AEW Star Kevin Knight Shares Nuanced Perspective On Failed WWE Tryout

Before Kevin Knight decided to sign with AEW, he had plenty of options on the table. This included WWE, who were reported to be monitoring Knight's free agent status, and even invited Knight to come in for a tryout, a move that was surprised many, given Knight was offered a deal with AEW without needing a tryout.

Speaking with "Adrian Hernandez," Knight was asked if he went to the tryout and if he felt disrespected by it. Knight confirmed he did attend the tryout, and that he didn't view the tryout as a sign of disrespect, but as an opportunity to prove himself.

"WWE is a machine, and sometimes it may be a bubble, you know what I mean?" Knight said. "So they may not know exactly what's out there. So I didn't take it as disrespect. If anything, I took it as a challenge just to show what I'm about. And if they didn't know me before, well they definitely do now...or they did when I walked through those doors. I'm going to make a statement anywhere I go. And that was a great experience as well. 

"I'm glad I got to do that. I got to meet a lot of people in that company, and it was great just being able to work with people so closely that you see on TV every week, that you see on their PLEs and everything. So for me personally, it was a great learning experience. I didn't take any slight to it. I understand how the business works. It was, if anything, a networking opportunity. Again, exhausting all of my options. So I feel like I only grew from that, just seeing how they work, seeing what they're looking for, and seeing their environment that's there."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Adrian Hernandez" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription