Why This Top Indie Name Turned Down WWE & AEW
The real reason behind one of the indie scene's standout wrestlers saying "no" to AEW and WWE.
Top independent wrestler Davey Richards has revealed that he has turned down various offers from WWE and AEW over the years.
Interviewed on Excuse Me: The Vickie Guerrero Show, the five-time TNA Tag Team Champion and former ROH World Champion unpacked his reasons for turning America's two market leaders down, revealing that he isn't fond of the TV wrestling format:-
“I’ve been offered a WWE contract three times now, and AEW reached out too. I’m a father, so being on the road that much is difficult for me. Plus for me, I found out in my time in Impact, which was great, they treated me very well, that I hate TV wrestling. What I mean by that is I hate wrestling for five minutes. I don’t like wrestling for anything less than 15 minutes. It’s just not me. It’s not my style. There’s nothing wrong with people who do it and do it very well. Obviously that’s where the money is. In all the respect in the world, that’s just not me. I like to get in there and tell the stories and things like that.”
Richards left professional wrestling in November 2017, claiming he was taking the following year off in order to focus on studying and continuing his work as a paramedic. This hiatus ended up lasting over three years, with Richards not returning to the ring until this past June, returning through the independent scene.
The 38-year-old has kept a busy schedule since then, working dates around his career as a paramedic. Perhaps his best-known affiliation is MLW, though he wrestled for over a dozen companies in 2021.
Richards has worked one WWE date in his career, teaming with long-time partner Eddie Edwards in a November 2013 squash loss to The Ascension on NXT.