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WWE was for a long time considered to be the end all and be all of professional wrestling. Ever since WCW closed its doors in 2002, WWE became the biggest game in the town with no credible competition around became the go-to destination for young and up and coming wrestlers.
But in the recent times, there has been a seismic shift in how the company is being perceived and with the rapid rise of independent wrestling, some wrestlers do not seem very keen on signing with the world's biggest wrestling promotion. WWE's hectic schedule along with the company stifling a performer's control over his/her character is cited to be the major reason why these Superstars have refrained from the company despite being offered what may be assumed to be a big money deal as these Superstars are some of the biggest stars in the independent circuit.
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Now, we aren't ruling out the possibility of these Superstars eventually signing with the WWE in the near future, it's just that they are currently happy where they are and no immediate plans of going to the WWE.
So, with that being said, here are five independent wrestlers who have turned potential lucrative deals by the WWE:
#5 Zack Sabre Jr
One of the standout performers in WWE's Cruiserweight Classic in 2016, the Brit was one of the favourites to win the 32-man tournament. ZSJ defeated Tyson Dux, Drew Gulak, Noam Darr on his way to the semi-finals where he lost to Gran Metalik. Rumours began surfacing after the tournament ended that ZSJ was offered a lucrative deal by the WWE which he refused.
The report also mentioned that ZSJ was initially pencilled in to win the entire thing but his refusal to commit to the company led to them changing their plan and having the Brit lose in the semi-finals.
ZSJ has been doing quite well for himself and signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling last year joining the 'Suzuki Gun' stable. The British Submission Machine holds victories over top NJPW stars like Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tetsuya Naito and also won the prestigious New Japan Cup this year. The Brit is all set to make his ROH on December 14 at their 'Final Battle' pay-per-view.
#4 Walter
One of the most recognized faces on the independent circuit, the Austrian behemoth is one of the biggest Giants in the independent circuit today. The former PWG and Current Progress Champion is a perfect mix of power, agility, and sheer bruteness, something that is very rare in today's wrestling.
WWE has shown interest in signing the Austrian multiple times. As per reports, initially the WWE wanted to sign Walter at the same time as they did with Keith Lee, but Walter refused to sign as moving to NXT meant that he had to stay away from home for a long period of time and he had prior commitments with various Indy promotions in Europe.
Then in September, Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Triple H & Co. were still interested in signing the big man. The company was willing to offer him an NXT UK deal where he would only have to work for NXT UK whilst also continue his independent Carrer parallelly, much like the deal the WWE has in place for Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, and Trent Seven. But, nothing came out of it and while Walter currently holds the Progress World Championship and with Progress working relationship with the WWE, we hope to see the Austrian chopping off people's chest in NXT UK pretty soon.
#3 Kota Ibushi
The Golden Star is considered by many to be one of the greatest performers to have come out of the land of rising sun. While critics and fans have nothing but praise for Ibushi's in-ring aura and performance, many cite his lack of commitment to a single Promotion as the single biggest reason why he tasted the level of success like his other Japanese counterparts (Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, and Hiroshi Tanahashi). After being one of the biggest stars to have out of DDT pro wrestling, Ibushi finally severed his ties with the company in 2016.
After leaving DDT, Ibushi began working for various independent promotions as a freelancer, where he wouldn't be part of the promotion's regular roster and would only work a few select dates. Ibushi would most notably work for New Japan during this period before taking part in WWE's Cruiserweight Classic in 2016. Ibushi made it to the semi-finals of the tournament before losing to eventual winner, TJ Perkins. Like Zack Sabre Jr, the WWE offered Ibushi a full-time contract which he refused instead choosing to work a few matches for NXt before leaving the company.
The Golden star has since moved on to become a regular member of the New Japan where he reunited his Golden Lovers tag-team with the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kenny Omega. Ibushi also made to the finals of this year's G1 Classic where he lost to Hiroshi Tanahashi. Ibushi seems content with his life in Japan and it is highly unlikely that we will ever see the Golden Star in a WWE ring again.
#2 Adam 'Hangman' Page
There was a running gag in the Young Bucks show 'Being The Elite' vlog series where Hangman Page gets kidnapped by the WWE who force him to watch their weekly programming. This visibly shakes Page as he narrates the horror of having to watch 205 Live, RAW and SmackDown to his peers and friends in 'The Elite'. Hangman Page is one of the longest-tenured Superstars in Ring of Honor in 2011 when he was just 19 years old.
Page Parallelly worked as a high school teacher before leaving his full-time job to focus on wrestling in 2016. The Virginia- native has gone from pillar to post ever since joining the 'Bullet Club' in 2016. Page has become one of the hottest stars in the independent circuit today and with his ever-growing popularity, it was inevitable for Triple H & Co. to take notice and offer a contract to the Hangman.
Last month, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter revealed the gag on BTE was indeed influenced by the real-life event as Hangman Page was reportedly offered an NXT contract by the WWE which he turned down as he wants to stick together with his peers in 'The Elite'. (H/T - Sescops)
#1 Tetsuya Naito
The news of WWE offering a deal to New Japan standout Tetsuya Naito has sent shockwaves around the entire wrestling world. Naito is one of the most Charismatic stars in not only the New Japan but the entire wrestling world. The former IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion has time and time again proved that he is fiercely loyal to New Japan and him refusing to sign with the WWE is the most recent example of that.
According to a recent report from Tokyo Sport, Naito was offered a WWE Contract after his loss to Chris Jericho at Dominion in June but he turned it down almost immediately. Naito revealed in the interview with the publication that he isn't interested in going to the WWE and wants to focus on New Japan Carrer as he believes that they are the best wrestling promotion in the world. Naito also took potshots at the current management saying that they should focus on their home crowd rather expanding internationally.
Naito's words couldn't be clearer and the man remains adamant on sticking with New Japan. Although someone like him would be a big catch for the company, it is unlikely that the leader of Los Ignorables de Japon will ever sign with the WWE especially after the treatment meted out to his former colleague and Current United States Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura.
