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Coming from a famous wrestling family could help you get a WWE tryout, but there is no guarantee you will pass it.
WWE is full of wrestling families. While many second and third-generation superstars have wrestled in the company, some have succeeded, others have flopped.
Over the past few years, the WWE Performance Center has welcomed a few second- and third-generation superstars.
Rick Steiner's son, Bronson Rechsteiner, and The Rock's daughter, Simone Johnson, are two examples. WWE signed them after they successfully passed the tryouts.
Five other second-generation wrestlers were not as lucky, prepared, or talented as Rechsteiner and Johnson. They received tryouts but could not convince the WWE trainers.
Failing a WWE tryout does not mean a person will never get another chance. A few current WWE Superstars, such as Riddle, Keith Lee, and Robert Roode, had failed WWE tryouts before eventually getting hired.
Although some of these five second-generation wrestlers turned their back on the business and decided to chase their dreams elsewhere, others are still determined to make it into WWE.
Here are five second-generation wrestlers who failed their WWE tryouts.
#5 Noelle Foley - Daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley's daughter, Noelle, was determined to follow in her father's footsteps. She participated in a WWE tryout at the Performance Center a few years ago but did not receive a contract.
The "Holy Foley!" show, which aired on the WWE Network, highlighted Noelle Foley's tryout. On the show, Noelle said her tryout was "the hardest thing she had done in her life."
Although she did not sign with WWE, Noelle Foley is glad she went through the tryout experience. She spoke about it in a past interview with Wrestline Inc.
"Filming while training was incredible nerve-racking, it's like you're just learning but then you have all these eyes on you, and cameras, and trainers," Foley said. "Even when I had my tryout, I looked out of the corner of my eye and I see Triple H, and I'm like, 'Oh my goodness.'"
Noelle described her experience as "overwhelming" because she had to work with women that were already signed.
"My tryout was with girls that were already signed, so it was a bit overwhelming at times, but it's cool looking back like, 'Wow, I actually did that," Foley added.
In 2018, Mick Foley told Wrestling Inc his daughter had stopped pursuing a pro-wrestling career due to injury.
#4 Bianca Carelli - Daughter of ex-WWE star Santino Marella
Bianca Carelli, the daughter of former WWE Superstar Santino Marella, dreams of becoming one herself. She has expressed her desire to join the company on many occasions.
Marella recently reached out to Triple H and his wife Stephanie McMahon via Twitter to inform them that his daughter is ready to step into a WWE ring.
Carelli was close to fulfilling her dream of becoming a WWE Superstar when company officials invited her to a tryout in Toronto during SummerSlam week in 2019.
Carelli had only had three years of in-ring practice before the tryout. After two days of tryouts, WWE decided to pass on the opportunity to sign her up.
Bianca Carelli believes she did not have enough time to show WWE officials her perseverance back then.
"I only had two days and I felt like I didn’t have enough time to show them my perseverance and it would have just been better for me," Carelli told SLAM! Wrestling.
However, Carelli admitted she is now more aware of what WWE is looking for and is ready to give it another shot.
"I now have a better idea of what the WWE is looking for and how I fit into all of that," Carelli added.
Given her talent and dedication, joining the WWE Performance Center could soon be a reality for the second-generation wrestler.
#3 Cedric Rougeau - Son of ex-WWE Intercontinental Champion Jacques Rougeau
Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Jacques Rougeau's son, Cedric, received a WWE tryout in 2016. It came about after he and his father met WWE officials during an event a year earlier in Montreal.
The then-23-year-old did not convince the WWE trainers during the tryout and they decided not to sign him. Cedric then continued to wrestle alongside his father and three brothers on their promotion until Jacques Rougeau hung up his boots in 2018.
Jacques Rougeau spoke to Wrestling Inc. about his son's failed tryout. He believes a few incidents, including waiting too long to meet Vince McMahon and having a confrontation with Arn Anderson, threw his son off his game.
"Arn Anderson tried to intimidate my son that day at the Bell Centre," Rougeau said. "We were just minding out business then Arn just came up and pushed him in the cafeteria and said ‘Hey, watch out man!’ And my son just turned around and said ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ because, you know, I raised my kid to be polite. So that day, my son, he did it very gentleman-like but inside it must’ve hurt his feelings."
Jacques Rougeau also blamed himself for his son's failed attempt to become a WWE Superstar.
"When I went to the school out there we spent six minutes wrestling in the ring. The rest was only crossfit," Rougeau added. "It was all chains on your back, doing push-ups, running, it was nothing about the wrestling I knew of. So I’m part to blame for that too because I never followed the wrestling for the last 15 to 20 years. So I’m part to blame for this, so I’ll take my part of the blame."
Jacques Rougeau made it clear when he decided to retire in 2018 that his three sons are no longer interested in pursuing a wrestling career.
#2 Kayla Armstrong - Daughter of WWE producer Scott Armstrong
Kayla Armstrong comes from a legendary WWE family. She is the daughter of WWE producer Scott Armstrong, niece of Road Dogg Jesse James, and granddaughter of WWE Hall of Famer "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. Although she wanted to carry on the family name in WWE, she could not.
Kayla received a WWE tryout in 2012. She expressed her feelings about getting such an opportunity in a tweet before getting on the plane to Tampa.
"At the airport getting ready to fly to Tampa for my tryout! I’m nervous and excited about finally doing this all on my own! It’s all me now!" Armstrong said.
Unfortunately for her, the tryout did not materialize into a contract. In 2016, Kayla married and put her wrestling career on hold. She now has a son who she makes sure gets a lot of exposure to WWE products.
Kayla's father, Scott Armstrong, had a rollercoaster year in 2020. WWE released him in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 cutbacks, then hired him back six months later in his previous position as a producer.
#1 Lance Anoa'i - Son of former WWE star Samula
Lance Anoa’i is the son of former WWE Superstar Samula and grandson of Afa. He comes from the famous Anoa'i family that has given WWE some of its most legendary superstars. He now dreams of following in their footsteps.
Anoa'i received three opportunities at a developmental contract. The Usos got him his first WWE tryout in 2015. The tryout included teaming up with Rhett Titus on SmackDown in a losing effort against The Ascension. Following the match, WWE decided not to sign him.
Two years later, he got another tryout match on NXT. He teamed up with Garrison Spears to take on The Authors of Pain in a losing effort. WWE decided to pass on the opportunity to sign him once again.
In 2019, Anoa'i received his third WWE tryout. He faced Shane McMahon on Monday Night RAW and lost by submission after being attacked by Drew McIntyre. Shane and McIntyre beat him down after the match before his cousin Roman Reigns came to his rescue. Then for the third time, WWE did not sign him.
Despite failing three tryouts, Anoa'i revealed that his goal remains to be signed with WWE.
"For the moment, I’m just gonna keep grinding and WWE’s always my goal," Anoa'i told Post Wrestling.
Given his determination, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him join WWE in the near future.
