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#2 Elias has paid his dues
Wrestling fans today are savvier than ever. This is because the internet has helped open up the world of professional wrestling for fans at the click of a button. Long gone are the days where wrestling fans would have to import VHS tapes from Japan to watch New Japan Wrestling.
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Now wrestlers can potentially gain hardcore fan followings without ever stepping foot in a WWE ring. This is particularly true for wrestlers like Finn Balor, Daniel Bryan, and AJ Styles, all of whom already had a large fanbase before becoming major stars for the WWE.
Corey Graves deleted his Tweet! More details HERE.
As a result, the fans tend to appreciate veterans that have paid their dues in both the indie circuits and the NXT division before getting a push on Raw or Smackdown Live. Before getting to the NXT shows in 2014, Elias got his start wrestling for in the Northeastern USA indie circuit the IWC (International Wrestling Cartel) in 2008.
Even though he's not as well travelled as AJ Styles, it was 9 years before The Drifter got his shot at the big leagues and the hardcore wrestling fan can appreciate his body of work.
