The WWE ID program- good or bad?

[sek69]

So WWE announced their WWE ID program where they partner with wrestling schools of WWE related folks (like Cody's, Seth's and Booker's) to develop and mentor prospects on the indy scene they see something in. In addition they will give them a stipend for their prospects to be able to live on so they can focus more time on development. According to them, they want to raise the profile of top indy names and strengthen the whole "independent wrestling ecosystem" as they call it. On paper this all sounds good, WWE gets a pipleline of talent and it will help at least some folks on the indies make ends meet while trying to better their craft.

In the Vince days, this 100% would be a plot to raid all the top indy groups and put them out of business. Hunter seems to be more aware that it's in the best interests of pro wrestling as a whole to have a relatively healthy independent scene so more people can have experience working live crowds (and even working for TV crowds if they are working for a group that has a Triller TV deal). Even for their own business needs, it's smart for WWE to have guys go through wrestling schools they can vouch for and just keep NXT a finishing school to give folks that last bit of polish before going to the big time.

Could it still end up being a plot to strip mine the indy scene? Sure. At least in this era I can at least see a possibility that it is actually meant to do what they say it will and be a net benefit all around.

[sek69]

So the newest prospect was announced as Kylie Rae. Happy for her to get the opportunity, but I still don't know if her mental health can handle being part of a major promotion

[Tenese Sarwieh]

I see this as yet another tactic by WWE to stockpile talent, especially given that the Performance Center has been a failure. What’s puzzling, though, is that none of these signings seem to come from the schools WWE is affiliated with.

[El-P]

On 11/23/2024 at 11:44 PM, Tenese Sarwieh said:

I see this as yet another tactic by WWE to stockpile talent

It's 100% this and drying up the access to indie talent to other promotions (as in : AEW). I mean, Kylie Ray ? She's not an upcoming young prospect. She's a 32 years old veteran who is already better than 90% of the NXT roster and probably quite a bit of the main roster division as well. If they don't trust her because of her past issue, why even bother ? But since she's been on MLP shows alongside some AEW people, she's back under everyone's radar (would she even go back to AEW though if she had a bad experience there ?), so there you go. If they want her, they could sign her tomorrow. Even as a coach, while letting her work indies, since they are so "indies-friendly" now. 

It's a brillant move though, just like the TNA partnership, which has totally mindfucked the TNA fanbase.

[Laz]

I'm very torn on the ID system.

On the one hand, it allows WWE to scout talent better while also allowing that talent to continue plying their trade in different settings. ID talent aren't stuck in front of one audience with one mindset of instructors, and having a variety of styles and talents on the radar can only mean good things for the future. The recent announcement that there will be ID titles that are to float around the indies feels reminiscent of the classic NWA territory system, which is exciting.

On the other hand, purely as a fan? I don't particularly care for it. This move means that even more indies and talents will adopt a WWE-inspired style, which is something that I've done my best to avoid for years now. We know the garbage promotions won't care about it, but this feels like it will just limit the talent pool willing to do something different than what you'd see on Monday and Friday nights out of necessity due to the expectation by fans all over of expecting the standard WWE flavor of in-ring action. I'm afraid, and justifiably so, that it's going to stifle creativity in that regard, just as any prior "feeder system" deal has.

[El-P]

Not even one year in and the answer seems to be : totally fucking useless. A bunch of people have been cut already, Zayda Steel just said she wasn't renewing the contract, thank you very much. No one ever talks about the ill-fated GCW hosted (Hi Brett, ya rebel) ID tournament events that have been parts of Mania and SummerSlam week-end. The reality is that trying to choke out AEW's access to talent is ridiculous when they have way too many already. And whomever wants to go will go anyway. In the meantime, WWE has been releasing talents, a bunch of them ending up in cuck/partner promotion TNA (Hi Carlos, ya funny looking cap wearing puppet). No one gives a flying fuck about "Evolve", not even the parent promotion it seems. WWEID is just another failure of a project. Remember when they literally begged promotions to book their WWID contracted people on social medias ? Yeah, maybe the word is actually "cringe".

[sek69]

Yeah I have to wonder what even the point was. Other than the Evolve stuff it didn't seem like there was any benefit to the folks signing up for it. It didn't seem like they were getting any additional indy bookings (and why would they, since if they gave anyone a push they'd just get rug pulled) and it seems apparent that the money wasn't even that great. 

[C.S.]

The WWE version of EVOLVE was really cool the first few weeks, but it suffered from two major issues:

1. Everyone we'd all want to root for - Kylie Rae, Timothy Thatcher, etc. - kept fucking losing!

2. Released wrestlers were main eventing EVOLVE shows, which tells me TKO and WWE aren't organized, don't have a clue WTF they're doing at any level of talent relations or creative, and there was never any real plan beyond "put a show on Tubi and fill it with random ID greenhorns, NXT castoffs, and a few veterans to lead these kids through a match."

So, yeah, this WWE ID program is probably another bust because TKO is too cheap and incompetent. Rinse and repeat.

[El-P]

Speaking of Kylie Rae, who recently gave up the "WWEID Women's championship" (yeah, I know) because she got pregnant, she announced her contract is not being renewed. Stay classy WWE.

This whole thing for a joke anyway. She's a 33 veteran who would outwork many people in either WWE or AEW's women's roster. Either they wanted her despite her past issues, either they didn't. Signing her to a WWEID was kinda humiliating if you ask me. Hopefully D'Amore just gets her for MLP, he obviously loves her (booked her for the first shows, wanted to make her TNA champ before she crashed out).

But yeah, that WWEID shit is dead in the water already.

[C.S.]

9 hours ago, El-P said:

Speaking of Kylie Rae, who recently gave up the "WWEID Women's championship" (yeah, I know) because she got pregnant, she announced her contract is not being renewed. Stay classy WWE.

This whole thing for a joke anyway. She's a 33 veteran who would outwork many people in either WWE or AEW's women's roster. Either they wanted her despite her past issues, either they didn't. Signing her to a WWEID was kinda humiliating if you ask me.

And she lost repeatedly to Wendy Choo (of all people), literally cried over a fucking doll, etc. I couldn't figure out WTH they were doing with her. I don't think they knew either.

[C.S.]

WWE ID massacre tonight:

The following NXT releases have occurred, as learned by Cory Hays of Bodyslam.net and confirmed by Fightful Select

Wes Lee
Stevie Turner
Lance Anoa’i
Jin Tala
Drako Knox
Haze Jameson
Summer Sorrell
Brayden "BJ" Ray
Jamar Hampton

Wes Lee is the big surprise, even though nothing has really been done with him in ages.

[sek69]

I guess that makes Lance Anoa'i  the WCW Lanny Poffo of WWE, got hired for a year probably due to family connections and proceeded to do fuck all while getting paid. Which good for him, but business wise it made no sense. 

[El-P]

4 hours ago, C.S. said:

Wes Lee is the big surprise, even though nothing has really been done with him in ages.

Actually I was reading a thread the other day about a bunch of TNA contracts ending after BFG and where these people would go (or stay), and one guy wrote that the Rascalz (who I really though for the longest time were WWE bound, if only because of Wes Lee being over there and them getting the NXT feature regularly at one point, not lately though) were probably gonna go to AEW as a trio since Wes Lee was bound to be cut. 😄 No idea, but they have been running in circles for ever now, not doing anything of note, featured on TV but not really getting pushed (gotta milk that old Hardy juice to the max), not getting any real feud or angle.

That bunch of names is also the most NXT coded shit ever.

4 hours ago, sek69 said:

I guess that makes Lance Anoa'i  the WCW Lanny Poffo of WWE, got hired for a year probably due to family connections and proceeded to do fuck all while getting paid.

Imagine being part of the Bloodline and still getting cut, after never being used. That says a lot about how much they think of you. (btw, is Hikuleo on TV these days ? He sat on his ass for a year after signing)

[C.S.]

16 hours ago, El-P said:

(btw, is Hikuleo on TV these days ? He sat on his ass for a year after signing)

If he's Talla Tonga, then yeah.