10 Huge Signings WWE Must Make In 2022
To combat All Elite Wrestling, WWE must make the following signings to thrive in 2022.
Take yourself back twelve months.
This very article was posted on 5 January 2021, looking at ten signings WWE should have made across the following year.
Zicky Dice (10), fresh off his free agency status, didn’t sign with WWE, but he is now in IMPACT Wrestling as a member of Brian Myers’ Learning Tree faction. Sadie Gibbs (9) retired in April after her AEW release the year prior. The closest Rob Van Dam (8) came to signing with the ‘E was a Hall of Fame induction, while Trey Miguel (7) didn’t join the former Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz in NXT. He instead returned to IMPACT at the end of January.
Davey Boy Smith Jr. (6) signed with WWE, wrestled a single dark match, and was released in November, as was Taya Valkyrie (5), who was announced as having signed in January. Carlito (4) showed up in the Royal Rumble match and the following Raw episode, but that was it. James Storm (3) now resides in the NWA.
Tessa Blanchard (2) signed with the revived Women Of Wrestling brand that is yet to host an actual show. CM Punk (1) did return to professional wrestling, but in AEW, not WWE.
As for 2022?
10. RUSH
RUSH has been on WWE's radar as recently as last year.
As reported by WrestlingINC.'s Raj Giri last January, WWE passed on signing the then-Ring Of Honor World Champion at the time because - for a company that's Chief Executive Officer is worth $2.1 billion - his asking price was too high.
Seriously.
Given the current situation with ROH at the moment, WWE must look at snapping RUSH up again, irrelevant of the price that they can afford, but are choosing not to. He's an untouchable striker that was as hated in the Mexican organisation Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre as MJF is currently in All Elite Wrestling. WWE is lacking not only in this sort of heat-stealing heel, but in superlative wrestlers. RUSH could accommodate for both; you need only watch him execute his signature Bull's Horns corner dropkick to get a grasp of his New Japan-esque striking.
WWE's treatment of Hispanic wrestlers over the years hasn't been up to scratch, to say the least, but RUSH is the prime opportunity to begin changing that stance. He won't be their next Rey Mysterio, but he does bring that eclectic style of energy and charisma that WWE so desperately needs to inject some life back into the product.