WWE is often seen as the ultimate goal in professional wrestling, with many athletes eager to sign contracts with the company. However, not all wrestlers jump at the chance to join WWE. For instance, Bill Goldberg recently prevented his son Gage from accepting a WWE NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deal, despite WWE’s interest in him. Gage, who is focused on football, might still consider wrestling later, but his father blocked WWE’s contract offer due to financial reasons.
Similarly, several famous wrestlers have declined WWE offers over the years for different reasons. Sting, a WCW legend and WWE Hall of Famer, had opportunities to join WWE earlier but chose to wrestle for TNA instead. Despite a brief WWE run cut short by injury, Sting’s matches like a planned WrestleMania showdown with Kurt Angle never materialized. WWE repeatedly tried to sign him again, but the timing never worked out for dream matches with stars like The Undertaker.
James Storm, another TNA standout, also came close to joining WWE and even appeared on WWE NXT. However, WWE requested he lose weight before signing, and last-minute changes to the deal led Storm to stay with TNA, which was financially better for him and his family.
Kota Ibushi, regarded as one of the top global wrestlers, was poised to join WWE’s cruiserweight division and took part in a classic tournament. Yet after an unexpected loss, he decided against signing and continued wrestling in NJPW, eventually joining AEW. This turned out to be a wise move given how many WWE cruiserweights struggled compared to Ibushi’s success.
“Hangman” Adam Page, now AEW’s world champion and a major face of the promotion, had a chance to join WWE before AEW existed. Though he praised WWE’s process, he thought the company wanted more wrestlers than it could effectively utilize at the time. He took a risk by choosing AEW instead, which has clearly paid off with his rise as a top star.
Fan Take:
This news is significant for WWE fans as it highlights how the sport’s biggest stars sometimes choose alternate paths, challenging WWE’s dominance. It underscores the evolving wrestling landscape where multiple promotions offer viable careers and new opportunities for talent to shine.
