10 Things We Learned From Matt Cardona & Brian Myers On Talk Is Jericho

4. Hawkins Worked Unpaid In FCW For A Year

Then, Hawkins came crashing back down.

His travel schedule was cut drastically in May 2009, and he saw the writing on the wall; this practice normally meant that WWE were readying someone for the exit door. Scrambling, Hawkins called up John Laurinaitis and suggested that he move back down to developmental (FCW this time) and outwork everyone there.

Laurinaitis agreed, but made sure to point out that WWE wouldn't pay him for making that choice. They weren't sending Hawkins down - he was volunteering. That was fine by Curt. He worked without pay for an entire year to try and re-establish himself in WWE's system. That blew Jericho's mind.

Hawkins lived in a "sh*tty little apartment" with Trent Beretta, partied with Fandango and did everything he could to get noticed. He bet on himself, and it paid off. WWE called him back up to the main roster in May 2010 as part of a tag-team with Lance Archer.