For the longest time, there was an obvious distinction in professional wrestling. You had the WWE guys who were well-known all across the world and then you had the guys on the independent circuit. Those wrestlers who just weren’t cut out for the WWE’s rigid way of doing things. These guys were the indie darlings of the world and rarely would you see one jump ship to Vince McMahon’s promotion.
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Gone are those days, though. In today’s world, a number of indie wrestlers are making their way to the WWE – most notably through the NXT system. We have had the likes of Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Finn Balor make a splash in the world’s largest wrestling promotion. These guys have used the momentum of their indie accomplishments to make a real name for themselves in the WWE.
But, not everyone has made the jump. There are some independent scene legends who have steered clear of the WWE. Be it because of personal choice or because the WWE isn’t interested in signing them or a number of other reasons, these 5 names have never wrestled in a WWE ring.
So, without any further ado, here is our list of 5 indie legends who have never wrestled in the WWE:
#5 The Motor City Machine Guns
If you watched TNA during the late noughties, chances are you’ve seen The Motor City Machine Guns in action. Comprising of Detriot natives Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley, they are one of the most innovative tag teams in modern wrestling.
Other than their stint with TNA, the Guns have worked in the bigger independent circuit promotions such as Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling – the latter where they’ve captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships.
The two real-life besties are both hugely respected members of the indie scene and have never stepped foot inside a WWE ring in their decade-long career. They seem to be thriving independently, and it doesn’t look likely that they will be making a move anytime soon.
Also read: 10 best retired wrestlers you’ve never heard of
#4 The Briscoe Brothers
The Briscoe Brothers are in their early 30s but are already considered legends of the indie scene due to their 16 years of experience in the wrestling business. Both Jay and Mark Briscoe are the epitomai of wrestlers who aren’t interested in what the WWE has to offer.
The brothers have been wrestling in various independent promotions since 2001 including Combat Zone Wrestling, Pro Wrestling NOAH, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and most famously, Ring of Honor.
It is in ROH that the real-life siblings have achieved their legendary status with a record haul of 8 World Tag Team Championships, and also Jay having won the Ring of Honor World Championship twice – one of only three men to have done so in the history of the company.
#3 Steve Corino
Steve Corino is one of the legends of the wrestling business, having enjoyed a superb run from 1994 all the way to 2016 when he retired from in-ring competition. Corino’s best time came with both Extreme Championship Wrestling – the good ol’ ECW – as well as an extended run with Ring of Honor.
Despite having enjoyed such as lengthy and distinguished career, Corino only held one world title during his career – the ECW World Championship. It is a shame that a man of his talents didn’t win more gold, but it does nothing to take away from his accomplishments.
Corino did recently join up with the WWE – albeit as a trainer in the WWE Performance Centre. He has been justly rewarded with a job to train the future of the industry as his accomplishments in building up professional wrestling have been immense.
#2 Nigel McGuinness
Nigel McGuinness is possibly the greatest professional wrestler to ever come out of the United Kingdom. The English-born wrestler is one of the true legends of the business, having been a regular on the indie circuits for 13 years before retiring in 2011. His matches with Daniel Bryan are the stuff of legends!
He did his best work with Ring of Honor but also had a stint in TNA as well as various other smaller indie promotions. He never made it to the WWE during his time, though, and it remains one of his biggest regrets.
He does have some measure of a consolation now, though, as he has signed on with the company as a commentator, having previously worked for 5 years a commentator for ROH between 2011 and 2016.
#1 Takeshi Morishima
Takeshi Morishima is the only non-Western wrestler to appear on this list and with good reason. The retired Japanese wrestler is one of the all-time great indie wrestlers never to have made the jump over to WWE.
He is most famous for his work in Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan but also in Ring of Honor where he became the ROH World Champion – the first ever non-American to hold the belt. He even won the Wrestling Observer’s Match of the Year 2007 for his bout against Bryan Danielson – better known to you and me as Daniel Bryan.
Morishima was forced into retirement in 2015 when he was diagnosed with diabetes just 38 years of age.
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