Tony Khan Comments on WWE ID Program’s Impact on Indie Wrestling

Tony Khan has shared his thoughts on the newly launched “WWE ID” program, which could significantly impact the independent wrestling scene. The program is designed to offer more structured opportunities for emerging wrestlers to gain recognition and possibly secure contracts with WWE.

Speaking at the post-AEW Full Gear 2024 media scrum, the AEW President addressed the potential implications of the program. He commented,

“It’s interesting. I don’t really know how it’s going to work. I understand there is some kind of first right or refusal aspect of it. We haven’t come up where it’s been a conflict yet. I do think it’s going to affect the independent scene in some ways. We’ve had a really great experience here over the years bringing in young wrestlers. Through the pandemic, the best place for independent wrestlers to get work was at AEW and on AEW Dark and Elevation.”

He went on to add, “The women and men in AEW, we’ve seen so many great wrestlers work their way up from the independents, we’ve signed big free agents, and we have a lot of homegrown day-one people. It’s a great mix. I expect we’ll keep signing great talent off the independents. I do think it’s a different mechanism. It’s something to keep an eye on. It hasn’t created major conflicts or anything yet, but I imagine it will definitely influence the independent wrestling scene. It’s definitely something to keep an eye on.”

⚡ Behind the Scenes: Notable Visitors at AEW Full Gear 2024

As previously reported, several non-AEW talents were present backstage at the Full Gear 2024 pay-per-view event held at the Prudential Cente [...]

— Ben Jordan Kerin Nov 24, 2024 08:41PM