Dalton Castle Opens Up About WWE Tryout

Dalton Castle rose to true prominence in Ring of Honor, becoming a ROH World Champion, Television Champion, and Six-Man Tag Team Champion. In the last year or so he has also made his AEW debut with sporadic appearances in the company. Much like many other aspiring professional wrestling, he originally aimed his sights at the highest possible goal - WWE.

Speaking on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, he discussed being turned down from WWE after a tryout;

"I might have the order of things a little out of [whack], but I had kind of been knocking on Ring of Honor's door for a little bit. I lived in Albany, New York. Bobby Fish and I were really close friends, we traveled together, and he just kind of started being there for time. I got invited down to a try-out in WWE — 2013 or 2014, I don't remember the year — [and] it went so well until it didn't. And that really messed with my head, being told no. And there was a few months of weird depression where I was like 'Well, I don't know where I belong.’”

Castle went on to talk about how despite this setback, he soon realised that there was more to professional wrestling that just WWE;

"It really became clear. I don't need WWE. This (ROH) is where I belong. And I can be a part of this and find the happiness I'm seeking in this art form right here. It really lit a fire under my butt."

Castle was indeed correct, as he has firmly stamped his place in the industry without ever needing to set foot in WWE. Over the years, there have been many wrestlers who have made it big and found success in smaller promotions, proving that WWE isn’t the be all and end all for everyone.

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