It is common knowledge that WWE historically have not been keen on using wrestlers that they have not ‘made’ i.e. wrestlers that have managed to forge their own career path before stepping foot in a WWE ring.
Many stories are told by legends of times when there was no other option than to move from territory to territory trying to make a name for themselves and earn a decent living. When Vince McMahon bought the then WWF from his father, he changed the face of wrestling forever by taking over the territories and creating the national wrestling company we now know as WWE.