WWE Rumors: Company Is Reportedly Trying To Sign AEW Stars
As documented by Fightful Select, by way of WrestlingNews.co, WWE has reportedly reached out to several stars who have worked recent AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling events.
According to the report, the company is looking to beef up its developmental system and NXT rosters with talent. While the company reportedly isn’t looking to sign any performers to big-money deals due to COVID-19 financial constraints, they are interested in acquiring unsigned wrestlers before the opposition locks them down to long-term deals.
The AEW wrestlers in question are unsigned performers who’ve mostly appeared on Dark shows. The YouTube series features a mix of signed and unsigned talent, with the latter mostly using it as a proving ground to earn full-time contracts or gain exposure before moving on to other ventures.
No names have been mentioned as of this writing, but WWE has already signed some wrestlers who performed for their biggest rivals in recent times. As The Inquisitr wrote, Benjamin Carter joined last month after appearing on Dark and Late Night Dynamite.
According to Ringside News, Anthony Bowens was also on the radar of Vince McMahon’s promotion. However, he ended all uncertainty about his future after committing himself to a full-time AEW deal earlier this week.
Both performers were acquired after impressing on Dark. While the show is often used for AEW officials to scout talent, it seems as if WWE management is keeping a close eye on the product.
The Inquisitr also noted that Thunder Rosa — an NWA star who’s worked several AEW events recently — is also a target for McMahon’s promotion. However, she is currently contracted to NWA.
Fightful also reported that Tino Sabbatelli returned to NXT last month. This came after he got released from his WWE contract back in April and went on to make some appearances on AEW’s YouTube series.
The practice of bringing back superstars could be WWE’s way of preventing them from joining a rival and becoming bigger names. However, it’s also possible that Sabbatelli returned because McMahon’s corporation has profited throughout the pandemic and wants to start hiring again.
In regard to NJPW, WWE is reportedly eying some of the participants who’ve appeared on Strong. The series, which debuted in August, was set up for the Japanese promotion to continue its expansion in the United States.
Many of the stars who appear on it are of American and western origin, which arguably makes them more accessible to WWE’s core audience.
