Jeff Cobb reveals that he came close to signing with WWE earlier in his career.
In recent years, Cobb has been a prominent member of the NJPW roster. Among other accolades, he is a former IWGP Tag Team Champion. He popped up in AEW for a brief run in 2020, as he faced Jon Moxley on the February 19 episode of AEW Dynamite.
Speaking with Steve Fall for WrestlingNewsCo, Cobb discussed the talks he had with WWE in 2020, and he noted that he also had an offer from AEW. Cobb joked that he felt like the new girl in school, given this interest from multiple companies. He also stated that he was “really close” to signing with WWE in 2021.
“It just so happened, right before the pandemic in 2020, I started getting phone calls,” Cobb said. “William Regal would call me. Brian Kendrick would call me. ‘Hey, is it cool if we pass your number to [WWE Senior Director of Talent Development] Canyon Ceman?’ I’m always open to talk to people, and entertain talks. This was around the time New Japan and I were figuring out a contract situation. At the same time, AEW offered me a contract as well. This is the first time where I ever felt like, ‘Oh my Gosh.’ I was the new girl in high school and all the guys want to be with me. It was really cool. I got really close, maybe in the summer of 2021, I was FaceTiming Canyon Ceman a couple of times, maybe June or July, and it got pretty close. I got to hear what they offer and at the end of the day, I chose what I was doing as opposed to going after the money and people were giving me a lot of grief for that. At the end of the day, I can make a great living being in Japan and doing a couple of appearances here and there. It may not be like WWE The Rock money, but I’m a low maintenance kind of guy. I don’t need millions and millions of dollars, although people are like, ‘You’re stupid for not taking it.’ The good thing about it is, a few months after a bunch of conversations with Canyon is when he got fired and a huge dumping of the roster happened. Looking back, I think I made a good choice because if I went there, six months later, I could have been released and crawling back to another company for a job. New Japan definitely took care of me during the pandemic when they didn’t have to. We still got paid. If they’re loyal to me, I’m going to be loyal to them.”
Cobb made it clear that his loyalty to NJPW has a major factor in his decision to stay with the company. He also took issue with something Ceman said to him at one point
“Canyon Ceman said to me one time through text, ‘Hey, listen, if you come work with us, you’re going to make a lot of money and, unlike other companies, we pay our talents.’ That is such not a cool thing to say.” (Transcription credit of Jeremy Lambert of Fightful.)
Per Cagematch, Cobb last wrestled at NJPW New Year Dash !! on January 5, where he and Aaron Henare lost to Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega.
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