TNA star Abyss was recently a guest on Jim Ross’ “Ross Report” podcast in which he revealed that he was offered a WWE deal some time ago but turned it down in favor of staying with TNA Wrestling:

Ross asked for the scoop on whether or not WWE offered him a contract years ago. Abyss said John Laurinaitis, who was then Head of Talent Relations, offered him a job with an immediate main event push. Tommy Dreamer worked beneath “Big Johnny” in WWE’s head office at the time and orchestrated a conversation between Chris Park and WWE when Abyss’ TNA contract was coming up in 2006. Abyss said he decided not to go at the last minute. Tommy Dreamer called it “stage fright” but Abyss said it was just very hard to leave TNA. He said that he helped build TNA from the ground up, adding that 2005-2006 was one of the hottest times for the company. He said, “I would rather have been part of something… versus taking the chance of going somewhere and just being a number.”

Abyss said he has friends in WWE and he’s incredibly appreciative for the offer, adding: “I’m sure it’s an amazing place to work.”

JR asked what the creative plans for Abyss might have been and Abyss said he was supposed to debut at the 2007 Royal Rumble. From there he would have started a rivalry with the The Undertaker, which would have ended at WrestleMania 23 in Detroit. JR said Abyss is an honorable man for choosing to stay with TNA, joking that most wrestlers would give up just about anything for that opportunity.

Click Here to listen to the full podcast.