10 Indie Wrestling Heroes Who Flopped In WWE
8. Matt Cross
A spectacularly athletic high-flyer and a huge success as Lucha Underground’s Son of Havoc, Matt Cross has been an independent wrestling staple for over 15 years now. He’s worked for countless companies all over the world since debuting in 1999, and even now, as he approaches his veteran years, Cross remains an exciting worker whose highlight reel stands-up to anyone’s.
Though he never officially signed with WWE, Cross spent some time in the company’s ecosystem throughout 2010 and 2011. 2010 saw him wrestle an unsuccessful tryout match on an episode of Superstars, but his hopes of a contract were rekindled when he joined the cast of WWE’s revived Tough Enough series a year later.
Cross’ experience pegged him as an early favourite to win the competition. He already had a significant fanbase from his time on the indies, and among a cast with little-to-no wrestling experience, his victory seemed a dead cert.
What happened? Cross was bewilderingly eliminated from the competition on its second week. The judges decreed that he didn’t have the necessary charisma to progress further in the competition. The fact that the competition’s winner, Andy Leavine, lasted just 10 months with the company only compounds the misery for Cross, who has every right to feel hard done by.