Chris Harris Doesn’t Think He Was On WWE’s Radar When They Bought WCW

Chris Harris had what was considered to many to be quite the start to an impressive pro wrestling career. He started back in 1994. Although he did have a great career, when he needed it most at the fall of WCW, it didn’t come by way of WWE unfortunately.

Harris, who started his mainstream pro wrestling career in WCW was rejected by WWE when WCW was purchased by Vince McMahon and company in 2001. So many other stars were given the opportunity at the time, but Harris was overlooked. He went into all of this recently while speaking on It’s My Wrestling Podcast (video below).

“That was such a confusing time for everybody. When they bought the company obviously a lot of the top guys had their contracts secured and so they were able to sit it out for a while and a lot of the top mid-card guys are the ones that they hired. So there was so much shuffling going on and there I was, of course, I was still one of the low guys on the totem pole.

So I don’t think I was even on their radar, to be honest with you. I know a lot of the guys that were there, they were trying to build at the time. They did take and send some to developmental and I’m talking about guys like Jindrak and O’Haire. So a lot of the guys that they were looking to build were just pretty much sent to developmental.

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They just took the pick of the litter but I was even lower than that. I don’t even think I was on the radar. So none of that was offered to me. It was a low point for me because it was one of those things. You look for the big two WWE and WCW, I’d signed my contract in October. I was there the whole year per appearance. But I signed my contract in October of 2000 and within six months one of those big two have gone under. So, it was back to the Indies for me.”

Although he was rejected back in 2001, he would have a chance to make an impression on the WWE audience in 2008. He was known as Braden Walker at that time in WWE. That run sadly ended before it could properly get under way. He was released in just about under 8 months since signing with WWE at that time.

Harris of course would go on to leave quite the impression in the ring, and is most definitely considered to be an in-ring legend by most (this writer included). He had quite the run in TNA, it being perhaps where he is best remembered from. He and James Storm won the NWA World Tag Team Championships a total of 6 times together. He returned to the promotion (Impact) in 2021 in celebration of Storm’s 1000th match in the company.

H/T Wrestling Inc.