WWE nearly added an MMA big name to its roster in the early 2000s

Kimbo Slice vs Tank Abbott

In a recent interview with WWE’s website, former wrestler Tommy Dreamer revealed that he made a proposal to the franchise to sign MMA star Kimbo Slice, while he was working with WWE Talent Relations in the early 2000’s and almost had his proposal accepted, reports dailywrestlingnews.com.

Dreamer said: “His manager sent me a very impressive demo reel. Back then, it was on a VHS tape and I was totally in awe of what I was seeing. It was all street fighting and him cutting promos. I had no clue who he was and I was captivated once I saw him.”

Dreamer then went ahead and showed the tape to his senior, John Laurinaitis, who liked what he saw but was concerned with the time and effort it would take for the franchise to nurture Slice, who Laurinaitis believed wasn’t a trained wrestler.

Slice himself almost dabbled into professional wrestling, and was due to face Japanese star Shinichi Suzukawa in Japan back in 2011, but had to withdraw due to an injury he sustained while training.

The 42-year-old had a stint with UFC, before moving to current employer Bellator MMA, where he defeated Ken Shamrock on his promotional debut, and most recently defeated long-time rival Dada 5000 last month.