5 AEW stars who had tryouts with WWE but didn't get signed

#2 AEW star MJF once played a bodyguard on NXT TV and auditioned for WWE Tough Enough

AEW's current top heel MJF is a bonafide star in the company right now. He has just won the AEW Dynamite Diamond Ring for a third year running and is also locked in a feud with ex-WWE star CM Punk. But before all the stardom in AEW, MJF's involvement in WWE was somewhat less glamorous.

The young star appeared during Samoa Joe's NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II entrance where he was shown walking in the hallway alongside the then NXT Champion.

MJF played one of the security members and while his appearance was fairly brief, it ended with Joe shoving him into the wall after MJF tried to get past him slightly. Considering what his gimmick ended up being, this is certainly a very funny shot. MJF even acknowledged this later on in his career when he spoofed a segment on AEW television in 2020.

MJF also famously auditioned for WWE Tough Enough in 2015. His tape was even uploaded on the company's official YouTube. Even then, you could see his confidence and charisma oozing through his promo. It's a shame that WWE passed on the wrestler and it seems like the decision will come back to haunt him.

Last year, MJF opened up on his decision to sign a deal with AEW instead of WWE. He believed that WWE would try to change his character and the way he handles himself, and decided to head over to AEW.

"Deep down, I wanted to be part of something new and something fresh and something where I'd be able to control everything going on with me, because I knew if I went to the other place, and this isn't me shi--ing on the other place, it's just a fact, they would try to change me, and there is nothing to change."

Safe to say, MJF has made the right decision for his career and now he is now a main event player in AEW, but not for long if WWE has their way.