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WWE ID is a program designed to give independent wrestlers a pathway to the world's most famous wrestling organization. Since this developmental initiative was launched in late October 2024, the company has signed over a dozen indie talents to WWE ID contracts.
According to WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H, this program will assist indie prospects both educationally and financially, giving them the necessary tools to thrive as professional wrestlers. Additionally, recruits will be given access to the Performance Center to film content. The goal would be to get wrestlers prepared for a role on the WWE roster if they can complete the program successfully.
Former AEW wrestler Kylie Rae is perhaps the most notable recruit for the WWE Independent Development program. There is a litany of other indie wrestlers who were signed, such as Aaron Rourke, Sean Legacy, Ricky Smokes, Sam Hardway Holloway, Jackson Drake, Marcus Mathers, Zayda Steel, "The Petite Powerhouse" Zara Zakher, "Cold Brew" Cappuccino Jones, Ice Williams, "Cartwheel" Jack Summit, and "Real-Life Action Figure" GAL.
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Without further ado, let's look at seven indie stars who could follow in their footsteps towards WWE ID:
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#7. Zilla Fatu, the son of WWE legend Umaga
It's only a matter of time before Zilla Fatu makes his presence known on WWE programming. Fatu was born into wrestling royalty as the son of Umaga, connecting the 25-year-old newcomer to the Anoa'i dynasty. However, considering he's only been wrestling for a little over a year, it's arguably too soon to introduce him as an onscreen performer in a major main-roster storyline involving the Bloodline, especially if it's in a full-time role.
Zilla made his in-ring debut in July 2023 at Booker T's Reality of Wrestling. ROW is also one of the wrestling schools affiliated with WWE ID, and it is helping craft The Samoan King into a future superstar. Though it might be too soon to place him into the ongoing Bloodline rivalry on SmackDown, he would be an ideal candidate for WWE's Independent Development program.
Fatu previously hinted at signing a WWE ID contract, and he also stated that he's destined to be in WWE. Zilla also believes that WWE's Independent Development program is great for all wrestlers.
The 25-year-old has been busy on the indie circuit in 2024, making numerous appearances for promotions such as GCW and House of Glory. He's a triple champion on the indie circuit, concurrently holding the ROW Championship, the 4th Rope Heavyweight Championship, and the HOG Crown Jewel Title.
#6. Blue Pain, formerly known as Blue Kane, could be a fun gimmick in WWE
The former Blue Kane became a viral sensation on the indie wrestling circuit for his parody portrayal of a gimmick popularized by the current mayor of Knox County, Glenn Jacobs. Blue Pain recently made wrestling headlines for his in-ring work with legends such as Mick Foley and Kurt Angle at the GCW Dream On event on November 23, 2024.
The UK-born wrestler also wrestles unmasked under the ring name Memes, and he's the current Ultimate Sacrifice Champion in Sacrifice Pro Wrestling. WWE could benefit from this British star's meme magic by signing him onto their ID program, potentially leading to numerous viral moments for the company.
The erstwhile Blue Kane has already proved his ability to go viral without the help of a sports entertainment giant like WWE. Consequently, he's attracted the attention of numerous wrestlers, fans, and journalists.
The 36-year-old could be a hilarious addition to a show like NXT. If WWE does another ECW-themed episode like the one they had in Philly's 2300 Arena last month, perhaps the former Blue Kane could become a foe or honorary member of the Blue World Order. He could also potentially end up facing the caned wrath of The Sandman on an ECW-themed NXT show. There's also the potential of The Big Blue Machine locking horns with his red counterpart at some point.
#5. WrestlePro's Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Carl Patrick Alabaster might be the toughest accountant ever to lace up a pair of wrestling boots. He entertains crowds with his lighthearted shtick that increases with intensity each time he removes a shirt.
This indie veteran is also dripping with gold, concurrently holding both the B!P Bedlam Championship and the WrestlePro Gold Title. He's successfully defended his coveted prizes against significantly larger competitors, besting Donovan Dijak in defense of his Bedlam Title and scoring a victory over former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal (Raj Dhesi), who challenged for the WrestlePro Gold Championship.
The Certified Public Accountant has had a pro wrestling journey spanning over a decade, picking up numerous fans and admirers. CPA's next stop should be WWE's ID program, giving Alabaster a direct pathway to the world's biggest Sports Entertainment promotion. Once there, he could continue giving Seth Rollins fashion tips. The Visionary seemingly mimicked CPA's shirt gimmick during an October 2024 episode of WWE RAW.
The New York native could work well as a comedy underdog babyface character on NXT. The gimmick will surely win over the hearts of the WWE Universe just as he did on the indies. However, if the Certified Public Accountant tries to go after Tony D'Angelo and The Family for tax evasion, he might be forced to add a pair of cement shoes to his wardrobe.
CPA has wrestled for both WWE and AEW at least once, appearing on a November 2019 episode of 205 Live and a September 2021 episode of Dark: Elevation. The year 2025 could be when CPA becomes a regular presence in the big leagues of mainstream professional wrestling.
#4. GCW headliner "The Bad Boy" Joey Janela, reigning Vanguardia Extraordinario Champion
GCW star Joey Janela is another ex-AEW competitor who may play a significant role in WWE one day. Janela has an attention-grabbing aura for his work in and out of the ring. Janela isn't afraid of doing a death-defying stunt or cracking a controversial joke. The Bad Boy is willing to risk it all to entertain fans, showing incredible passion and dedication in a wrestling career that has spanned 18 years.
The Stamford-based promotion and Janela could both benefit from signing him to their ID program. It'd allow The Bad Boy to remain active in the indies while the company transitions him to a spot on the black-and-silver brand.
Janela has reached the top of Game Changer Wrestling, becoming a two-time GCW World Champion. If given the opportunity by WWE, Joey could do the same on the developmental brand, becoming a top challenger for the NXT Championship. The former CZW Wired Champion could also stand out alongside Lexis King in a bad-boy-themed tag team, going after the title currently held by Axiom and Nathan Frazer.
#3. Former WCW Hardcore Champion Crowbar
Crowbar is a veteran with over 30 years of experience performing in the wrestling business, making him an unusual candidate for WWE's ID program. In 2024, he's still going strong and putting on tremendous outings on the indie circuit at 50 years old. Many of the younger competitors signed to the company's latest program could benefit from having a peer like the former WCW Cruiserweight Champion providing advice and pointers on in-ring work.
The former WCW World Tag Team Champion seems like the antithesis of the typical WWE ID candidate, automatically making him a standout. His decades-long experience is a definite juxtaposition to the newcomers signed to the company's indie project.
His presence in the program could also be seen as a statement to indie wrestlers that it's never too late to join the Sports Entertainment juggernaut. An onscreen storyline could develop from him being an outlier in a program designed for up-and-comers.
Shawn Spears has taken on the role of a veteran guide to help the young talent of NXT. Crowbar could take on a similar role on the black-and-silver brand, eventually leading to him having a conflict with the wrestler formerly known as The Perfect 10 Tye Dillinger. The wrestler, also known as Devon Storm, could forge a new path for himself in professional wrestling while giving back to the stars of tomorrow on the Stamford-based company's developmental brand.
Crowbar briefly wrestled on WWE Velocity and Sunday Night Heat over 20 years ago. Perhaps it's time for this 32-year veteran to make an unexpected comeback via a program tailored for up-and-coming indie stars, subverting expectations of what's typically found in an ID recruit.
2. "The Phoenix" GKM
Gil Kay Marcels is an exciting in-ring competitor who delights indie wrestling fans with his high-flying energy and signature birdcall. The Phoenix is only a few years deep in the wrestling business, and he's already made in-ring appearances for AEW and Ring of Honor as an enhancement talent, competing against names like Top Flight and "The Murderhawk Monster" Lance Archer. WWE should take notice and acquire GKM for their ID program before Tony Khan can sign him.
GKM is a headlining talent for the Independent Superstars Of Pro Wrestling, and he became the promotion's first Grand Slam Champion by defeating Crowbar for the ISPW Heavyweight Championship last March. He has been successful as both a singles competitor and tag team wrestler, becoming a two-time ISPW Tag Team Champion alongside Birds of the Sun (aka The Sons of the Sun) teammate Leo Sparrow. He's also the first-ever Pro Wrestling:R Rise Champion, holding onto the gold for 420 days.
The Phoenix could soar to new heights as a member of the WWE family. He can further hone his talents at the Performance Center, potentially transforming into a major star on the erstwhile white-and-gold brand.
If the company wants to use him in a tag team role, they should also consider recruiting an indie tag partner such as "The King of Kale" Leo Sparrow or any of his teammates from the faction Ace of Space Academy.
#1. Women of Wrestling's Lois Grain, also known as The Classmaster
Lois Grain is an indie wrestler with a very cheeky personality, earning over a million views for her content on YouTube. Grain's attention-grabbing charisma and in-ring ability make her an interesting candidate to include in WWE's ID program. Her comedic B-movie-style YouTube videos "Fartday The 13th" and "Saturday The Farteenth" also demonstrate her amusing acting abilities, sense of humor, and qualities as an entertainer.
Grain is an entrepreneur in the wrestling world, operating her own independent entertainment company called Butt Wrestling Inc. On that website, Lois sells videos of wrestling matches and even offers the ability for someone to pay to book a custom-recorded match. Her website is catered to audiences 18 years or older.
She has worked on the indie scene for nearly a decade. Standing at a billed height ranging from six-foot-one-inch to six-foot-two-inch, Grain towers over many of her in-ring opponents. Lois would certainly stand out from the crowd in the Sports Entertainment juggernaut.
