After working in the independent circuit and winning championships around the world, Sammy Guevara signed with AEW. He had a tryout in WWE in 2017, which was unsuccessful.
Sammy Guevara spoke on Talk Is Jericho, where he discussed his brief WWE tryout. Here is what he said:
“I did have a WWE tryout in 2017, but I think it was just for me to get into the system. It was definitely a difficult tryout. I was doing a bunch of cardio leading up to that. I had the elevation masks on. They were making us run the ropes, dropping down over bags, high knees holding on to the top ropes. We would do that in 5 different rings, and then line back up and do all sorts of different stuff. William Regal was there; Norman Smiley was there. Ricky Starks was in the tryout as well.”
Owing to that experience, Sammy thought differently of WWE from then on. He understood what trainers thought of him and also what other potential Superstars would experience as well, in the same spot.
“I don’t think any wrestler got signed. I think a collegiate wrestler got signed. It felt that if you want to do this for a living f*ck you, but these models, ex-Football players they treated them really good and almost shame on you for actually wanting to be a wrestler.”
“It seemed like when the cameras were on they really played it up. It felt like a whole gimmick to me because everyone was chill until the cameras were on and suddenly they start drilling and yelling at you. I’m like, alright, I see what this is. It definitely opened up my eyes because I wouldn’t want to be there, maybe not ever, but certainly not now just because of the way they treated me. Maybe it’s different now, I don’t know, but during that time I saw that unless I was a somebody it’s going to be hell here.”
Guevara will be working in AEW for the next few years and he is certainly enjoying his time with the company. He might join WWE someday as anything is possible in the world of professional wrestling, but it will not be anytime soon.
h/t to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.
