AEW's Prince Nana Talks Having 'Too Many' WWE Tryouts

One of the most surprising rises to prominence in AEW this year has been that of Prince Nana, who has gotten himself over with the audience as part of the Mogul Embassy. The long-time manager spent time working on and off with Ring Of Honor for the best part of two decades, working alongside the likes of Claudio Castagnoli and Tomasso Ciampa during their time with the promotion. 

Prior to and during his time working with ROH, Nana received multiple tryouts with WWE both as an in-ring competitor and in a managerial role but was knocked back by the sports entertainment juggernaut. In a recent interview with "Talk Is Jericho," the 44-year-old explained the story behind his opportunities with WWE and why he believed it might have worked out for the best. 

"Too many ... a lot of interactions," he laughed. "I wrestled Crash Holly at Madison Square Garden ... it was for a TV taping. I also worked Steve Blackman at Nassau Coliseum, that goes back a long way. I was actually there during the WWF era, before it became WWE. I also had tryouts with the company where they brought me in to try out as a manager and they know me pretty well. I don't know exactly why I never ended up getting a job there particularly, but I'm a believer in 'everything happens for a reason' ... I wouldn't want to be anywhere else other than AEW."

Since becoming a full-time member of AEW programming, Nana has overseen the success of Swerve Strickland, who has become a major player on both "Dynamite" and "Collision." He also continues to serve in his ringside duties with former ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions, Brian Cage and Gates of Agony.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Talk Is Jericho" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.