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Former WWE Superstar Tino Sabbatelli recently reflected on the time he was offered a contract with the company, stating that he's grateful for the opportunity.
He spent his entire run on NXT, having signed with WWE in 2014. Before he pursued a career in pro wrestling, Sabbatelli was an American football player. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, and Kansas City Chiefs. He was released from his WWE contract for the second time last year.
Speaking on the INSIGHT podcast with Chris Van Vliet, Tino Sabbatelli opened up about joining WWE after his football career ended. He's grateful for the opportunity that the company gave him.
“I was extremely grateful for the opportunity because I was going through a transitional phase in my life. I played 6 years in the NFL and was very grateful, but I was very bitter. I was just cut like that, I had started my last game on TV and had 8 tackles, but never played again, which was a mental struggle. But WWE came along and Canyon Ceman offered me the opportunity. I’m like really, okay. I was a casual fan, not a die-hard, but he offered me this opportunity," said Sabbatelli. [H/T ChrisVanVilet.com]
Besides WWE, Tino has also wrestled for All Elite Wrestling. He only had one match in the promotion alongside Brady Pierce to take on Best Friends on AEW Dark in July 2020.
Tino Sabbatelli says he was honored to become a professional wrestler
Many pro athletes such as Roman Reigns and Goldberg made the transition to wrestling and found major success in the sport. Sabbatelli competed on NXT for about six years and was never called up to the main roster.
He continued to speak about his time in WWE and how he took three months to ponder over their contract offer.
"They flew me out to Orlando for a try-out and they offered me the opportunity, which I thought about for about 3 months. I was extremely honored to be a professional athlete in a whole different industry. So I took it, moved to Orlando and I humbled myself, because you are starting right at the bottom. The tough thing about that is that you suck. You are not good at something when you start something new.”
Tino Sabbatelli isn't currently signed to any major wrestling company at the moment. It remains to be seen where his future lies.
What do you make of Sabbatelli's time in NXT? Let us know in the comments section below.
