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There was once a time when up-and-coming Superstars only needed to sign a sheet of paper before competing in their first match on WWE television.
Jeff Hardy, for example, lied about his age before competing in his first WWE match against Razor Ramon at a WWE RAW taping in 1994. The rookie Superstar, who was only 16 at the time, said he was 18 years old, so WWE’s decision-makers allowed the match to take place.
Nowadays, WWE’s rules are much stricter. Several stories have emerged in recent years about WWE offering contracts to potential Superstars, only to withdraw the offer due to a medical or financial reason.
In this article, let’s take a look at five times that WWE rescinded contract offers that were already on the table.
#5 WWE rescinded James Storm’s contract offer
The inspiration for this article came from an interesting revelation that James Storm made in an interview with Ryan Satin in September 2020.
Although Storm briefly appeared in WWE NXT in 2015, he has never competed in any matches on WWE RAW or WWE SmackDown.
During his Pro Wrestling Sheet interview, the former IMPACT Wrestling star revealed that he received an email from WWE Senior Director of Talent Development Canyon Ceman about becoming a member of the WWE RAW roster after WrestleMania 36.
“I get home and I see I got an email from Canyon Ceman saying, ‘Hey, we’re interested. Paul Heyman wants me to reach out and bring you to RAW.’ I was like, ‘Wait … I think Bobby [Robert Roode, Storm’s former tag team partner] is going to RAW. Hmmm. This could be interesting.’”
Storm said he agreed terms with WWE and everything was signed. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the offer was rescinded.
“You just take it and keep rolling. It’s not their fault. It’s just how everything is right now.”
The one-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion clarified that his WWE deal is on hold, which means he could still potentially join the company one day, but he has not had contact with anyone from WWE since July.
#4 WWE rescinded Jazzy Gabert’s contract offer
Jazzy Gabert made her first WWE appearances during the 2017 Mae Young Classic tournament.
The German Superstar suffered a first-round loss against Abbey Laith, while she also joined forces with Kay Lee Ray and Tessa Blanchard to defeat Marti Belle, Santana Garrett, and Sarah Logan in a six-woman tag team match.
Speaking on Edge and Christian’s Pod of Awesomeness in December 2017, Gabert explained that WWE rescinded her contract offer after finding out that she had three herniated discs in her neck.
“Of course they sent the results to the WWE doctor and then the WWE doctor contacted me and they said to me, ‘We’re really sorry, Jazz, but we cannot give you our clearance and you are disqualified. And you cannot work for WWE.'” [H/T Pro Wrestling Sheet]
After undergoing successful surgery, Gabert signed with WWE in January 2019 and became a member of the NXT UK roster.
She competed in seven televised matches for the brand before deciding to leave WWE when her contract expired in January 2020.
#3 WWE rescinded Kayden Carter’s contract offer
Although Kayden Carter (fka Lacey Lane) made her WWE debut in August 2018 in the Mae Young Classic tournament, she was originally supposed to sign with the company in February 2017.
Speaking to the Orlando Sentinel in September 2018, the WWE NXT Superstar explained that WWE chose to rescind her contract offer after her medical examination showed that she had arthritis in her knee.
“Obviously that was the hardest part, hearing, ‘We can’t hire you.’ I knew my legs were strong, but I had to prove myself to them and everyone else, so I did four months of intense physical therapy. I lost all of my bookings and risked losing future jobs. It was rough – I thought everything and everyone had turned against me all at once.”
Carter, who is currently tag team partners with Kacy Catanzaro on WWE NXT, signed with WWE in July 2018 after passing another medical examination.
Earlier in 2020, Carter made her main roster debut in losses against Asuka and Charlotte Flair on WWE RAW. She also lost another match against Asuka on an episode of WWE Main Event.
#2 WWE rescinded Io Shirai’s contract offer
According to the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, WWE first made contact with Io Shirai about signing with the company back in October 2016.
Shirai went on to agree a deal with WWE in May 2017. However, WWE rescinded the contract offer in June 2017 after it emerged during her medical examination that she had a heart issue.
After fellow Stardom wrestler Kairi Hojo (better known as Kairi Sane) signed with WWE, the following video of the company’s new Japanese Superstar was shown to fans at a WWE live event in Tokyo, Japan on June 30, 2017.
Meltzer reported that Shirai, who was in attendance at the show, was said to be “devastated” when she saw Sane’s video.
“According to someone close to her, she was somewhat devastated watching it. She wasn’t expecting the moment to hit her so hard as she saw it and started thinking that should have been her. She was very hurt emotionally by that moment and became completely focused to do whatever it would take to prove that she was the wrestler who would have been on the video.”
In June 2018, Shirai finally signed with WWE. The Genius of the Sky has since gone on to become one of the most popular Superstars in WWE NXT.
#1 WWE rescinded Nigel McGuinness’ contract offer
Nigel McGuinness is best known to WWE fans for his work as a commentator on the NXT and NXT UK brands.
However, several years before he joined the company as an announcer in 2016, the former Ring of Honor star was due to sign a contract to work for WWE as an in-ring competitor.
Unfortunately, as McGuinness explained on WWE Network documentary Chasing The Magic: The Nigel McGuinness Story, WWE’s doctors refused to clear him until he underwent surgery to fix a torn bicep.
“I went to the doctor who I’d seen, who worked for the local hockey team, and I explained what happened. He sent a letter saying, ‘There is no reason why Nigel McGuinness can’t compete. He’s perfectly cleared. His arm is no more likely to get injured than if it had never been injured in the first place.’”
Despite those words of reassurance, WWE’s medical team still wanted McGuinness to have surgery – something that he could not afford at the time.
As a result, WWE rescinded the contract offer and the Brit never signed for Vince McMahon’s company as an in-ring competitor.
