10 Wrestlers Who Turned Down AEW
9. Cain Velasquez
It's a little nuts to think about just how brief Cain Velasquez's WWE tenure was.
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Velasquez was one of the many unfortunate victims of WWE's initial approach to the ongoing global pandemic. As in, he was released as part of the company's mass cull in order to help balance the books and bring in record profit margins.
Before signing with WWE in late 2019, as per Dave Meltzer, Cardio Cain had held talks with both AEW and NJPW. That came after Velasquez had made his pro wrestling debut at AAA's Triplemania XXVII in August of that year, and the MMA icon ultimately opted against signing for any promotion other than WWE.
The silver lining now for AEW fans, of course, is that Velasquez is a free agent who, if he still wants to pursue a career in pro wrestling, is once more back in the conversation for Tony Khan's promotion.