10 Wrestling Facts We Didn’t Know Last Week (Oct 19)

8. Austin Aries Felt Like WWE Was 'Double Secret Probation'

Austin Aries
WWE.com

As soon as Austin Aries walked through the doors at WWE and started calling the place home, he felt unwelcome. That was the prevailing message from his interview with The Wade Kellar Pro Wrestling Podcast recently, and that wasn't all. Aries, a long-standing star of the indy scene, was told his reputation "preceded him".

How ominous.

After giving WWE some credit for their slick operation and claiming he did actually enjoy the learning experience of spending 18 months there, Austin revealed that he felt like he was on "double secret probation" from the off. In other words, WWE made it very clear that his face didn't exactly fit.

Instead of being rewarded for the fruits of his labour outside the company, Aries was made to feel like nothing he had achieved in ROH, TNA or beyond meant a damn thing. That, whether anyone wants to admit it or not, had to suck.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.