WWE "Aggressively" Chasing Indie Talent After MLW TV Deal
Several contracted stars have been approached.
American independent promotion Major League Wrestling recently secured a TV contract with beIN Sports, and their 60-minute Fusion show now airs on the network every Friday night.
It's a major step forward a company that originally stopped holding shows in 2004, before former WWE writer Court Bauer revived the project last year, with notable indie stars like Rey Fenix, Pentagon, and Jimmy Havoc all playing major roles.
Now, it looks like the world's biggest promotion have taken notice. As per Dave Meltzer in this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE are currently aggressively chasing independent talent in reaction to the TV deal, with MLW wrestlers directly in their crosshairs.
What's most notable here is that many MLW talents are actually contracted to the promotion, so WWE can't legally sign them until those deals expire, but this hasn't stopped them from extending tryout invites.
WWE have previously held off from approaching contracted wrestlers in the past, owing to allegations of tampering made while attempting to sign Kyle O'Reilly, Adam Cole, and Bobby Fish from Ring Of Honor last year. The company eventually brought said performers in once the situation had died down, but seemingly aren't curbing their aggression with MLW.