WWE Chasing Jeff Cobb Signing, NJPW Star Already On Internal Roster (WWE News)

WWE reportedly want NJPW and former AEW star Jeff Cobb on board

Jeff Cobb
AEW

WWE appears to have its sights set on a major free agent, with reports suggest the company is interested in signing New Japan Pro Wrestling standout Jeff Cobb.

According to Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp, multiple sources have indicated that WWE has been monitoring Cobb closely in recent weeks.

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Cobb openly questioned his next move in wrestling recently following a vague post following several early 2025 defeats, stating: “So where does that leave Jeff Cobb? It seems I can’t win when all the marbles are down. G1, New Japan Cup. Long gone are the days when I went 8-0 in the G1. Now I can’t even break .500. Where does that leave Jeff Cobb? Maybe it’s time to take my bags and go somewhere else. I don’t know. I don’t know.”

He has since openly acknowledged rumours of his wrestling future possibly being outside of NJPW, and per the Fightful report, one source has claimed that Cobb’s name even appeared on WWE’s internal roster this week, though this has yet to be confirmed. Conversely, sources within AEW have reportedly stated that Cobb is not expected to join Tony Khan’s promotion, despite having made cameo appearances for the company in the past.

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Cobb's been a key player in NJPW, regularly competing at high-profile events such as Wrestle Kingdom and the G1 Climax. He also made brief but notable appearances in AEW, most notably as a mercenary for Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle in early 2020. Additionally, Cobb has wrestled for Ring of Honor and various independent promotions worldwide, solidifying his reputation as one of the top free agents in professional wrestling today. Despite his extensive experience across multiple promotions, Cobb has never competed in WWE. If the company does indeed sign him, it would mark a another major first in a storied and unique career.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett