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Over the past few decades, we’ve seen wrestlers from all over the world join WWE. While some wrestlers who joined WWE, such as AJ Styles and Sting, had a lot of experience before they came into the company, others like Randy Orton and John Cena started fresh and learned their trade in the company.
The training and exposure gained in WWE has helped numerous wrestlers progress well in their careers, even if they did not get success in WWE.
While many have progressed well in the company, others currently in the industry worked for WWE for some time before being released.
Big stars such as Booker T, Kurt Angle, and Chris Jericho have done well both in WWE and elsewhere during their long careers. Fans may be aware of their time and work in WWE, but there are certain big stars who fans might not know once worked for WWE.
In this article, we will look at seven top stars in the wrestling industry you might not know once worked for WWE and where they are performing now.
#7 The Young Bucks worked for WWE
Many pro wrestling fans consider The Young Bucks, the duo of Matt and Nick Jackson, to be a team as big as The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz outside of WWE.
The two men have competed on several top promotions in the world, including Chikara, Ring of Honor (ROH), Dragon Gate USA, Impact Wrestling, and others.
It might come as a surprise to fans that The Young Bucks worked for WWE in the early stages of their careers.
In 2008, Matt Jackson competed in a match on WWE SmackDown which he ended up losing quite easily. He once again appeared later in the year to take a loss to the Big Show on WWE SmackDown.
One of The Young Bucks’ most notable work in WWE came when they portrayed Triple H and Shawn Michaels as part of DX in ECW in 2008. While WWE did not pay much attention to the talented duo, they gained success in other promotions.
Today, The Young Bucks are an instrumental part of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and they have managed to win the Tag Team Championships in almost every promotion they’ve worked for.
#6 Taya Valkyrie had a short stint with WWE
Trained by Lance Storm in the Storm Wrestling Academy, Taya Valkyrie kicked off her wrestling carrier in her native country of Canada. After competing for a year, Valkyrie was offered a WWE contract after having a tryout with the company.
After not being used much in WWE, Valkyrie asked for her release and went back to Canada where she competed on the independent circuit. Valkyrie moved to Mexican independent promotions and had some notable moments in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, where she is still the AAA Reina de Reinas Champion and is in her third reign.
Valkyrie also had the longest reign as the Impact Wrestling Knockout Champion which lasted 377 days.
Valkyrie is currently busy making waves outside WWE and enjoying success in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, whereas her husband John Morrison is competing in WWE. While some former Superstars have called upon the WWE to bring Valkyrie back too, it remains to be seen if the company decides to do so.
#5 Luchasaurus competed in WWE NXT for some time
After making his wrestling debut in 2009, Luchasaurus signed with WWE in 2012 and was assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) by WWE. Under the ring name Judas Devlin, he seemed to have a lot of promise and even teamed up with Corey Graves for some time.
After FCW became WWE NXT, Devlin was moved to the brand but competed only in house shows rather than televised matches. After suffering a hip injury in 2014, Devlin was released from his WWE NXT contract.
It took him a long time to get back in shape and he returned to wrestling in 2016, after which he started working his way up in the independent circuit again. He soon signed with Lucha Underground where he debuted a new character known as Vibora.
In 2019, he joined WWE’s rival promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and took up the Luchasaurus character. He seems to be having a good run in AEW, and we could go on to see him become an important mid-card player in the company.
#4 Frankie Kazarian once competed for WWE
Starting off his career as a cruiserweight wrestler, Frankie Kazarian joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and competed in the X-Division for two years before leaving the company for greater opportunities. He joined WWE in 2005, but he wasn’t too successful in the company.
As “The Future” Frankie Kazarian, he made his television debut on Velocity in July 2005 and went on a two-month undefeated streak. However, he soon realized that the company wasn’t too invested in its cruiserweight division, and he did not see a future for himself there.
Frankie Kazarian left the company after a seven-month run and returned to TNA where he once again became a major star.
He formed a great partnership with Christopher Daniels in TNA, and the two men wrestled together in various promotions even after their stint with TNA, which included Ring of Honor (ROH), following which he joined All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He became one of the new promotion’s first signings when he joined AEW in 2019.
#3 Christopher Daniels is one of the biggest names outside WWE
Christopher Daniels made his wrestling debut back in 1993, and he has wrestled all over the world. “The King of Indies” has worked in several top independent promotions, including Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA), and International Wrestling Cartel (IWC). However, many may not be aware of the fact that Daniels has also worked for WWE.
He signed a developmental contract with WWE in 1998, but was not successful, eventually deciding to leave WWE two years later. He returned to the independent circuit where he once again became a major star. His stock rose in Ring of Honor (ROH) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), and rivalries against men like Samoa Joe and AJ Styles truly showed his potential.
The Fallen Angel opened up about why WWE didn't hire him again, in an interview with Chris van Vliet a few years ago:
“I don’t think so man. Honestly, I’m sure the WWE’s not looking for 47-year old rookies and that’s fine with me. The timing of my career worked out where when I might have been interesting to them, were times that I was under contract with TNA or Ring of Honor and that’s fine with me. I’m happy to build up Ring of Honor as best I can.”
Daniels is signed to WWE’s rival promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is a part of SoCal Uncensored.
#2 Angelina Love has competed against several former WWE Women's Champions
6-time TNA Women's Knockout Champion Angelina Love might be one of the most influential female wrestlers in the industry outside the WWE today. During her various stints with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Angelina proved why she is one of the top performers in the industry. What many fans may not remember is the fact that she also had a relatively long stint with WWE.
She started training at Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in 2004 and was later given a contract by the company. Angelina stayed in Deep South Wrestling (DSW) for over two years and had several matches against women who later went on to become WWE Women’s Champions.
However, she was never pushed much and was released from her WWE contract in mid-2007. Angelina made her way back to TNA soon after and even competed for several other promotions on the independent circuit.
In April 2019, she made her Ring of Honor (ROH) debut at G1 Supercard in New York City. She has been a part of ROH ever since and has won the Women of Honor World Championship once.
#1 Kenny Omega competed in WWE's Deep South Wrestling
Rated amongst the best wrestlers of his generation, former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega has wrestled all around the world to showcase his talent.
Omega is widely regarded as the finest worker inside the ring, and he managed to make a big name for himself in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Ring of Honor (ROH).
The former Bullet Club leader may be one of the biggest names in the wrestling industry outside WWE, and it may come as a surprise to many that Omega also worked for WWE.
In October 2005, The Cleaner was assigned to Deep South Wrestling (DSW) by WWE and was offered a developmental contract. Omega had a few matches, but he requested for his release in less than a year.
Omega has been vocal about his time in DSW and criticized some of the trainers who worked in the promotion during the time.
While WWE has approached Omega to rejoin them over the past few years, it seems like he’s content with working with other promotions such as All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Bayley gives us a HUGE update on a top Superstar's upcoming return RIGHT HERE.
