What does the wrestling free market mean for the top wrestling companies?

December is shaping out to be quite a month in the world of professional wrestling. With 2018 coming to an end, a lot of wrestlers contracts are also expiring. This has lead to a lot of speculations and rumors, things are excepted to clear up as the year ends.

But, with that being said, 2018 has also one been of those rare years where a multitude of wrestler contracts is expiring. If the list of wrestlers becoming free agents to go by, we expect a heavy bidding war between various companies as some of the top stars in the independent scene become free agents.

The spotlight, however, will be on The Elite, comprising of Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Cody, Hangman Page, and Marty Scurll. The Elite has ruled the roost as far independent wrestling is concerned and are undoubtedly the torchbearers of non-WWE wrestling.

It's not that independent wrestling didn't exist before these guys came in, but they have succeeded in providing an alternative to the WWE, something that the fans desperately wanted. ALL IN was a landmark event in wrestling history and proven once again that with the right talent and right intention, the sky is the limit.

But, the recent reports suggest that Cody & Co. aren't just stopping there. In what could be described as the biggest gamble of their lives, Cody and The Young Bucks are reportedly collaborating with the Khan Family ( Owners of NFL Team Jacksonville Jaguars and EPL Club Fulham FC ) to form All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

The trademarks filled for the said company clearly indicates that this is the brainchild of Cody and The Bucks. If this ends up materializing, which we are pretty sure it will, given the subtle hints given by Cody on social media, this could be WWE's biggest competitor since WCW. With the kind of talent involved and the financial backing of the Khan family, AEW is going to be one of the hottest promotions in the wrestling world come 2019.

WWE has been keeping a keen eye on the recent developments and is expected to sign a lot of indy stars in the coming stars. The company is already being accused of contract tampering by the likes of ROH and MLW, and it is only to get more intense as we draw closer to the end of the year.

With that being said, here is our take on the entire situation and how it will affect the three biggest wrestling promotions in the world:

WWE

WWE is expected to sign a slew of independent stars for their January batch of PC recruits

Well, the most unaffected of the lot will be the WWE. As far as creating new talents for the future goes, no other company even comes close to Vince McMahon & Co. Their use of that talent is a debate for another day.

The company has already re-signed several of its top stars to a new multi-year contract and it is expected to retain the services of AJ Styles.

The company is expected to sign a slew of stars for the next class of PC inductees. Names like Trevor Lee, Walter and Rachel Ellering reportedly signed with the company. WWE has also been making a beeline to sign some of the top Japanese stars.

As per reports, IWGP Jr Heavyweight Champion Kushida is on the company's radar. WWE had also reportedly offered contracts to Tetsuya Naito, Adam Page, and Cody, which each of them refusing to sign with the company.

WWE is also expected to lose a few of its stars to AEW if it ends up materializing. While it will retain its top crop of talent, the company is expected to lose some of its roster members in the coming months due to their position in the company, creative differences.

With the kind of success that a lot of ex-WWE superstars are enjoying in the independent circuit, expect a lot of 'Wishing them all the best in the future endeavors' in the coming months. However, that is unlikely to have any direct impact on the company as the company has the most stacked roster in its history.

New Japan Pro Wrestling

The Elite leaving New Japan would be a huge setback for the promotion's foreign expansion plan

The news of AEW could be a huge blow to New Japan's American expansion. The company has been making inroads in the country, holding multiple events on American soil, selling out arenas in a matter of minutes and has created a huge fanbase outside Japan.

All of that would take a huge beating if the Elite were to leave the company, as they are the top foreign stars in the promotion. Kenny Omega has been the face of that wave and has been the most influential gaijin in the company's long and storied history.

Losing Omega at this juncture would be catastrophic for the company. Although Omega himself hasn't indicated where he will eventually end up, it is quite evident that the Best Bout Machine is headed to AEW.

While the company is building future talents through the Lion Break Project and the recently opened Los Angeles Dojo, losing their top foreign stars is going to be a huge loss for the promotion whilst also providing superstars like Jay White, Juice Robinson and Tama Tonga an opportunity to rise up to the occasion and leave their mark in the wrestling world.

Ring of Honor

ROH COO Joe Koff has confirmed the departure of The Bucks and Cody

The biggest loser in all of this seems to be Ring of Honor. Some of its top stars like Cody and Hangman Page have already refused to re-sign with the company, and with SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky) reportedly not re-signing with the company, 2018 is going to be a tough year for ROH.

This will greatly affect their G1 Supercard Show during the WrestleMania week next year, as most of their top star won't even be in the promotion by the time this show rolls around. Although, ROH have re-signed Silas Young and Jay Lethal, both of them are well past their prime with Young being in his mid-40's.

With the Young Bucks' ROH contract expiring at the end of the year, it is almost a given that the promotion will be going through a rough phase come 2019.