10 Things WWE Stole From The Indies
4. Hordes Of Talent
WWE's signing policies have shifted dramatically over the past few years. The company still hire handfuls of inexperienced fitness models and former college football players, but in far smaller numbers. Now, the focus is on performers who've already built reputations and sharpened their skills on the sport's smaller stage, with much of their roster comprised of ex-indie stars.
Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, Dean Ambrose: they're all among WWE's major players, and each cut their teeth on the independent circuit before jumping into the mainstream. A huge portion of NXT's talent pool is comprised of independent veterans as well, with the likes of Adam Cole and Aleister Black poised to join WWE's next generation of main eventers.
The days when WWE's roster largely comprised of wrestlers built from scratch in the company's developmental system are dead and gone. Recent years have seen them 'steal' dozens of the indie scene's biggest names, and the practice continues, with former standouts Donovan Dijak and Lio Rush recently joining the company. Fortunately, wrestling's smaller stages have never been so stacked with talent, making it easy to rebuild when WWE inevitably swoop in and snag their top stars.