World Wrestling Entertainment has announced the first three recruits to WWE Independent Development (WWE ID), its new effort to develop new talent from indie circuits.
The WWE ID program is a major new move for the industry-dominating promotion, with the company describing it as "designed to provide independent wrestlers a clear pathway to a potential career in WWE" and that it will "identify the top independent wrestling prospects... and support their developmental journey."
"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."
The new wrestlers WWE ID has signed so far are Zayda Steel, Bryce Donovan, Cappuccino Jones, and Jack Summit.
Zayda Steel, also known as "The Real Deal," was the first wrestler revealed as part of WWE ID. At just 21 years old, Steel was brought in from Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW).
She began her professional wrestling career in August 2022, training under the guidance of Brian Johnson, Diego Cruz, and Drolix has made appearances for Major League Wrestling (MLW) and performed with Marigold and Warriors of Wrestling (WOW), where she even held the title of WOW Women's Champion.
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Throughout her early career, she performed on the American independent circuit, wrestling for notable promotions like Beyond Wrestling and Combat Zone Wrestling.
The second recruit announced, Bryce Donovan, is an eight-year veteran of the independent wrestling circuit, particularly in promotions like MLW (Major League Wrestling) and OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling). He was recruited out of Wrestling Open.
The third recruit, Cappuccino Jones, was recruited out of This Is Wrestling, where he made his debut in 2022. Jones has competed in 104 matches and is currently the Core Professional Wrestling (CPW) 918 Champion.
Throughout his career, Jones has also won the BPW Lionheart Championship, the WAH Hunger Dojo Championship, as well as the top singles and tag team titles in United Wrestling Entertainment (UWE).
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Finally, the fourth recruit welcomed by WWE ID is Jack Summit. Most well-known under the ring name Jack Cartwheel, Summit is from Sacramento, CA and was scouted from Game Changer Wrestling (GCW).
Since his professional wrestling debut in 2019, Summit has won the Supreme Pro Wrestling Extreme Championship, the Gold Coast Federation SoCal Championship, and is currently the Lucha Premier Champion at Demand Lucha.
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked him as the No. 327 wrestler in the world in the PWI 500.
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Although the pro wrestling circuits are constantly changing, it can be hard to argue that the WWE is not desperately in need of new talent. Numerous career champions and fan-favorites, like Seth Rollins and Goldberg, have recently either hinted at or outright announced their retirements, while more and more attention has been focused around a relatively small group of stars, like the Bloodline stables.
At this point, it is a wise decision for the WWE to be looking for new blood.
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