WWE Star Signed Without A Tryout

A WWE star has revealed that they didn’t need to undergo a tryout before signing with the company.

Ludwig Kaiser signed with WWE in 2017, debuting under his real name Marcel Barthel following almost a decade competing on the independent scene, primarily in his native Germany for promotions such as wXw.

While it is customary for WWE signees to undergo tryouts before putting pen to paper, this was in fact not the case for Kaiser, as he revealed during an appearance on the Kennt jeder podcast with Hamad Firdousi.

Detailing his path to WWE, Kaiser said:

“During my time at wXw, the contact to WWE was built. I dismissed my very first tryout (offer), which I got only three years in.

“Fit Finlay contacted me, because my father was the man in Germany and they knew each other. But I knew I was not ready. I thanked them for the chance and asked for some time.

“Five or six years later, contact was made again. I knocked out my knee. Going to WWE was never my goal. I would have been happy (with my career) if it would have stopped earlier. But when it’s so close and when the injury happened, I was so upset that it was so close to happening.

“WWE told me, ‘Get ready and we’ll try another time.’ After that, I went to England, did some PROGRESS. WWE found out, contacted me again, and told me about another tryout. They originally planned a tour with tryouts through all of Germany to look at talent.

“But Mr William Regal said, ‘We’ll take this guy and we don’t need any tour.’ They told me I do not have to do a tryout, I can come immediately.

“I’ve been told this is a huge, huge exception. Everyone does a tryout, usually several. I had the big privilege to come in like that. But my career basically started all over again once I got there.”

Quotes translated by Daniel Schachtmeier – If you use this transcription or any portion of it please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

Kaiser now up competes under the guise of El Grande Americano on WWE TV, filling in for Chad Gable from June this year.

To find out what Kaiser had to say in response to criticism of the way WWE are using him follow this link here.