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WWE might be the final destination for most people when they start their journey in pro wrestling. Even though not everyone makes it to WWE, it's not because they didn't have the chance. There are plenty more who never get the opportunity, but that would be a much longer list.
Some people have invitations from WWE and others might have even made an appearance for the company. But for whatever reason, a working relationship with WWE just didn't work out.
Impact Wrestling has been home for a lot of people who eventually went to WWE and found plenty of success. But some people who became top names in Impact Wrestling never took the chance with WWE even though they had more than a chance to do so.
Here is a list of five people who could be in WWE, but found themselves having much more success in Impact Wrestling.
#1 EC3
Ethan Carter III has become one of the biggest stars in Impact Wrestling but he could still have been with WWE if things had worked out differently. Carter actually spent a considerable amount of time in NXT starting in 2010.
EC3 was placed with Daniel Bryan as his pro in season four of NXT but didn't win the competition. Instead, a guy named Johnny Curtis won. You might now know Curtis as Fandango.
Even before Ethan's time in NXT, he appeared on WWE television as a police officer alongside Shane McMahon in 2006 who was there to arrest D-Generation X.
His skills and passion for the business kept him in NXT for three years until he was eventually released from his contract in 2013.
Carter's last match in NXT was a non-title match against then-NXT Champion Big E Langston. EC3 lost his match against Big E moved on to the indie scene. He would eventually find a home in Impact Wrestling and the rest, as they say, is history.
#2 James Storm
James Storm was a member of Beer Money in Impact Wrestling but thought it was a good idea to take his talents to NXT for a spell. It turned out to be a very quick cup of coffee in WWE's developmental brand because after only a small handful of appearances Storm was back in Impact Wrestling.
But Beer Money would never fully reform because his tag team partner Bobby Roode accepted WWE's call and things obviously worked out well for him.
But due to Storm's family commitments and the demand of WWE's schedule, James found an Impact Wrestling return a better choice for him personally.
Although James Storm didn't appear for NXT for very long, he didn't hide the fact he was in NXT. He seemed proud enough to hype his appearance on NXT via social media. Storm's career in WWE might have been short, but this picture of him sporting an NXT shirt will live on forever.
#3 Abyss
Abyss is Impact Wrestling's monster and has taken part in some brutal matches. His most popular might be his Monster's Ball encounters but he eventually had a chance to give WWE a go.
Legend says Abyss was offered a WWE contract back in the day but never capitalized on it. Some people said he was scared of how WWE would use him.
He was even called in for a lucrative WrestleMania programme with none other than the Undertaker himself! What went wrong then?
When Bruce Prichard spoke about Abyss' decision on Something To Wrestle With, he had a different story. Prichard explained why Abyss decided not to take WWE up on their offer. He heard this from Abyss himself as he relayed The Monster's words.
"[Abyss was] not intimidated and that he was simply loyal to TNA and he felt that he was there when it started and wanted to see it all the way to the end. He wanted to see it all the way through. And that was the deal man.”
#4 Moose
Moose was known as his legal name, Quinn Ojinnaka while he was an offensive tackle/guard for a few NFL teams.
But early on in Moose's pro wrestling career, he attended a WWE training camp in 2012. But his path would take him away from WWE as he found a lot of success in other indie promotions.
He would take his skills to Ring Of Honor and the rest of the indie wrestling world while picking up plenty of accolades in the process.
In 2014 when he his ROH contract was expiring it sparked rumours WWE was interested in him. While there might have been some talks between the two sides nothing was official enough to announce.
Moose would soon debut in Impact Wrestling where he became a two-time Grand Champion. For now, it appears as though Moose and WWE might be worlds apart from each other. But you never know what could be in the future for the young multi-sport wrestling star.
#5 Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards
Eddie Edwards is a former TNA World Heavyweight Champion, two-time X Division Champion, and five-time TNA Tag Team Champion alongside Davey Richards.
The pair were a formidable tag team and tore up ROH winning their Tag Team Titles two times before coming to Impact Wrestling. Davey Richards also became ROH's World Heavyweight Champion while with the company. But a lot of people might not realize Edwards and Richards almost ended up in WWE.
Eddie and Davie participated in a WWE tryout camp in 2013 where they were said to be stand outs. After that, they entered the WWE Performance Center in November 2013 for a week-long tryout.
This call back saw them making their NXT debut using the team name "The American Pitbulls." They were billed as John Cahill and Derek Billington but lost to then-NXT Tag Team Champions The Ascension in a non-title match.
Eddie and Davie would soon find themselves in TNA holding their top tag team gold. But there was a time when it looked like WWE had plans and a neat new name for them.
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