15 Times WWE Stars Made Cameos BEFORE They Were Famous
10. JC Mateo
Jeff Cobb's first whirl with WWE makes for quite the story, and it's a celebration of independent thought over corporate acceptance. Or, perhaps some will view it as a silly mistake from somebody who did himself out of a job with the biggest promotion in the land right as NXT started heating up. Everybody sees things their own way, but Cobb chose to be hard-headed and true to himself back in 2014.
He received a tryout at the WWE Performance Center that year, and he even appeared on-screen talking about the experience briefly. it was a largely positive one for him, but Cobb turned down a spot on Tough Enough due to being dubbed an “Indie Worker” rather than an “Athlete”. That didn't sit too well with him - he took it as a slap in the face considering he'd represented Guam during the 2004 Summer Olympics.
If anyone on the prospected cast was a real athlete, it was Jeff. WWE seemingly disagreed because he wasn't a college football star who did CrossFit, or something. Thus, Cobb's WWE career ended before it ever really got started, but that wasn't a wrap on his story with the market leader. Anybody who watches modern episodes of SmackDown in 2025 could tell you that.
After teasing retirement post-New Japan stint, Cobb showed up on the blue brand as JC Mateo. He's aligned with Solo Sikoa, and looks destined to stare at the house lights for rising megastar Jacob Fatu over the summer. That's far, far, far from a bad spot to be in for somebody who seemed like he'd miss the WWE boat for good.
Never say never in pro wrestling.