As noted before, WWE recently announced that they will be launching a new indie wrestler development program called WWE ID and have affiliated with several wrestling schools to develop indie wrestlers for potential careers in the company.
Dave Meltzer reported in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that his sources stated that WWE officials had been working on this project for about a year and it will be a significant program for the company in 2025. Meltzer reported that the idea for the new program is to change the United States independent landscape to WWE’s benefit.
One of the heads of the groups affiliated reportedly stated that they had been told by WWE officials that they would be able to have access to NXT people for their shows. This same person reportedly stated that this will help make up for WWE cutting back on the number of house show events for their NXT brand of late.
Meltzer reported that WWE’s new program would allow the company to be able to have footage for documentaries from the start of people’s journeys for their wrestling careers.
Meltzer reported that the current belief if that the wrestling schools affiliated with this program are not being supported financially by WWE.
In regards to talents signed under this new program, Meltzer reported that at least eight indie wrestlers are believed to be currently under WWE ID contracts. Meltzer reported that while those signed to WWE ID will get some money from their deals, this was described to be “none have a living wage WWE check.”
Meltzer also reported that those signed to WWE ID deals currently do not have any restrictions on where they can work. Meltzer reported that a similar situation occurred when WWE had signed up U.K. talent for their NXT UK brand and had told them that they could continue to work in the indies with no restrictions only for WWE to later start restricting them
Talent signed to WWE ID deals reportedly are also allowed to get contract offers from other promotions but WWE holds first rights to sign them to official contracts and move them to their NXT brand or allow them to sign elsewhere.