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The latest edition of WWE's After The Bell podcast featured NXT superstar Cameron Grimes. Grimes revealed Kevin Owens' advice to him before he joined WWE and several stories from when he was an independent wrestler.
Cameron Grimes discussed the initial days of his struggle when he was homeless. Grimes said he would get booked for very few shows, and one day, he crossed paths with Cedric Alexander inside the ring. Luckily for him, future WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens was also present at the scene, and he spotted Grimes' in-ring talent.
After the match, KO approached Grimes and told him that he would be great in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, which ultimately led him to WWE. At the time, Grimes took this as a compliment and started working on Owens' advice. Talking about the entire incident, Grimes said:
"I ended doing a show, and I wrestle Cedric Alexander. It just so happened that Kevin Owens at the time was at that show. Me and Cedric Alexander wrestled, and after that, KO came up to me and said, 'I really like you. I think that you would be great in PWG (Pro Wrestling Guerrilla).'"
Grimes received a call from PWG a year after this conversation between him and Kevin Owens. At the time, he was trying to get a deal with another promotion. As luck would have it, Grimes reached PWG, where he met several future WWE Superstars.
Cameron Grimes reveals how PWG was important in bringing him to WWE
Long before arriving in WWE, Cameron Grimes wanted to sign with Ring of Honor, but the promotion had nothing planned. It was during this time when he received a text from Cedric Alexander. The latter was asked for Grimes' e-mail ID, which is how PWG offered him a deal.
He remembered Owens' advice about being a good fit in PWG, which helped him make a career-changing decision. Grimes recalled training with the likes of KO and Roderick Strong and said:
"At the time, all the best wrestlers from the independent scene were at PWG. I was trying to wrestle for Ring of Honor, but they just didn't really have anything for me. I was just a kid that was pretty talented but didn't break the mold. I didn't bring anything else to the table. So, Kevin had told me that I would be a great fit for PWG."
"This is the greatest time that I could ever have went to PWG. Roderick Strong, Kevin Owens, all these guys were there at this time. And I remember just going there and being like, 'they are not going to be able to tell me no after tonight.'"
Cameron Grimes rose through the ranks in PWG and delivered great matches that eventually earned him a call from WWE.
