And I'm still not sure if it's a work or not — the tryout. I really thought I was up there, you know? I was pretty heartbroken, you know? Kind of. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure Tony Nese was also in it, and I remember not really knowing him. I know him now. ... I [was] like, 'Dang, if I'm not gonna get it, that guy's gonna get it, man. Crap.' And then Tyler Breeze got it.' I really matured, and I understood that wrestling doesn't owe me anything. I remember really understanding that probably like four or five years into my career." (H/T Wrestling Inc.)
AR Fox making his AEW debut. Cool stuff pic.twitter.com/S3rprskqKu
Getting turned down might have been a blessing in disguise as AR Fox went on to become one of the independent scene's most exciting stars, winning titles in companies like Lucha Underground, EVOLVE, and even Dragon Gate.
AR Fox recently turned on his friend in AEW
Following his loss at the hands of Orange Cassidy for the AEW International Championship, AR Fox was confronted by Darby Allin, who questioned Fox's actions as he assaulted the champion after the match, but Fox never gave an answer.
However, it wasn't a mystery for long as he revealed himself to be the newest member of The Mogul Embassy later that night when he interfered on Swerve Strickland's behalf during his match with Allin.
Swerve Strickland and AR Fox just went to Nick Wayne's own garage and eviscerated him. Watch this, holy shit.
Mogul Embassy IS your top heel faction in AEW, and Swerve is in line to be the next World Champion of this promotion.
pic.twitter.com/ETneEv6sX7
Fox and Swerve have already established themselves as a ruthless duo, violently beating up Nick Wayne at his home in a segment that was aired during the 200th episode of AEW Dynamite. This has left fans wondering who could possibly stop The Mogul Embassy going forward.
Did you expect AR Fox to turn heel? Let us know in the comments section below!