Former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz was once invited to tryout for WWE in 2019 by Shane McMahon.
Speaking in a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Ortiz was asked about a potential run in professional wrestling. Ortiz detailed an opportunity he had back in 2000, when he was UFC champion, during an interview he did on WWE programming.
Initially, Tito Ortiz believed it would be a standard interview, but later found out the WWE were hoping to see his personality, or perhaps some theatrics from \"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.\"
“I went to WrestleMania, they came through Anaheim, I was champion at the time. It was 2000. I went and did…I thought it was going to be a normal interview like this, sit down and talk, but they were looking to see what kind of personality and character I had.
“I didn’t know that. I wish I would have known that because I would have sold myself way better. I was too mellow [mild] mannered. They wanted to see the crazy Huntington Beach Boy, and no one told me anything or said a word to me. I went and was being polite and respectful. Never heard anything back.”
In 2019 he was again interviewed by WWE, but made the same mistake of not showcasing his personality. However, he was contacted by Shane McMahon to work out at the WWE Performance Center.
After some good in-ring work, Ortiz was optimistic about the possibility of doing something with WWE moving forward, but after the COVID 19 pandemic, he heard nothing back.
“2019, Shane McMahon reached out to me and said, ‘What do you think about coming in and trying out?’ I went and did it and, once again, I didn’t think about this, ‘that’s why they didn’t do it.’ I wasn’t over the top. They want someone over the top and be, not crazy, but be an eye-catcher.
“I went to [The Performance Center], and went and trained with Norman Smiley, an amazing teacher. I was learning stuff that it took some guys six months to learn. he was like, ‘Wow, you really got this.’ Then COVID came and I never heard anything.
“I would like to do some matches. I think I have what it takes. It would take a lot of hard work, I get it, but it’d be fun. It’s a lot of training, but I did it. I did the two weeks, training twice a day.
“I put myself through it and it was hard, but it was like being in college wrestling again. My body is subdued, no problem at all. I had no pain. After I was done, I thought I’d have neck problems, I’ve had four neck surgeries, but I didn’t have any problems. It was good.”
