Laynie Luck was WWE ID Women’s champion for 320 days when she dropped the belt on October 3, but it was her first defense of the belt. It was also the first time it had ever been defended, because Luck won it in a tournament after inaugural champion Kylie Rae announced she was pregnant and left WWE ID altogether.
Despite that odd bit of trivia, the ID program — launched as a bridge for independent talent WWE was intrigued by but not ready to sign to a full-time contract, and/or talents intrigued by WWE but not ready to report full-time to the Performance Center in Orlando — seemed to be going okay. But then Luck’s departure was quickly followed by Marcus Mathers’.
Mathers’ is a buzzed about 22-year-old from the Northeastern U.S. whose worked for GCW and Dragon Gate in Japan. He’s been used regularly on Tubi’s Evolve, the NXT feeder brand that WWE launched around the same time as the ID program. Mather was also a favorite of TJ Wilson, and praise like this from a respected producer and coach like the former Tyson Kidd shouldn’t be taken lightly:
If I owned a wrestling company, Marcus would be my first hire. I love watching his work but admire his passion most of all. One of my favorite young guys at the moment, excited to see the growth you’re about to experience
Those two departures led to rumors that talent inside WWE are asking the same questions fans are about the ID Program. A handful of ID signees are turning into WWE regulars in NXT’s The Vanity Project and EK Prosper, but we hear about more exits than promotions.
Even more true after Sam Holloway announced his exit today (Oct. 12):
My time in the WWE ID Program has come to an end.
Thank you for an incredible two years filled with unforgettable experiences, opportunities, and lessons that will stay with me throughout my career.
I’m beyond grateful for this chapter, but even more excited for what’s ahead.
The work continues and I’m ready to takeover!
Wherever the questions are coming from, WWE is continuing on. At the same time as these departures, they’ve announced the additions of a pair of Booker T trainees (one of whom beat Luck for the program’s women’s belt to earn her ID contract) and a friend of Nathan Frazer.
Share your thoughts on the WWE ID program below. Is it in trouble? Does WWE need to fine tune it’s move into the indies? Or is the program just, as some have theorized, a way to fill out Evolve tapings while delaying or blocking AEW signings? If so, isn’t it working as desired?
