FTR say several big-name WWE Superstars tried to put them over
During their WWE tenure, FTR, then known as The Revival, had the opportunity to work with several top-level Superstars, but had certain guys gotten their way, that list could have been a lot longer. The self-proclaimed "Top Guys" apparently had some major backers in the WWE locker room who bought into that moniker.
However, the high profile pitches, more often than not, fell on deaf ears when they reached the top. In a recent interview with Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, Cash Wheeler and Dax Hardwood said it was a disheartening experience, but that it didn't stop them from trying. Harwood said:
"The things we were doing with (Randy Orton) and New Day could have been such a great money making venture, but that wasn’t in the plans. That’s not what Vince wanted. You said you understand, or you can see why, guys don’t want to pitch... But, man, why stop? I stayed up every single week. We would get two days home, and I’m infatuated with my wife and my daughter, but I would take hours away from them to sit in front of the computer that I’m sitting in front of right now to type up pitches and angles and story lines for me and Cash to present to the creative team, to present to Vince, and it never got used. But, I never stopped because I wanted us to be the best and I wanted them to know we’re working at least as hard as anybody else to be able to be on that television."
Randy Orton was just one of the powerful names backstage in WWE that were apparently going to bat for FTR. When the angle with The Viper fell through, that was the straw that broke the camel's back.
WWE failing to capitalize on Randy Orton angle was breaking point for FTR
When they were known as The Revival, FTR had a roughly two-month story arc with Randy Orton in 2019. The Apex Predator specifically went to creative to keep "Team FTRKO" together. When WWE went against those requests, FTR decided at that point that there was no reason to re-sign with the company.
Randy Orton was the tip of the iceberg of WWE Superstars that went to Vince McMahon to try and put FTR over, according to Harwood:
"We watched Roman Reigns go to Vince and say, 'I want to work with these guys. I want them to beat me.' We watched Bray Wyatt do that. Matt Hardy. The Usos. New Day. Then of course we watched Randy do it on a weekly basis. The reason it lasted for six or eight weeks is because of Randy." h\t Fightful
Even Shane McMahon specially requested to work with FTR, which is why they were pulled from a feud with the Usos to join "The Best in the World" for a short while.