NXT Stars Reportedly 'Shocked' When WWE Passed On Signing AEW's Wheeler Yuta
Yuta reportedly had a WWE try-out in May
Aug 12, 2021
NXT superstars were reportedly shocked to discover that WWE had passed on the opportunity to sign Wheeler Yuta following a try-out and felt the decision was the start of a major shift in the direction of the black-and-gold brand.
Yuta has been working with AEW as part of the Best Friends stable and has become a regular on AEW Dynamite, Dark and Dark: Elevation in recent weeks. According to Fightful Select, the 24-year-old's career could have taken a different direction after a WWE try-out in May.
According to the report, Yuta's efforts during his try-out at the WWE Performance Center a couple of months ago turned multiple heads, with many influential names on the NXT roster agreeing that he would have been a perfect fit for what NXT has traditionally been.
One NXT talent reportedly pointed out that, at six foot tall, 24-years-old and with recent television experience, Yuta would usually tick all the boxes in a talent NXT is looking for, with three others saying it was a 'shock' that WWE didn't offer him a contact.
Two of those talent would also note that they could tell a major shift in NXT's trajectory was coming when a guy like Yuta wasn't picked up by WWE, despite interest in signing him from AEW and Ring Of Honor.
