Davey Richards Rejected A WWE Contract On Three Occasions

Davey Richards embodies the true independent spirit of professional wrestling. His reluctance to sign exclusive deals means he’s never had a true run in WWE or AEW. He instead bet on himself and had a spectacular career that resulted in championship reigns in New Japan, Impact, Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and more. It turns out he had options from AEW and WWE, but he turned them down.

Richards walked away from the squared circle in 2017 after a severe knee injury. He returned over the Summer of 2021 after striking a deal with Major League Wrestling. He was briefly sidelined with a rib injury, but continues to make future plans on the indies. Many wondered his success on that circuit would lead to Davey signing with AEW or WWE.

Vickie Guerrero had Davey Richards as a guest on her Excuse Me podcast recently. The American Wolf talked about the offers he’s received from the big national promotions. He said he’d prefer to wrestle on his own terms.

“I’ve been offered a WWE contract three times now. AEW reached out too. I’m a father, so being on the road that much is difficult for me. Plus, for me, I find out in my time in IMPACT, which was great, they treated me very well…I hate TV wrestling. What I mean by that is I hate wrestling five minutes. I don’t like wrestling less than 15 minutes. It’s just not me, it’s not my style. It’s nothing wrong with people who do it and do it very well, obviously that’s where the money is. All the respect in the world, that’s just not me. I like to get in there and tell stories and things like that. To do that, you can’t really go to a big company and be like, ‘I’m here to wrestle 15 minutes every night.’ ‘Sounds good, see you later.’

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Now more than ever, there is not that line between the big time and the Indies. GCW just sold out the Hammerstein in record time. The independents are recognized prominently by the bigger promotions and that line is blurred. It’s not surprising anymore to see your favorite independent wrestler just show up on television. It’s more my style and enjoyment. With MLW, I’m given a lot of creative control to just go out there and wrestle for 15 to 20 minutes.”

Davey Richards will compete in one of the U.S. independent scene’s most prestigious tournaments. He is set to take on the biggest names in the business in the upcoming PWG Battle of Los Angeles in 2022. Despite not having a big contract with a major promotion, he continues to make his own path.

Davey Richards has done it all in pro wrestling. There is nothing stopping him from taking the money and cashing a paycheck. Except, of course, for his devotion to the art of wrestling itself.

What do you think of Davey Richards’ explanation for not signing with WWE or AEW? Let us know in the comments!

H/T Fightful