Josh Bishop has reflected positively on his WWE tryout during the 2026 SummerSlam weekend, calling the opportunity a great experience and expressing particular appreciation for the time he spent around Steve Corino.

Bishop, who currently holds the MLW World Heavyweight Championship, was among the talent brought in for the tryout sessions held around WWE’s SummerSlam activities. Speaking about the experience, Bishop made clear that he viewed the invitation as a meaningful opportunity and spoke warmly about the environment over the course of the week.

“It was a great experience. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity. Again, I really appreciated the opportunity. I had a great time, and really the best part was hanging out with Steve Corino for five days.”

The comments offer a straightforward look at Bishop’s perspective following a significant week in his career. A WWE tryout can place performers in front of coaches, officials, and decision-makers while giving them the chance to demonstrate their athletic ability, presentation, adaptability, and readiness for the demands of the company’s system. Bishop did not provide further details about the sessions or indicate what, if anything, might follow from the tryout. His remarks instead centered on gratitude and the value of the experience itself.

For more background on this topic, read Josh Bishop Dismisses Sid Vicious Comparisons During MLW Title Run.

Bishop Highlights Steve Corino’s Presence

Of all the aspects Bishop mentioned, his time with Steve Corino stood out most. Corino has a long history in professional wrestling both as a performer and as a trainer, and Bishop described spending five days with him as the best part of the entire tryout experience.

That detail is notable because a multi-day tryout is not simply a brief appearance or a single match. It provides wrestlers with time to work in a structured environment, receive direction, and spend extended periods around experienced members of the industry. Bishop’s praise for Corino suggests that the interaction and learning opportunity left a lasting impression, even as he kept the rest of his comments concise.

Bishop’s wording also avoided making any claims about a potential WWE future. He did not announce a contract, a signing, or a next step with the company. The confirmed development is that he participated in the SummerSlam weekend tryout and came away thankful for the chance to do so.

For wrestlers who are already active at a high level elsewhere, tryouts can carry significance beyond immediate outcomes. They can offer exposure to a different working environment and allow a performer to continue developing relationships across the industry. Bishop’s response framed the week in those terms: an opportunity he appreciated, an experience he enjoyed, and time he valued with a respected wrestling figure.

Current MLW Champion Comes Off Major Victory

The WWE tryout discussion arrives while Bishop is enjoying a major accomplishment in MLW. He is the current MLW World Heavyweight Champion after defeating Killer Kross in a Last Man Standing match at Saturday Night SuperFight.

That victory placed Bishop at the top of MLW’s championship picture. Winning a world title is a defining achievement for any wrestler, and doing so in a Last Man Standing match adds another layer to the result. The stipulation requires an opponent to be unable to answer the referee’s count of 10, creating a contest built around endurance, punishment, and the ability to keep fighting after conventional match conditions have been surpassed.

Bishop’s win over Kross gave him the MLW World Heavyweight Title and established his current status as the promotion’s champion. It also means his WWE tryout experience took place during a period in which his profile was already elevated by championship success.

There is an important distinction between the two developments. Bishop’s title reign is an established part of his present career in MLW, while the WWE tryout was an opportunity to take part in a separate evaluation setting during one of WWE’s biggest weekends of the year. Nothing in Bishop’s comments suggests that the tryout changes his championship status or his current standing in MLW.

A Significant Weekend Without Added Speculation

SummerSlam weekend is one of the more visible periods on WWE’s annual calendar, making a tryout held in that window a notable opportunity for any invited wrestler. Bishop’s participation places him in that setting, but his own account remained focused on the personal value of the experience rather than speculation about what it could mean.

That approach is especially clear in the language he used. Bishop twice emphasized that he appreciated the opportunity, described the experience as great, and said he had a great time. The repeated note of gratitude was the central message. Rather than presenting the tryout as a guarantee of anything, he treated it as a valuable chance to be present, work, and learn.

His mention of Corino further reinforces that perspective. In wrestling, the opportunity to spend time with experienced talent and coaches can be as useful as the public visibility of the event itself. Bishop singled out that connection instead of offering a detailed breakdown of drills, evaluations, or other behind-the-scenes aspects of the week.

As a result, the most accurate takeaway from Bishop’s comments is a simple one: he is appreciative of being invited to WWE’s SummerSlam weekend tryout, he enjoyed the experience, and he particularly valued five days spent with Corino.

What Is Confirmed

  • Josh Bishop took part in WWE tryouts during the 2026 SummerSlam weekend.
  • Bishop said he was “extremely grateful” for the opportunity.
  • He described the tryout as a great experience and said he had a great time.
  • Bishop identified spending five days with Steve Corino as the best part of the experience.
  • Bishop is the current MLW World Heavyweight Champion.
  • He won the title by defeating Killer Kross in a Last Man Standing match at Saturday Night SuperFight.

At present, Bishop’s comments do not go beyond his appreciation for the tryout. There is no announced WWE contract or stated follow-up attached to his remarks. What is clear is that the reigning MLW World Heavyweight Champion considers the SummerSlam weekend invitation a meaningful moment in his career, and that his time around Corino was the part he will remember most.

With the MLW World Heavyweight Championship now in his possession after the Last Man Standing victory over Killer Kross, Bishop remains in a prominent position while carrying forward the experience from his WWE tryout. For Bishop, the week was not defined by a public promise about the future. It was defined by an opportunity, gratitude for receiving it, and five days of learning and conversation with Steve Corino.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.