During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, current TNA Wrestling World Champion Frankie Kazarian opened up about how close he came to signing with WWE following his departure from All Elite Wrestling, and why the timing ultimately did not work out.

Kazarian confirmed that talks with WWE were very real, even if they never reached the final stages.

“There were conversations, but logistically, it probably wasn’t gonna work. I wasn’t a signature away, but there were a lot of really good conversations.”

Despite nothing materialising, Kazarian revealed that the situation left a strong impression on him due to an unexpected message he received afterward from Triple H.

“After that, check my phone as we do, because we’re all marks and we want to see what people are saying. I got a text from Triple H saying, like, you know, ‘Hey man, I know things didn’t work out and that’s cool. I look forward to you kicking ass. And you know, when it’s time for us to do business together, let’s do it.’ And I’m like, he didn’t have to do that. He didn’t have to. He went out of his way just to say like, ‘Hey, cool.’ It’s a [Killer] Kowalski guy too, so but that holds a lot of weight with me.”

Kazarian explained that the message carried extra meaning due to Triple H’s background and lineage connected to Killer Kowalski, something that resonated deeply with him on a professional level.

The interview then shifted to Kazarian’s short lived WWE run in 2005, where he detailed why the opportunity never truly gained momentum. According to Kazarian, he was immediately placed on television and sent on the road, despite not being on a developmental contract.

“They put five matches on television. They put me on the road immediately, just to let me get a little bit of money and some reps. So I went on the road the first couple weeks and did some more matches, and then went home, and they’re just like, ‘Well, when we have something for you, we’ll call you.’ Because I wasn’t on a developmental deal, was just a deal. And then it was like, I’m not doing indies or anything. So time is going by and going by. I would call them like, ‘Hey, can I do something?’”

As months passed without creative direction, Kazarian said WWE floated the idea of relocating, something he felt conflicted about due to the terms of his agreement.

“At one point they said, ‘Well, do you want to move to Atlanta?’ I’m like, ‘No, I don’t want to move to Atlanta. I didn’t sign a developmental deal. But, if you want me to.’ But it’s no, just hold tight. We’re working on stuff.”

Eventually, Kazarian was briefly sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling alongside Kid Kash, where he trained under one of his all time heroes.

“I got called again, like, ‘Why don’t you go to OVW for a week?’ They sent me and Kid Cash to OVW for a week, which is cool. Trained under Ricky Steamboat, one of my heroes, awesome master class. Had a match, looked great. Everything’s great still.”

Despite positive feedback, Kazarian recalled finally receiving a creative pitch that left him baffled.

“And then finally, I get a call from one of the writers. He’s like, ‘Okay, we got something for you. We’re gonna start you. We’re gonna call you The Future Frankie Kazarian.’ I’m like, it’s brilliant. I’ve been calling myself that for the previous five years, but I’ve been sitting at home for months, and that’s what you came up with? It’s befuddling.”

Kazarian admitted that even beyond creative issues, the reality was that he simply was not ready for WWE at that stage of his life or career.

“But anyways, yeah, you know, the whole premise of even signing me was they’re revamping the cruiserweight division and this and that. And when I got there, I kind of saw the writing on the wall very early on. Look, I was not ready to be there. I was physically ready. I was ready as a pro wrestler, but I didn’t have the business mentality.”

“You know, TNA was a business, but there was a lot more freedom. WWE is a very structured environment, and I just was not ready. I was not mature enough, just as a man, to be there. It just wasn’t my time.”