News broke earlier last week through multiple sites, that WWE’s Recruitment Instagram page showed several videos from the first day of WWE Tryouts at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, and they featured two very familiar faces – former Impact Knockouts Champion Chelsea Green and former 2x Impact Tag Team Champion and X-Division Champion Robbie E were heavily shown. Since then, WWE themselves have confirmed all those in attendance for this June’s tryouts, and while it features many former pro athletes, body builders, and fitness trainers, it also featured quite a few indie wrestlers. Here’s a closer look at the indie talent at this June’s WWE Tryout.
CHELSEA GREEN
Formerly known as Laurel Van Ness in Impact Wrestling where she was a former Knockouts Champion, Green appeared on the last season of Tough Enough but was eliminated early into her run. A student of Lance Storm, this versatile Canadian would be an asset to the WWE or NXT’s Women’s Division. With the Mae Young Classic II on the horizon, however, it’s entirely possible it’s a try out simply for the tournament.
ROBBIE E
Former member of the BroMans, 2x Impact Tag Team Champions with Jesse Godderez (who returned to TV with Lucha Underground two weeks back), Robbie E is a solid, well rounded performer. We’ve only really seen his Jersey Shore style character, so whether WWE has interest in that particular character or would repackage him is unknown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHwNPrNIh20
AVA STORIE
Another former Impact Knockout, she also competed with SHINE and other indies as Brandi Lauren. She’s also been a part of Ring of Honor‘s Women of Honor of late and made her debut with Defiant Wrestling in the UK last year. She’s actually already debuted on WWE TV on the May 16 edition of NXT, where she lost to Lacey Evans (as Brandi Lauren). She also may be considered for the Mae Young Classic II.
GABBY ORTIZ
As Gabby Ortiz, she’s been a part of Women of Honor for the past two years, and she also works with CHIKARA. She’s also toured with Stardom as Gabby Slays.
BLASTER McMASSIVE
A former CHIKARA Campeonatos de Parejas (Tag Team) Champion as part of Devastation Corporation, the 6’7″ Thomas Sharp was also part of The Gatekeepers in EVOLVE following his 2016 CHIKARA departure. He’s recently debuted a new tag team, The Dream Team, with Jonathan Gresham in Beyond Wrestling.
RORY GULAK
An 8-year veteran of CZW, the younger brother of WWE Superstar Drew Gulak is a technical prodigy like his brother. Like his brother, he’s also worked a lot with CHIKARA, as well as Beyond, EVOLVE, and many more independents.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asFKq9ltxhI
OMAR AMIR
Bahamas-born wrestler Omar Amir was also spotted in the videos, a product of Florida’s American Combat Wrestling (ACW), which a promotion part of the WWN family which EVOLVE is a part of. He’s currently one half of the ACW Tag Team Champions, The Precipice, with Chance Champion and student from Bubba Ray & Devon Dudley‘s Team 3D Academy.
HEIDI KATRINA
From England, “The British Amazon” Heidi Katrina started with IPW:UK, but has spent the past few years mastering her craft with AAA in Mexico and Sendai Girls and Stardom in Japan. She’s a former REINA-CMLL International Women’s Champion and current Sendai Girls Tag Team Champion.
LA ROSA NEGRA
Puerto Rico’s La Rosa Negra is a 15-year veteran of the international wrestling circuit, starting her career on the island with World Wrestling Council (WWC). A 3x WWC Women’s Champion, she’s branched into other global promotions, from SHINE in the US to Stardom in Japan.
ADAM PAYNE
Standing at 6’4″ and weighing over 350 lbs, Adam Payne is a big dude. A product of New Jersey’s American Championship Entertainment (ACE), he’s the current reigning ACE Diamond Champion (the company’s top title).
SCOTT PARKER
A Canadian indie veteran, Parker began his career in the Quebec indies under the name Jagged in the early 2000s. As Jagged, he worked for Northern Championship Wrestling (nCw) as well as a near decade run in CHIKARA as part of the team 3.0 with Shane Matthews, with whom he is a 2x CHIKARA Campeonatos de Parejas Champion. As Scott Parker, he’s become a top singles wrestler in the Canadian independents – he’s a 2x Canadian Champion and World Champion with Montreal’s International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS).
BIG MAGIC
Big Magic is the man formerly known as Shane Matthews (former CHIKARA tag team champion with another tryout attendee, Scott Parker). Another former IWS World Champion and multiple tag team champion with Parker, Big Magic also works with the likes of Canadian indies like nCw, C4 in Ottawa, and Quebec’s hard hitting BATTLEWAR.
JAKE OMEN
A student of former WWE Superstar Jimmy Wang Yang and Impact star Shark Boy, Indiana’s Jake Omen started off in the mid-2000s in the Michigan and Indiana wrestling circuits. In recent years, he’s worked with Freelance Wrestling, Rockstar Pro Wrestling, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, and Japan’s WRESTLE-1.
TNT (TERRELL & TERRENCE HUGHES)
The team of TNT come from good genes – they’re the 23-year old twin sons of WWE Hall of Famer Devon Dudley, and trained at their dad’s 3D Wrestling Academy under daddy and uncle Bubba. Together they’ve formed TNT, working smaller indie promotions like Atomic Wrestling Entertainment (AWE), IGNITE and more.
WARDLOW
Cleveland’s Wardlow is a regular from Pennsylvania’s International Wrestling Cartel (IWC), where he’s a 2x (and current) IWC World Heavyweight Champion.
MAX CASTER
New York’s Max Caster is a three year pro, trained by WWE Superstar Curt Hawkins and Pat Buck at Create-A-Pro Wrestling Academy. He’s worked with CZW, Victory Pro, 5 Borough Wrestling, New York Wrestling Connection (NYWC) and others.
DANI MO
Pennsylvania’s Dani Mo is a valet on the indie circuit, best known for her work with indie darling Facade.
HUNTER GREY
Hunter Grey is one half of the indie tag team The Pillars of Destiny, working such promotions as Rocky Mountain Pro (RMP), Main Event Pro Wrestling (MEPW) and New Era Wrestling (NEW).
MIKE FIERRO
A former collegiate football player, Fierro started wrestling last year, studying lucha libre, and working with the likes of GALLI Lucha Libre in Illinois.
MAX CASTELLANOS
A Texas based indie wrestler who also wrestlers as Max Humberto, he’s worked with EVOLVE and various smaller indie promotions. He was trained by Rudy Boy Gonzalez, one of the early coaches of WWE Superstars Daniel Bryan and Brian Kendrick.
