10 TNA Superstars That Failed To Make An Impact In WWE
2. Austin Aries
Having won the Tag Team, X Division, and World Heavyweight Titles, Austin Aries had a pretty successful run during his second stint with TNA. From 2011 to 2015, 'The Greatest Man That Ever Lived' showed some real promise in Orlando and became an industry standout in the process.
As only the fifth man in history to attain the TNA Triple Crown, Aries found himself in the company of AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, and Abyss. What's more, he didn't look out of place at all in that list and his time in TNA made the world stop and take notice. It also drew the attention of WWE.
Once his TNA contract expired in June 2015, Aries briefly returned to his previous home of ROH before making his shock debut on NXT in March 2016. Over the next seven months, Aries became a key player in NXT, appearing on several TakeOver specials. However, a wayward kick from Shinsuke Nakamura saw 'A Double' sidelined until March 2017.
When he returned, Aries was moved to the revived (and struggling) Cruiserweight Division and entered into a lengthy feud with champion, Neville. Despite a brilliant match at WrestleMania 33 and several attempts at gold, 'The Common Denominator of Greatness' was unable to defeat the champ and left WWE after losing at Extreme Rules.