WWE recently launched its new development program called ID. This new program could affect AEW.
World Wrestling Entertainment has invested a lot of time and money in the development of young fighters to become future stars of the company. The main objective of the Performance Center and NXT was to offer young athletes a place to improve their skills and become great stars in the future.
NXT has been a great success and has produced stars such as Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, to name a few. However, the Stamford headquarters has taken another step and recently announced the WWE ID program to help independent wrestling schools and fighters. The company has already identified several fighters.
According to the Wrestling Observer news bulletin, if AEWNJPW, TNA or any other promotion offers a contract to a fighter identified by the company, the headquarters based in Stamford will have the right of preference. This means that the company will have the first option to put aside the fighter or sign a contract. This could have important implications for other promotions such as AEW, since the headquarters based in Stamford could basically choose any independent fighter in this new program.
“The idea of the WWE ID program is that if a fighter under these agreements is offered a contract with AEW, New Japan, TNA or some other, the WWE would have a right of preference. At that time, the WWE can put it aside or sign a contract with it and bring it to Orlando.”
Booker t thinks honestly about your company being part of the WWE identification program
In addition to NXT, World Wrestling Entertainment also launched a NIL program to give university level athletes a easier path towards the company. This demonstrates the dedication of promotion to forming future stars.
When the company announced the ID program, it also announced the first group of wrestling schools that would obtain the ID designation. Among those schools were Booker T's reality of Wrestling, Cody Rhodes y su Nightmare Factory, Black and Brave Academy, Elite Pro Wrestling Training Center y KnokX Pro Academy.
In his podcast Hall of Fame, Booker T highlighted the effort that was made to become a development program for World Wrestling Entertainment. He mentioned how surrealist it was to be in a position to help the next generation of stars who are trying to enter the wrestling business.
“We have worked for many, many years to become a development program for WWE and we never knew if it was going to happen or not, but we continue working, man. We continue working, no matter what happened, day after day, we arrive with that vision that maybe, you know, and if not, we will simply try to create the best we can create and now, 20 years, man, 20 years. That is why, for me it is real. In a position in which we can really help the next generation of young people trying to enter this business, as well as creating a monster, man, and that is the reality of wrestling. ”
It will be interesting to see how much this new WWE identification program will affect AEW in the future.
