WWE has often been portrayed as the pinnacle of professional wrestling, which is why most wrestlers jump at the chance to join them when a contract is offered. However, that’s not always the case, with Bill Goldberg recently blocking his own son from signing for the company he has spent years working for.
Related
Every Match In Goldberg’s Second WWE Run, Definitively Ranked & Reviewed
When Goldberg returned to WWE, he put on some compelling matches, and some that we’d like to forget.
The young, upcoming athlete isn’t the only person to knock WWE back, either; several legitimate wrestling stars have also turned down WWE over the years. There are various reasons why they made that decision, some of which haven’t gone on to achieve as much as they could have in WWE, while others have ended up becoming huge stars without the backing of WWE.
Gage Goldberg
His Legendary Father Blocked A Major Opportunity For Him
- Gage Goldberg was offered an NIL deal by WWE
- The NIL program works for college athletes, using WWE as a back-up option
- Bill Goldberg stopped the deal due to the financial aspect
Gage Goldberg has never had a professional wrestling match, but fans have had exposure to him on-screen during his father’s second run with WWE. He was a young boy when Goldberg first returned to wrestling, getting to see his father in the ring, and audiences have been impressed by how he’s grown over the years, developing an impressive physique.
While he’s currently focusing on becoming a football player, he has admitted that wrestling is his next option, meaning he could follow in his father’s footsteps. WWE attempted to sign him to an NIL contract, which various other second-generation stars have signed, such as Mark Henry and Titus O’Neil’s sons.
The WWE Hall of Famer spoke on The Ariel Helwani Show about his son’s future, revealing he personally stopped Gage from signing the contract due to the money involved. But given WWE’s interest, there’s a chance fans might see another Goldberg down the line.
“They tried to give [Gage] an NIL [deal]. But when I found out how much they were going to give him, I put the brakes on that one.
Sting
The WCW Icon Could Have Joined WWE Much Earlier Than 2014
- He had multiple opportunities to join WWE after WCW ended
- Sting opted to work for TNA Wrestling instead
- He had a brief run with WWE before getting injured
Sting is a former WWE Superstar and even a WWE Hall of Famer. However, he only had a brief run with the company, when he could have spent the majority of his career with them, as he was first offered a deal after WWE purchased WCW, with Sting being one of the top stars in that company.
Related
Sting’s 5 Best WCW PPV Matches (& 5 Worst)
Sting is a true WCW legend. While ‘The Icon’ had some classics on WCW’s PPVs, he also participated in disappointing and truly bizarre contests.
WWE even had plans worked out for him to face Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 18, which would have been an epic match given their abilities at the time. However, Sting opted to reject them, mainly because he wasn’t sure how the company would use him after he competed against them for so many years.
WWE attempted to sign Sting multiple times after that, with Vince McMahon obviously seeing the talent and charisma that he offered. Fans wanted to see the dream match between him and The Undertaker, but by the time Sting got to WWE, that match was no longer on the cards.
James Storm
The TNA Great Came Very Close To Joining WWE
- He worked a few matches in WWE NXT
- Triple H wanted to sign him
- Storm got a better deal to remain with TNA Wrestling
James Storm is another TNA star who WWE was interested in signing, with the iconic tag team wrestler having worked several matches for WWE NXT at one point. Fans presumed that he would be joining the company after that, but he ended up back at TNA Wrestling, mainly due to WWE changing his deal at the last minute after requesting that he lose some weight. As he once told Chris Van Vliet:
“I always tell people, you give a man motivation, he’ll work his ass off. So I did it, and then when I got down there, the contract had changed. They added 25 more dates, but the money didn’t move.”
After that, Storm continued to negotiate with TNA Wrestling. Given that he and his wife were starting a family at the time, the decision ultimately proved financially better with them, rather than WWE. While he’d have been a great fit in WWE, the situation was best for his family, and that is why Storm rejected WWE.
Kota Ibushi
He Was Almost A Key Member Of WWE 205 Live
- Ibushi chose a long-term NJPW deal
- He would’ve been in WWE’s cruiserweight division
- The Golden Star is now part of the AEW roster.
Kota Ibushi has often been regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world, which is why it’s no surprise that WWE was interested in signing him for a while. The company did bring him in to be part of the Cruiserweight Classic tournament, and Ibushi was one of the favorites to win the entire thing until he was surprisingly beaten in the semi-final.
That loss seemed to take place because Ibushi opted not to sign with WWE like the vast majority of others in the tournament. WWE aimed to build a cruiserweight division, and that’s what they did with WWE 205 Live, which was a show that featured a lot of talent, but never quite worked out. Ibushi decided to work for NJPW instead, likely a wise decision given how the majority of WWE’s cruiserweight stars worked out in comparison to what Ibushi went on to achieve.
‘Hangman’ Adam Page
He Is Now The AEW World Champion
- Page praised WWE for how they handled things
- Page believes WWE wanted him more than most at the time
- Hangman has gone on to be a top star in AEW instead
It’s hard to imagine ‘Hangman’ Adam Page anywhere other than AEW right now because he’s become the face of the company in many ways. Tony Khan has invested in him massively, and his decision to join the company has paid off; however, he also had the opportunity to join WWE before that.
His opportunity to be a WWE Superstar came just before AEW was created, with all of The Elite being free agents at the time. While the idea of them all joining AEW seemed like the obvious decision, Page had to consider joining WWE due to the offers they provided him.
Related
Adam Page Restores The Feeling: Everything We Loved About AEW All In 2025
Adam Page has restored the feeling at AEW All In Texas 2025. We look at this plus all the other things we loved about the show
Hangman stuck with The Elite and gambled on the newest company in professional wrestling instead. It was a significant risk at the time as he didn’t know what AEW would become, but this move proved to be the right call.
