What happens after years of hard work and dedication leads to rejection? Not once mind you, but twice. What happens when you’ve sacrificed friendships and relationships, hit the gym, stayed in shape, traveled the world, did all the right things to get noticed and earn an opportunity, and you still have not been able to accomplish your dreams? This is what Jake Omen is currently trying to figure out.
His journey started when he was 17 years old. He knew what he wanted to do from an early age and didn’t waste any time getting started.
Omen told Sportskeeda Wrestling that he ended up training under Shark Boy for a brief time until a mutual friend introduced him to former WCW/WWE cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang.
Yang was running independent wrestling shows out of Cincinnati, OH when he met Jake. It didn’t take long at all before Jimmy realized there was something special about Jake Omen.
Eventually, Jimmy’s advice led to Omen performing at the right shows and in front of the right people. In 2016, he would meet the man that eventually put the wheels in motion for his first WWE tryout. That man is the current NXT General Manager, William Regal.
Omen says Regal took a liking to him and was very honest with him about his chances of making it to WWE. At the time, there was no chance of Omen getting even a tryout. That news, however, would not derail this young man.
When Omen returned to the United States in 2018, he finally received his first opportunity to audition for WWE. He was one of the 46 people who showed up for this particular tryout, and by the end of it, he was one of only 15 left standing. Unfortunately, his performance did not earn him a WWE contract. At that point, Jake Omen thought his shot to make it WWE had come and gone.
Getting one WWE tryout is nearly impossible. Getting a second one is unfathomable. However, as Jimmy Yang told him, if you put yourself in good situations and work hard, you can get lucky. Earlier this year, Jake Omen found himself in the impossible position of earning a second WWE audition.
Jake Omen was recently rejected by WWE for a second time
This may or may not come as a surprise to you, but a WWE tryout is ridiculously hard. The cardio endurance alone required to make it through just the warm-up is too much even for some collegiate and professional level athletes.
That was most certainly the case at the latest audition where Jake Omen was in attendance. Omen told Sportskeeda Wrestling that once the cardio drills got underway, a football player quit within the hour. Not long after that, an accomplished rugby player also dropped out.
WWE really went the extra mile to bring in roughly a dozen people and by the end of it, only a handful of people made it through. One of them was Jake Omen.
With a smaller number of potential recruits present, there were fewer people for the coaches and trainers to scout — that meant more eyes on the few remaining individuals who gutted it out over the course of two days.
Jake Omen left Florida after his second go-round with WWE feeling extremely confident. Coming from a humble place, he said he felt as though he outperformed most of the other people at the tryout. After all the years, all the miles, all the bumps, and all the sacrifices that he made, Omen finally felt like now was his time. Jake Omen thought he was finally going to get a WWE contract. That was until he got a call a few weeks later.
Unfortunately for Omen, he was told by WWE that there were no opportunities for him. For the second time in his career, and possibly the very last time, he was denied a chance to live out his dream.
When he asked for feedback, Omen was simply told it had nothing to do with his skill or talent.
So what’s next for Jake Omen?
Well that’s the question, isn’t it? At 34 years old, time may be running out for Jake to catch his big break. He’s now been wrestling for more than half of his life. His very identity revolves around being a professional wrestler. He lives the life, he lives the gimmick. Omen says he’s had full-fledged relationships where they never knew his actual last name.
Recently, Jake Omen returned to his roots, working a show for his friend and mentor Jimmy Yang at JCY Videos outside of Cincinnati, OH. He’s also doing his best to pass along his knowledge of the business to the next generation of potential stars.
Omen has taken a few students under his own wing now and is showing them more than just the ropes. He’s teaching them what to expect.
There is a romantic side to wrestling too, and Omen is making sure to pass that message along as well.
Of the five students Jake Omen originally started with, three are still with him. He says one student, in particular, a young man by the name of Blake Wright, has a very bright future. Omen says he’ll do everything he can to help Blake live out his dreams, and in return, maybe live a little vicariously through him.
For now, though, Jake Omen is going to continue to chase his own dreams, and maybe one day he’ll make it to WWE. You know what they say, right? Never say never.
Make sure to check out the full interview with Jake Omen in the video above to learn more about his journey, his WWE tryout, and to find out his contact information if you are interested in booking him.
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