WWE UK Talent Restrictions & Partner Companies Update; WWE Network Expansion Plans

As noted before, WWE recently offered new contracts to most of their NXT UK brand talent. These contracts included new restrictions, which were broken down into three tiers and affected the top tier of talent the most.

NXT UK Talent Restrictions Update

Voices of Wrestling reported that the new contracts offered to NXT UK’s top tier of talent are structured very similarly to traditional NXT contracts based in the United States. Unlike recently with EVOLVE in the U.S., WWE is reported to be less receptive on loosening the restrictions for their UK talent due to upcoming expansion plans for the WWE Network. In regards to the amount of wrestlers in the top tier, it was reported to be a lot larger than initially presumed and goes beyond just the top stars of the NXT UK brand.

WWE’s U.S. & European Partner Companies Update

WWE’s affiliated companies have also been split into different groups based on upcoming WWE Network expansion plans. The first group reportedly includes PROGRESS Wrestling, ICW (Insane Championship Wrestling), EVOLVE, and wXw (Westside Xtreme Wrestling) while the second group contains Fight Club Pro, Attack! Pro Wrestling, Over the Top Wrestling, and Futureshock.

German-based wXw was reported to have recently legally separated into wXw and wXw Now with the latter in the process of rebranding itself in order to continue support of indie wrestling in Europe.

WWE Network Expansion Plans

WWE is reported to be currently planning for both PROGRESS Wrestling and ICW to join the WWE Network in early 2019 and for both EVOLVE and ICW to join some time afterwards. It was also reported that WWE does not have plans for their other affiliated companies to also join the WWE Network at this time.

Source: Voices of Wrestling