10 Most Unthinkable WWE Changes In The Last 5 Years
7. A Shift In Signing Policy
WWE’s signing policies have always been a source of criticism. The company was focused almost exclusively on building their wrestlers from the ground up for decades, and thus shunned those who’d seen considerable success elsewhere. Fitness models, failed NFL players, and bodybuilders had a higher chance of making it in WWE than most indie prodigies, resulting in a roster padded out with wrestlers who could barely wrestle a two-minute match without tripping over their own boots.
Things have changed immensely since then, however. Seth Rollins and Daniel Bryan were already on WWE’s books in 2011, but neither had risen to their top, and Evan Bourne never made it past the midcard. Rollins and Bryan have since become world champions, as have Finn Bálor, Kevin Owens, and AJ Styles, while NXT has become a “who’s who” of the indie circuit’s old heroes.
WWE’s old policy of signing unseasoned, inexperienced performers remains in place, but their focus has definitely shifted. They’ve rarely had a roster so crammed with outstanding in ring competitors, and this is largely down to their altered signig policies.