The "Wrestlers who made it without WWE" Thread

[Starburst]

Spin off from the Sting/WWE thread

Since WWE is the Gold standard of Sports Entertainment..you haven't really made it untill you step foot in a WWE ring. Who are some of the wrestlers who made it without the WWE PR machine?

I think the number 1 choice is the GOAT Sting-I personally dont think he needs WWE at this point in his career

Another is AJ Syles, he made a name without WWE or being used as their enhancement talent

Who else? and in this day and age is it still possible to be a GOAT without WWE?

 

[Riley Escobar]

Misawa, Kawada, Kobashi...

Basically every single Japanese legend

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Austin Aries,Samoa Joe,Bobby Roode,James Storm

 

[Alexander The Great]

what's your definition of "made it"

 

[Starburst]

Austin Aries,Samoa Joe,Bobby Roode,James Storm

Roode was in WWE

 

[Starburst]

what's your definition of "made it"

Amongst other things, Not needing a WWE contract to be recognized

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Roode was in WWE

so was AJ

I didn't know you wanted to count one-off appearances on Velocity, my fault

Damn this is a tough one

 

[Starburst]

so was AJ

Are you sure? I thought he turned down the dev deal contract?

 

[Starburst]

so was AJ

I didn't know you wanted to count one-off appearances on Velocity, my fault

Damn this is a tough one

IIRC, it wasnt one off for Roode, he was enhancement talent for many years...I could be wrong, my memory is a lil fuzzy

 

[Alexander The Great]

Amongst other things, Not needing a WWE contract to be recognized

the reason I ask this is because you can't put Sting and AJ Styles in the same category. Sting was a legit Icon as far back as 2001 when WCW went out of business. No one outside of hardcore wrestling fans know who AJ Styles or any of those Tna guys are. Guys like Sting, Goldberg, Ric Flair, and Dusty Rhodes were legit stars and household names before ever going to the WWF/E

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Are you sure? I thought he turned down the dev deal contract?

Yeah, he had an appearance on Velocity against the Hurricane but turned down the deal because he had a family to take care of. I double-checked YouTube.

I'll say Magnum TA made it without the E. But who knows if he would've made the jump had it not been for that motorcycle accident that claimed his career.

edit: Just saw your post, had no idea Roode was in WWE in that capacity. Damn this is more difficult than I thought. I might spin this thread into guys who were underutilized in the E that went on to become big stars. Shane Douglas, guys like that.

 

[Pigpenwm]

 

[Starburst]

the reason I ask this is because you can't put Sting and AJ Styles in the same category. Sting was a legit Icon as far back as 2001 when WCW went out of business. No one outside of hardcore wrestling fans know who AJ Styles or any of those Tna guys are. Guys like Sting, Goldberg, Ric Flair, and Dusty Rhodes were legit stars and household names before ever going to the WWF/E

You would be surprised. Even to the casual fan they know who they are.

I do see your point though.

 

[Starburst]

This is an interesting one- for the longest I thought he was in WWF/WWE
Funny how his HOF induction over shadows everything else

 

[SuikodenII]

HIRE him and have him and Hunico fukk shyt up PLEASE

AJ keeping him from getting a job

I could be wrong but I don't think Magnum TA ever wrestled for the WWWF