WWE NXT was in the news in a major way on Thursday when rumors hit the Internet of major stars being at the NXT Tapings. We heard that James Storm was back, which was always speculated as he was hinting that he would return via social media. However, the big news came when photos from outside the Full Sail arena flooded the Internet.
A picture of former TNA and ROH World Champion Austin Aries hit the Internet on Thursday afternoon and probably ended up on every wrestling Facebook and Twitter page in existence. Aries was not the only former TNA name in the house with Storm. Gunner was also backstage. This lead many to assume the duo would be involved in the tapings that were going on.
There were also rumors of AJ Styles being at the event, as well. However, those rumors were said to be false as he was in Japan on Thursday.
In an update to Gunner and Austin Aries, they did bring their gear to the show and it was thought that due to this they would perform for the crowd. It looks like they never got the chance to do that but according to Daily Wrestling News , they probably did wrestle a tryout match. This is standard for WWE.
When asked why WWE asks a major name to come in and do a tryout match, especially since the athlete was clearly good enough to get signed, Triple H cleared the air. Triple H claimed the reason the WWE completes tryout matches are to get the best performance out of the player. All the tape in the world can be great, but when they see the person live, they can see how well they move and decide what they’re going to do with the person versus what they did on a tape that could be old. It helps WWE know how the wrestler moves and operates. With people like Aries, who are near 40 years of age, you have to see how they look now versus what you might be on tape from six months ago, as things could change rapidly.
WWE obviously thought highly of both Gunner and Aries, or they would not have been at Full Sail. While they very well could have worked a tryout, we may not see them for a bit of time. They may not have had a good tryout or talk with WWE, which can happen to even the best of wrestlers. WWE may also want to see how they do with their medical exams, as this can be a big deal for the company.
Former ROH Champion Nigel McGuiness was signed to a WWE deal pending medical testing the same day as Daniel Bryan. However, he had a bad issue with his head and it caused WWE to not hire him due to feeling he would be too much of a risk to WWE, and himself, by wrestling for them. While Bryan went through the medical exam just fine, Nigel had his deal removed. He did end up going to TNA Wrestling, where he had an fairly decent career before returning to the Independent scene. He ended up with Hepatitis B, which cost him his job with TNA Wrestling. It appeared the WWE dodged a bullet, again, with Nigel.
Even though he was a talented worker, the issue came when he did testing. WWE is a business like any other, and if you cannot do the job, then you will not get the hire. That said, Austin Aries and Gunner will need to pass a lot of examinations before the hire. If neither pass, you’ll know it was due to an issue somewhere along the vetting process and not because WWE missed the boat on either talent.
[Image via TNA Wrestling]