10 Insane Stories From WWE Tryouts

2. The Briscoes Receive Rejection For The Dumbest Possible Reason

WWE Eddie Kingston
AEW

Mark Briscoe's current AEW run is bittersweet, because while his secret smartest man in the room schtick is enormously entertaining, in a better timeline, he would have starred in a major promotion for years and years. The man's range is phenomenal; an hysterically funny and endearing man who is an exceptional brawler capable also of working lengthy epics, he's a modern great.

Of course, he only received this opportunity when WarnerMedia were talked into it following the tragic passing of his brother Jay. Jay too was a modern great; his promo game in particular was outstanding. Threatening, quotable, and funny, he could get a story over, sell a big match and make you piss yourself laughing in under two minutes when taking a quick break from his farming duties.

The Briscoes with a marketing machine behind them could and should have been major stars for years and years - but it never happened. That is because, per a recent Talk Is Jericho appearance, after a behind-closed-doors tryout in November 2009, and a second look in FCW, John Laurinaitis phoned Jay and said that the tag team wasn’t "cosmetically pleasing" enough for WWE. Meanwhile, at the November 29, 2009 SmackDown taping, David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd won a handicap match over Erik Escobar - so it wasn't as if WWE needed depth in the tag team ranks or anything.

Not that it matters - the Briscoes ruled because they looked like they could eat you alive, and some wrestlers should look dangerous and uncouth - Jay was one of the most handsome wrestlers ever!

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!