8 Things WWE Fans Need To Know About Keith Lee

6. Once Felt Isolated In Texas

Retrospect is a powerful thing.

It's not always easy to tell oneself a certain path is the right one until years later. That's certainly how Keith Lee felt for the first three years of his wrestling career after graduating from Tim Brooks' wrestling academy.

Telling ESPN about his experiences, Lee said wrestling in Texas was "pretty bad" back then, and it was a real challenge to source bookings outside of a small radius. Don't forget that this was 2005-08, so seeking the attention of other promoters online (theoretically, at least) shouldn't have been as much of an issue. It was for Lee, partly because he couldn't get a response.

Though he was progressing nicely in-ring and eager to take on new opportunities, Keith couldn't escape the money-grabbing ways of local promoters who wanted to make a quick buck on talent. On top of that, he was frustrated by a lack of variety in opponents, and that made him feel like he was being cut off from the chance to learn different styles.