WWE No Longer Scouting Independent Talent
"AEW can have all the independent talent to itself."
In a move that's sure to leave many wrestling fans shaking their head, WWE is reportedly no longer interested in signing any independent talent.
As per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer claims that "the word from the top" of WWE is that the company is no longer interested in independent stars when it comes to scouting potential signees - to the point that "AEW can have all the independent talent to itself".
Meltzer does add how this could of course change in the future, with WWE obviously having a history of changing plans at the drop of a hat.
This news comes hot on the heels of NXT undergoing a major revamp that will see the black and gold brand with a renewed focus on younger, bigger names, as WWE looks to revert NXT to more of a standard developmental system rather than the "super indie" promotion that it has been in recent years.
To add further emphasis to how WWE is not looking at the wrestling talent that is out there, the company recently held an open workout during SummerSlam weekend, where they signed over a dozen new names - with the vast majority of those signees having zero pro wrestling experience.
For context, if WWE didn't sign independent talent previously, that mean no Seth Rollins, no Kevin Owens, no Sami Zayn, no Sasha Banks, no Bayley, no Adam Cole, no Johnny Gargano, no Riddle, no Daniel Bryan, no... you get the point.