WWE launches WWE ID
What is it? How does it affect the industry? A dive into it.
WWE ID! What is it? That seems to be the question everyone is asking. In this article I will try to explain what information we know about it so far and I will also offer my opinions on it at the end.
What is WWE ID? – WWE today announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind developmental program designed to provide up-and-coming independent wrestlers a pathway to a potential career in WWE. The program will be called WWE ID, short for WWE Independent Development™.
“WWE ID is the latest in our efforts to identify and support the journey of up-and-coming wrestlers, in turn raising the profile of and strengthening the independent wrestling ecosystem,” said WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque. Following the 2021 launch of WWE’s NIL program, WWE ID has been constructed to support independent wrestling prospects and wrestling schools with world-class training, development and mentorship.
Under the program, WWE will provide prominent independent wrestling schools with the WWE ID official designation, with the goal of providing new trainees and existing talent at these select institutions with enhanced developmental opportunities. Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling (Houston), Cody Rhodes’ Nightmare Factory (Atlanta), Seth Rollins’ Black and Brave Academy (Davenport, Iowa), Elite Pro Wrestling Training Center (Concord, N.H.) and KnokX Pro Academy (Los Angeles) are the first WWE ID independent wrestling schools to earn the official designation.
Additionally, WWE ID will identify top independent wrestling prospects with an official WWE ID “prospect” designation and support their developmental journey by providing financial opportunity and assisting with training, mentorship and development, including access to world-class facilities, best-in-class ring training, athletic trainers and more. WWE ID will give fans the opportunity to follow the paths of these standout prospects on the independent wrestling scene through curated, behind-the-scenes content, as well as highlights and matches showcased across WWE’s social platforms. (courtesy WWE.COM)
How does WWE ID affect the independent wrestling scene? – At this time with the information that has been provided, we don’t really have any idea of what this could do to affect the independent wrestling scene. However, from what we do know, the talent that are currently working out of places like Nightmare Factory, Reality of Wrestling and Black & Brave Academy just to name a few, it could lead to a direct path into the WWE system and a potential of a developmental contract with WWE.
How is this different to NIL? – Following a historic new policy by the NCAA effective July 1, 2021, which ushered in the NIL era allowing college athletes the ability to monetize their name, image and likeness, WWE has constructed a comprehensive program to recruit and develop potential future Superstars. Dubbed “Next in Line™,” the groundbreaking NIL program will provide a clear pathway from college athletics to WWE through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds.
All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract.
What does this mean for the independent scene? – The independent scene in America is a very wide- and far-reaching scene. Comparing this to NXT UK, it will be very hard for WWE to completely abolish the indie promotions / schools. However, this might mean that talent may become more selective as to which promotion they work with and which schools they train out of. This may also restrict independent talent booking interviews outside of the WWE recommended shows and it may hurt your favourite independent podcaster / youtuber. E.g the Anthony Blackwell JR podcast on YouTube (Anthony Blackwell Jr – YouTube) has been a champion for the independent scene in Pennsylvania interviewing talent who come through the scene, and it may make it harder for him to achieve these interviews if WWE has a stranglehold on the independent talents.
Could we see WWE ID in Australia? – With places like Riot City in Adelaide and PWA in NSW providing WWE with some of their current stars (Rhea Ripley, Zaria, Bronson Reed and Grayson Waller) there is a potential in the future that the WWE ID system may make its way to our shores. Would I say it happens this year? No! I believe it would need to be a long-term strategy to implement it without causing too much disruption to the market.
My thoughts and opinions – Upon my initial inspection, I believe that for the schools that have already joined the program, it could definitely be a benefit. What I see as a problem though is that if WWE attempts to pull another NXT UK situation, I believe it could possibly hurt the independent scene as it will restrict where the talent is allowed to work and in turn could potentially affect the other large companies like TNA, AEW, MLW and GCW obtaining access to the best talent on the independent scene. To put it into perspective, it would be like dropping a giant corporation like Walmart into an area where you already have 5 or 6 Mom & Pop stores because people will start to migrate towards the bigger store over the independently owned.
My feelings on this are that we will definitely need to wait and see what comes from this new system and how things play out in the future.
Hello, I’m Scott aka RAZ. I’ve been an avid wrestling fan for over 30 years and have dabbled in both the world or pro wrestling and music. Previously commentated for Iron Fist Pro in South Australia, I now focus on more of the mainstream wrestling and run a few shows on YouTube where I breakdown the most recent happenings. Glad to be part of the team here at PWdownunder.com.
