Original Nexus Member Michael Tarver Recalls Time In WWE Developmental System

Former WWE star Michael Tarver is largely known for being one of the rookies during the inaugural season of the gameshow version of NXT, with Carlito as his pro/mentor. Tarver was one of the first eliminations from the gameshow, but he and most of the season one competitors returned to the main roster as part of The Nexus. 

In a recent interview with "Developmentally Speaking," Tarver recalled his early days in FCW and a dropped ECW debut. While discussing his journey to FCW, Tarver recalled simply walking into a "WWE SmackDown" taping, unannounced, and was given a tryout. 

"I just walked right in. Of course, that'll never happen again, but I walked in, got in the ring, tried out, was immediately pulled out (...) where he sent me to OVW," said Tarver.

He claimed that the opportunity got him to work with many talented stars he had only seen online beforehand. Further expanding on his tryout, he explained that he eventually got a one-week audition, but instead of being sent to OVW in Louisville, which was close to where he's from, he was sent to FCW.

"It was a lot of fun. Very competitive. Fun times," Tarver recalled. "A lot of guys that went on to become world champions and big superstar were all there, you know, and I got to learn from them and work with them; made some friends. And it was a great time, it was an exciting time."

Michael Tarver has never outright disclosed why he parted ways with WWE, but has hinted over the years that the reason was "messed up." He noted that while the promotion didn't initially have any plans for him after his audition, he quickly got attention for the promos he could cut, which the TV audience didn't see. 

"Sadly, the world never actually really got to see what I could do," he noted. "But that's by design: they didn't want to -– some people behind the scenes didn't want the world to see that, you know, that I could – really good on the mic." 

He also claimed that he was quickly taken on the road, however, arguing that it was due to his promo skills. Tarver also claimed that he had an opportunity to debut as a singles star in ECW before his run as an NXT rookie but troubles with his passport set him back long enough for WWE to move on. However, because of this, he was one of the men approached to join the first season of NXT.

"I don't know how long they were planning this NXT idea, but they came to me and a few other people and we were the first people who they had the idea for [and] were selected for. It was probably good that I didn't end up debuting on ECW because I wouldn't have been on NXT."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Developmentally Speaking" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.