WWE announces major first-time-ever match
WWE has booked nearly 100,000 matches at more than 15,000 shows since WrestleMania I in 1985. Superstars have worked various match types, from Falls Count Anywhere to Battle Royals, Buried Alive, and Beat The Clock, with different stipulations such as Career vs. Title, Loser Leaves Town, and Kiss My Foot. Now a first-time-ever match has just been booked for an upcoming event.
WWE Independent Development officially launched last month. Billed as a first-of-its-kind developmental program that will offer up-and-coming indie talents access to a potential career, World Wrestling Entertainment's new ID program is set to strengthen and raise the profile of the indie wrestling ecosystem, according to Triple H. After launching WWE NIL (Next In Line) in 2021, the company built WWE Independent Development (ID) to support wrestling schools and indie talents with world-class mentorship, training, and development.
The first-ever WWE ID Showcase Match has been announced for the WWN Supershow on December 15. The participants have not been announced as of this writing, but the singles bout will feature one ID prospect vs. another ID prospect.
Billed as Battle Of The Belts 2024, the WWN Supershow will also feature NXT's Charlie Dempsey vs. former NXT star Timothy Thatcher in a Special Attraction Match. The event is scheduled for Saturday, December 15 at OCC Road House in Clearwater, FL. It will stream live on wwnlive.com.
WWE ID's updated roster
Several top indie talents have already been signed to World Wrestling Entertainment's new Independent Development program. The company has signed over a dozen male and female talents since late October.
The ID men's division roster includes names such as Bryce Donovan, Jackson Drake, Marcus Mathers, Aaron Rourke, GAL, Ricky Smokes, Sam Holloway aka Sam Hardaway, Cappuccino Jones, Brad Baylor, Sean Legacy, and Ice Williams. "Cartwheel" Jack Summit aka Jack Cartwheel has also signed after working with AEW, ROH, GCW, MLW, and AAA.
CZW's Zayda Steel was the first to sign with the ID women's division after also working with MLW and Marigold. Others on the roster include Zara Zakher and Zoe Sager, the first Canadian to sign with the program.
The wrestling schools that have already received ID official designation include Booker T's Reality of Wrestling in Houston, Cody Rhodes' Nightmare Factory in Atlanta, Seth Rollins' Black & Brave Academy in Davenport, Rikishi's KnokX Pro Academy in Los Angeles, and the Elite Pro Wrestling Training Center in Concord. These schools have been offered enhanced developmental opportunities for existing and new talents.
