WWE Rumors: Two Major Impact Wrestling Stars Headed To WWE
Impact Wrestling has gone through major changes this year, and many of those changes have resulted in numerous major stars leaving the company. Many of those stars have headed to the WWE. Jeff and Matt Hardy jumped ship and have since regained the rights to use the Broken Matt gimmick in the WWE. Bobby Roode left and is now a major star on SmackDown Live. Eric Young is one of the top stars in NXT. James Storm has also left Impact Wrestling, although it doesn’t look like he will move to the WWE at all. However, there are still two major Impact Wrestling stars that look to leave early in 2018, and both are rumored to head to the WWE.
Bobby Lashley
The first name is Bobby Lashley. There could be small hurdles when it comes to Bobby Lashley heading to the WWE since he also fights for MMA promotion Bellator, and the WWE might not want to share him with an MMA promotion. However, Dave Meltzer reported in the most recent Wrestling Observer Newsletter (via IWNerd) that he could be headed to the WWE anyway.
Bobby Lashley worked previously in the WWE and had a major role in the company. He actually worked a major match at a WrestleMania event when he represented Donald Trump and fought Umaga, who had Vince McMahon in his corner. Because Lashley won the match, Donald Trump was allowed to shave McMahon’s head.
Bobby Lashley wrestled in the WWE from 2005 until 2008. He held the WWE ECW world title two times and also won the United States Championship. One possible feud for Lashley if he returns to the WWE is with Brock Lesnar, playing off both men’s MMA success.
Bobby Lashley and Ethan Carter III expected to leave Impact https://t.co/qID3O6U2D5 pic.twitter.com/EugLpEJC7d
— GERWECK.NET (@gerweck) December 14, 2017
Ethan Carter III
The second major Impact Wrestling star that might be headed to the WWE is Ethan Carter III. He actually got his start in the WWE under the name Derrick Bateman, and he competed in Season 4 of NXT when it was a reality competition series.
The WWE never was able to find anything to do with Carter, so he went to Impact Wrestling. His gimmick was Ethan Carter III, the nephew of Impact Wrestling owner Doxie Carter. He used nepotism to work his way up the ranks and has become the best of the Impact Wrestling homegrown stars.
According to Dave Meltzer, both wrestlers have their contracts expiring in the very near future, and neither will end up re-signing with the company. Impact Wrestling’s new owners, Anthem Sports, has been lowballing major stars, and most of the bigger names are choosing to leave the company. Meltzer said that one of these names, if not both, will sign with the WWE.
