10 Secret WWE Pasts Of AEW Wrestlers

6. Frankie Kazarian

Frankie Kazarian spoke about "change", "the future" and "this business" long before he was spouting platitudes at All Elite Wrestling press conferences, but he'd fail to tie the three terms together in a disappointing solo stint with WWE in 2005.

In the process of carving out a reasonable run in TNA when the company came calling, Kazarian was given a fairly dignified unbeaten run on C-Show Velocity with a cocky heel gimmick designed to kick the a*se out of the cruiserweight division. Said storyline was apparently part of the deal to bring him in to begin with, but WWE's unsettlingly familiar lack of interest in the league sent him heading for the exit almost as quick.

Only with the company seven months, 'The Future' made just four Velocity appearances before getting out of dodge with his reputation in tact. A stint on the independent circuit steered him back towards TNA for an eventful eight-year run that reshaped his career, cumulating ultimately in a relationship with Christopher Daniels that saw them both courted by The Elite long before AEW even came to be.

And speaking of the 'Fallen Angel'...

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett