13 Essential Tips For Passing A WWE Try-Out

10. Be Patient, Adapt, And Learn

At the Ottawa tryouts in 2006, Cody Steele's clean-cut persona was rejected because it simply wasn't what WWE was looking for. He just wasn't the right fit.

"I was complimented on my wrestling abilities, but I didn't get the call. They weren't saying you're good enough to get a contract."

His approach to the feedback was adapting: he recognised that his skills could only get him so far, and being great outside of WWE doesn't mean being great for WWE.

"I decided to do something that stands out. I cut my hair, grew a mustache and changed the whole gimmick."

He went full caricature, growing a mullet and cultivating a questionable moustache that the trailer park's finest would be proud of. He adopted the creatives' feedback, and followed the guidance to adapt, and tried to come back with something else. Mr Kennedy preached the same sort of approach: if you get knocked back the first time, spend time finding out what WWE actually want. It's not just you, you're not a special little snowflake, no matter how big your muscles:

"Eventually I got to the point where I was confident and I knew what they were looking for. I had a try out similar to this situation right here and there were a lot of people there. I was the only who knew what they were looking for. I went in there and I was hungry and aggressive." "I see that stuff all the time. Guys will come to a try-out, they don't get asked to come back and they don't want to swallow their pride and make the phone call and say 'Hey, can I come back?' They're like 'Well, they know me now. If they (WWE) want me, they can call me.' Well, don't hold your breath."

Know the product, and how you can fit in.