While TNA Wrestling scrambles to lock in stars ahead of its AMC debut, WWE is hitting the brakes on any new signings — even with talent knocking at the door.
According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE has recently turned away multiple wrestlers from both TNA and AEW who reached out in hopes of getting signed.
“We were told that of late, talent from both TNA and AEW who have called WWE have been told that they aren’t looking at hiring new people.”
WWE’s reasoning? Their developmental pipeline is already stacked, and many are ready to move up.
“The idea is that they have so many in developmental, many of whom are ready that they don’t need new people.”
Meltzer made it clear that this isn’t a blanket rule — WWE could still be open for the right name at the right level, particularly someone like Chris Jericho or Leon Slater.
“This is not an absolute, and obviously guys the level of Jericho or Slater wouldn’t necessarily fall into that category.”
This comes as TNA Wrestling prepares to relaunch on AMC beginning January 15, 2026. As reported by Fightful Select, the company has quietly finalized a number of short-term contracts, mostly around three months in length, designed to keep things flexible while testing the waters on cable.
TNA’s strategy is clear: get talent in for the network launch, evaluate performance and audience reactions, and let both sides decide whether to commit beyond the trial period. But now, with WWE apparently tightening its hiring gate, some of those wrestlers may find that “Plan B” isn’t an option — at least not anytime soon.
Do you think WWE should start scooping up more free agents, or is their developmental system strong enough to carry the future? Drop your thoughts below—we’re listening.
December 19, 2025 11:10 am
