Backstage Update On WWE Signing 2 Top Free Agents
Here's how confident WWE is of landing two of wrestling's top freelance stars.
WWE's confidence levels vary when it comes to the possibility of signing top free agents 'Switchblade' Jay White and Kota Ibushi, reports GiveMeSport/WrestleVotes.
Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, WWE's head of creative, is higher on his chances of signing White than Ibushi. The belief is that the more time passes without the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion showing up in AEW, the more confident WWE becomes of landing Jay, who left NJPW earlier this year.
Ibushi, meanwhile, appears likelier to stay freelance. With the 'Golden Star', the feeling is that whether it be WWE or AEW, he may not be interested in signing a full-time contract.
Both wrestlers have departed NJPW following protracted exits in 2023. For White, this played out onscreen, with the New Zealander falling in a Loser Leaves Japan match to Hikuleo. Later, Eddie Kingston sent him out of NJPW entirely with a defeat at February's Battle In The Valley event in the United States.
Kota's situation is more complicated. The Japanese star hasn't wrestled since October 2021, and his 2022 was mired with controversy, as he and New Japan engaged in a bitter public dispute stemming from Ibushi alleging misconduct by an unnamed company official.
That Ibushi would prefer to stay freelance rather than signing somewhere has been a commonly-reported point, predating his formal NJPW departure.