10 Hottest Free Agents LEFT In Wrestling Today
Which names will AEW and WWE snatch up next?
Professional wrestling's free agents' list has taken a pounding 2019, with major promotions hoovering wrestlers up at an unprecedented rate, leaving little star power for the independents to play with.
January and February were insane, with WWE, AEW, NJPW, and, on a smaller scale, MLW and Impact Wrestling tripping over each other to bolster their rosters. Things have calmed down now, but not to a complete halt. Although Dave Meltzer has reported that AEW were only looking to recruit finite wrestlers, Tony Khan's chequebook will open for the right men and women, and it's hard to see WWE abandoning their "gotta catch 'em all" approach anytime soon either.
Surface-level analysis suggests there are few game-changers left on the table. This is true to an extent, though fewer would be a more accurate description. The pool will restock itself in time (it always does), and while WWE, AEW, and co. have signed most of the big names, there's still value on the open market.
Enzo Amore and Big Cass (sorry, nZo and caZXL) head our list of notable exceptions. They're a colder product than Doritos 3D following their one-and-done ROH run, but the names within could be great additions for most promotions...
10. Chris Brookes
The British independent scene has suffered major losses in The Great Talent Grab of 2019.
Crown jewels Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate were torn out early in WWE's UK expansion, and the promotion have hoovered up almost every performer of note since establishing NXT UK and opening a London-based Performance Center, leaving BritWres low on established stars. The talent pool will replenish itself, but it's in a rebuilding phase in the meantime.
Chris Brookes is among the biggest names left standing. Having turned a WWE deal down sometime towards 2017's end/2018's beginning, he dedicated his future to the indies at RevPro's Live in Southampton 3 event. The 17 months that have elapsed since then have justified his decision. Now, Brookes is the standout domestic name on any card he appears on, and he remains a highlight for promotions as diverse as ATTACK!, Fight Club Pro, and the WWE-affiliated PROGRESS.
Smart, charismatic, and skilled, few wrestlers are as in touch with their fans as Brookes, whose social media mastery and crowd connection make him one of the most over performers on any BritWres show. His departure would be another tough loss for the scene.