In a new interview with the AEW Unrestricted podcast, top company star Wardlow opened up about a tryout he had with WWE a few years ago, and how he nearly moved himself to Florida before finding out he didn’t make it into the company.
I know people know that I did have a tryout, and I smoked that tryout. I was literally the only dude there in a suit. It was mind blowing. Dudes are there in shorts and t-shirts. That’s because they’re not recruiting wrestlers. They’re recruiting ex-NFL athletes or college wrestlers, people that have never watched wrestling [and] don’t care about wrestling. The comments these people were making made me sick to my stomach that they were there getting an opportunity. Of course, my roommate, he’s like, ‘Man, I’ve never even watched wrestling. I don’t even like it.’ I’m just like, ‘Get out of my room. Why are you here?’ And that was his second tryout. These people are getting multiple chances. So I smoked that tryout. I’m like, ‘I have this in the bag’, so much so I literally sold my motorcycle [and] sold my house, literally got rid of everything because I’m like, ‘I’m going to put everything into moving into Florida.’ So when the email came in that I was not, I remember I actually had to pull over on the side of the road because I just couldn’t believe it.
He later says that he began personal training sessions under WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, and reveals that the Olympic Hero nearly got him into WWE just by giving his recommendation.
Then I started training personally with Kurt Angle when he was getting ready to make his comeback for his final couple matches.And me and Kurt clicked in the ring really well, and him and I talked a lot. And he expressed that he had a conversation with a certain somebody there about bringing me in, and he’s like, ‘It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.’
Wardlow obviously ended up as MJF’s right hand man in AEW, a decision he believes to have been the correct one, even claiming that he’s where “he’s supposed to be.”
Lord knows I am not the most patient person at all. That’s always been a battle. So when the opportunity came with AEW, and I heard what the plans were and I heard the vision and the passion behind it, I knew there was nothing for me to wait for it. This is what it is, and I’m very happy I didn’t say no and wait and wait and wait. God knows I could still be waiting at this point. Who knows? I most definitely where I’m supposed to be.
The full interview can be found below. (Transcribed by Wrestling Inc.)
