Tito Ortiz Talks About His 2019 WWE Try Out

UFC legend Tito Ortiz has spoken of his WWE try-out in 2019, and who invited him to ‘audition’ for the company.

Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Ortiz said the following:

“2019, Shane McMahon reached out to me and said, ‘What do you think about coming in and trying out?’ I went and did it and, once again, I didn’t think about this, ‘that’s why they didn’t do it.’ I wasn’t over the top,” said Ortiz. “They want someone over the top and be, not crazy, but be an eye-catcher. I went to [The Performance Center], and went and trained with Norman Smiley, an amazing teacher. I was learning stuff that it took some guys six months to learn. he was like, ‘Wow, you really got this.’ Then COVID came and I never heard anything.”

This wasn’t the first time WWE had their eye on Ortiz though, as Ortiz was in the building for WrestleMania 2000 and ended up having an audition of sorts back then:

“I went to WrestleMania, they came through Anaheim, I was champion at the time. It was 2000. I went and did… I thought it was going to be a normal interview like this, sit down and talk, but they were looking to see what kind of personality and character I had,” said Ortiz earlier in the interview. “I didn’t know that. I wish I would have known that because I would have sold myself way better. I was too mellow [mild] mannered. They wanted to see the crazy ‘Huntington Beach Bad Boy’, and no-one told me anything or said a word to me. I went and was being polite and respectful. Never heard anything back.”

Ortiz would later make several appearances for IMPACT Wrestling, joining the villainous Aces & Eights stable, but never wrestled, and admitted he'd still like to try his hand in the ring:

"I would like to do some matches. I think I have what it takes. It would take a lot of hard work, I get it, but it'd be fun. It's a lot of training, but I did it. I did the two weeks, training twice a day. I put myself through it and it was hard, but it was like being in college wrestling again. My body is subdued, no problem at all. I had no pain. After I was done, I thought I'd have neck problems, I've had four neck surgeries, but I didn't have any problems. It was good," said Ortiz.

H/T: Fightful