AEW‘s Lance Archer shared insights about his journey to WWE, the challenges he faced along the way and how Hall of Famer Kurt Angle helped him secure a place in the company.
Although fans might remember him as “Vance Archer” from his brief WWE run, getting his foot in the door was far from easy. Reflecting on his experience during an episode of The Hawk’s Nest, Archer revealed that if not for the support of three influential names, his WWE journey might never have happened.
Archer described his WWE tryout as a “test,” explaining that WWE was cautious due to past experiences with wrestlers transitioning from TNA. According to Archer, the promotion seemed focused on assessing his attitude. Fortunately, he had friends within WWE who vouched for him and helped pave the way.
Kurt Angle sent an email, like I said, Dusty [Rhodes] was a supporter of mine, the late Andrew [Martin] or ‘Test’ — he reached out to Johnny Ace at the time and said ‘Hey, you should give this kid a chance. So I had several people — those people included — who reached out for me on my behalf.
Archer also discussed the difficult circumstances surrounding his departure from TNA, noting that the promotion attempted to keep him despite plans to release him. Once his contract expired, he travelled to Tampa, Florida, for a private tryout with WWE’s developmental territory, FCW.
A few of the guys that were a part of that tryout were Trent Barretta, his tag partner at the time, Caylen Croft, Brian Cage and I had a singles match and I did three different matches.
With the backing of wrestling legends, such as Kurt Angle, and an intense tryout under his belt, Archer eventually secured his WWE opportunity, marking a significant step in his wrestling career.
Why Did Kurt Angle Get Fined Four Times During One WWE Show?
Kurt Angle recalled why he was fined four times during a single WWE show and said that Vince McMahon was upset with him for breaking character with Steve Austin whilst filming pre-taped segments and that at the next tapings, McMahon told him he would be fined $2000 for every time he broke character and that by the end of the tapings he was fined a total of $8000.
H/t to WrestlingInc.com