13 Essential Tips For Passing A WWE Try-Out

11. Entertain. Obviously.

Experience, the ability to have the sh*t kicked out of you and looking the part are one thing, but you also have to be able to talk well. It's not rocket science - though it does make you wonder how Brock Lesnar has ever risen so high. Dangerboy Derek Wylde posted about his tryout on Myspace in 2006, likening the promo segment to X-Factor:

"The main people working with us were Fit Findley (the Simon Cowell of the group), Booker T (Randy Jackson) and Steve Keirn (Paula Abdul?? Sorry Steve, I liked you the best but there isn't anyone left...lol). They called us up one by one and gave us a topic to work with. We had 1 minute to talk and the promos ranged from terrible to fantastic...the top two were Cody Deaner and James Champagne...just great!!!"

One thing to definitely not do, as Wylde confirmed, is to break down in tears. That doesn't impress anyone:

"One guy legit started to cry (not joking) when he got up there. He was just so nervous that he started shaking and then started full on crying!!!! I just put my head down because its so sad to see a big jacked up dude crying in front of all the boys like that."

Even being a natural on the mic - something both Wylde and TJ Harley called Canadian prospect James Champagne - isn't quite enough. You have to have experience, so putting in the time with independents might be the best idea, as Cody Deaner confirmed after his tryout:

"I've been very lucky that when I do independents (wrestling shows), they give me a lot of mic time. It's a big part of wrestling, obviously. We're entertainers, apart from being athletes."

Still, that's no guarantee - none of the guys who shone on the mic at that Ottawa tryout actually made it.