‘I Was There Way Too Quick’ – AEW Star Feels WWE Run Came Too Early In Career

An AEW star has opened up about their time in WWE, admitting that their run came too early in their career.

Before joining AEW in the Summer of 2022, Cole Karter had a brief spell in WWE NXT under the name Troy “Two Dimes” Donovan, being introduced as a henchman to Tony D’Angelo alongside Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo.

Karter’s run in the company would be short-lived however, as he was released from his contract and written off television just months after debuting.

Appearing on Fightful Overbooked’s The Spotlight, Karter addressed his time in NXT when discussing his experience wrestling on television at a young age.

Karter said:

“I started in August 2020, and I had a dark match with AEW the following month. I had three weeks of experience, and they threw me out there on a TV match with Anthony Ogogo. I had to learn on the fly. TV experience is completely different than the indies.

“I was with NXT for a while, too, and I was on TV every week. You just figure it out and learn how TV works. It was definitely scary being a 19-20-year-old and being thrown with the sharks. It was sink or swim, and I swam.”

Speaking further on his time in WWE, Karter explained how he felt the run came too early in his career:

“I felt like I was there way too quick. I don’t feel like I should have been there yet. I felt like I needed a lot more experience. It was just scary. Every time I walked into the PC, it was scary with the best wrestlers in the world.

“You just learn and do the best you can, which is what I did. Now, I’m with AEW and I love it, and I’m still learning and trying my best to get better. I’m still very young.”

Tony D’Angelo’s Family lasted for three years after Karter’s release, with Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo being joined by Adriana Rizzo and Luca Crusifino before the group officially disbanded on the July 15 episode of NXT following Stacks’ earlier betrayal at NXT Stand & Deliver in April.

Karter currently wrestles predominantly on Ring of Honor programming, where he’s a member of The Frat House faction alongside Preston Vance, Griff Garrison and Jacked Jameson.

Transcript via Fightful

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