3 current popular wrestlers who have never worked for WWE and 3 who have only worked in the company

Modified Sep 21, 2020 04:51 GMT

#4 Tama Tonga (never wrestled in WWE)

Tama Tonga is the nephew of pro-wrestling legend and former WWE Superstar Haku. He is currently working for NJPW, where he has spent the better part of his career so far. Tonga is known is one of the founding members of the famed Bullet Club faction.

Fans might remember that several NJPW wrestlers made their way to WWE in 2016, most notably AJ Styles. Interestingly, Tonga had "verbally agreed" to sign with WWE as well. He had a meeting with WWE EVP Triple H and agreed in principle to join WWE:

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"I came in, told [NJPW] it would be my last tour and they were stunned. I was stunned I hadn't got a contract after six years. They tried to negotiate and I was like, 'No negotiation, I already gave [a verbal agreement].' That night, me, Karl, Gallows, and Fale went drinking to celebrate. Next day, we go to work, Fale had a meeting with the higher-ups and they asked, 'What can we do?' He said, 'I think if you bring in his brother [Tanga Loa], he'll stay.' That's how it happened."

Tama Tonga ended up not going to WWE. He seems to be content with his standing in NJPW, and is one of the most popular acts in the promotion. In NJPW, Tonga has won the IWGP Tag Team titles on 6 occasions with his brother, Tanga Loa.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Nishant Jayaram