WWE Recruit

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WWE Independent Development
AcronymWWE ID
Founder(s)Paul "Triple H" Levesque
Gabe Sapolsky
OwnerTKO Group Holdings
ParentWWE
SisterWWE Next in Line
WebsiteOfficial website
WWE Next in Line
AcronymWWE NIL
Founder(s)Vince McMahon
Paul "Triple H" Levesque
OwnerTKO Group Holdings
ParentWWE
SisterWWE Independent Development
WebsiteOfficial website

WWE Recruit is a developmental system created by American professional wrestling promotion WWE. It includes the WWE Independent Development (WWE ID) and WWE Next in Line (WWE NIL) programs.[1] The system supports the training and development of athletes at certain wrestling schools, wrestling promotions, and colleges.

On December 2, 2021, WWE established the WWE NIL program, which exclusively supports college athletes who decide to train as wrestlers. After the launch of WWE NIL, the WWE ID program was launched on October 29, 2024 to develop and support the training of independent professional wrestlers.[2] The wrestling schools and promotions initially designated with WWE ID were Reality of Wrestling, Black and Brave Academy, Nightmare Factory, Elite Pro Wrestling Training Center, and KnokX Pro Academy.[3][4] KnokX Pro Academy was later removed from the WWE ID program in August 2025.[5]

History

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Prior to the 2020s, WWE had used several methods to train its future on-screen talent. This included partnering with other promotions to act as developmental territories, including Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), Deep South Wrestling (DSW), and Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) among others. In 2010, WWE established NXT as an in-house televised developmental brand, which became the major pathway to the promotion's main roster.

In 2021, WWE established the WWE Next in Line (WWE NIL) program, which exclusively supports American-based college athletes who decide to train as wrestlers. The program was launched as an extension of NCAA-approved name, image, and likeness policies.

In June 2024, WWE trademarked WWE ID and WWE Independent Development with the purpose of organizing and conducting a program to help develop wrestlers. That October, WWE ID was officially announced, which would support the development of independent wrestlers at specified schools or promotions and provide them a pathway to the promotion. The first schools and promotions designated under WWE ID were Reality of Wrestling (run by Booker T), Black and Brave Academy (run by Seth Rollins and Marek Brave), Nightmare Factory (run by Cody Rhodes), Elite Pro Wrestling Training Center, and KnokX Pro Academy (run by Rikishi). On November 9, Fightful reported that Timothy Thatcher had been signed as the WWE ID trainer.[6] In addition to Thatcher, it was later reported by Yahoo! Entertainment that Sean Waltman had been hired as an ID trainer.[7]

On February 1, 2025, during the 2025 Royal Rumble, WWE announced the launch of WWE Evolve, a Tubi program based on the defunct independent Evolve promotion ran by WWE ID co-founder Gabe Sapolsky.[8] The program, which premiered on March 5, 2025, features both WWE ID prospects and Performance Center trainees. On February 18, WWE chief content officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque announced the creation of the Men's WWE ID Championship and Women's ID Championship, the championships will be defended in WWE and on the independent circuit.[9] On August 1, during SummerSlam weekend, independent wrestling promotion Game Changer Wrestling held their WWE ID Showcase event at The Williams Center in Rutherford, New Jersey, which saw Cappuccino Jones crowned the inaugural Men's ID Champion and Kylie Rae become the inaugural Women's ID Champion.[10]

On August 23, 2025, an incident occurred at a WWE ID-affiliated KnokX Pro event, where Raja Jackson, son of former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rampage Jackson, legitimately beat independent wrestler Syko Stu unconscious.[11] The attack was livestreamed by Raja on Kick.[12] After the incident, KnokX Pro removed mentions of WWE ID from their branding, with Mike Johnson of Pro Wrestling Insider writing that it "would appear WWE has severed ties with the promotion and academy as part of the fallout of the Raja Jackson incident".[13] On August 25, the KnokX Pro Academy was removed from the list of WWE ID-affiliated schools featured on the WWE Recruit site.[5]

WWE ID prospects

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Men's division

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Ring name Real name Notes
Brad Baylor[14] Brad Baylor Scouted from Wrestling Open
Jack Cartwheel[15] Jack Summit Scouted from Game Changer Wrestling
Mike Cunningham[16] Mike Cunningham Scouted from Nightmare Factory
Jackson Drake[17] Jackson Drake Scouted from Fire Star Pro Wrestling
WWE Evolve Champion
Yayne Harrison[18] Yanic Brouillette Scouted from IWS Training Centre
Sam Holloway[19] Samuel Hettich Scouted from International Wrestling Cartel
It's GAL[20] Gal Barkay Scouted from Elite Pro Wrestling Training Center and Wrestling Open
Cappuccino Jones[21] Unknown Scouted from This Is Wrestling
WWE ID Champion
Eli Knight[16] Unknown Scouted from Reality of Wrestling and The Foundation of Professional Wrestling
Sean Legacy[22] Sean Rossini Scouted from Pro Wrestling Revolution and Pro Wrestling Noah
Marcus Mathers[23] Marc Mattiacci Scouted from Game Changer Wrestling
Jha'Quan McNair[16] Jha'Quan Anderson Scouted from Team Fearless Training Academy
Aaron Rourke[24] Aaron Rourke Scouted from Create A Pro Wrestling Academy and Beyond Wrestling
Ricky Smokes[25] Unknown Scouted from Chaotic Wrestling

Women's division

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Ring name Real name Notes
Zoe Sager[26] Zoe Sager Scouted from Northern Crown Wrestling

WWE NIL prospects

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Source: [27][28]

Men's division

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Name Sport(s) Notes
Brock Rechsteiner[29] Football Scouted from Jacksonville State University
Carlos Aviles Track & Field Scouted from The Ohio State University
Desmond Coleman Track & Field Scouted from Liberty University
Garrett Beck Lacrosse Scouted from Grand Canyon University
Hidetora Hanada[30] Football Scouted from Colorado State University
Jacob Henry Football and Wrestling Scouted from University of Oklahoma
Jeremy Cody Track & Field Scouted from University of Miami
KeShaun Moore Football Scouted from Hampton University
Maliq Carr Football and Basketball Scouted from Michigan State University
Ruben Banks Track & Fields Scouted from University of Arkansas
Slane Glover Cheerleading Scouted from The Ohio State University
Thaddeus 'TJ' Bullard Jr. Football Scouted from University of Central Florida
Zachary Knighton-Ward Wrestling Scouted from Hofstra University

Women's division

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Name Sport(s) Notes
Bianca Pizano Field Hockey Scouted from Michigan State University
Fatima Katembo Basketball Scouted from LSU-Shreveport
Gina Adams Basketball Scouted from Lynn University
Grace Stephens Track & Field Scouted from Monmouth University
Kali Terza Track & Field Scouted from Kennesaw State University
Kerrigan Huynh Track & Field Scouted from University of Central Oklahoma
Madison Kaiser Hockey Scouted from University of Minnesota
Mikala Hall Basketball Scouted from Central Michigan University
Megan Walker Track & Field Scouted from University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Zuriel Jimenez Track & Field Scouted from Columbia University

Championships

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WWE ID

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WWE ID
Championship Current champion(s) Reign Date won Days
held 		Location Notes Ref.
WWE ID Championship Cappuccino Jones 1 August 1, 2025 103 Rutherford, New Jersey Defeated Jack Cartwheel in a tournament final to become the inaugural champion at Game Changer Wrestling's event, The ID Showcase. [31]
WWE Women's ID Championship Vacant — — — — The title was vacated on September 22, 2025, due to previous and inaugural champion Kylie Rae going on maternity leave. [32]

References

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  1. ^ "WWE Announces 'WWE ID' Developmental Designation". Wrestling On Fannation. 2024-10-29. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  2. ^ Aguilar, Matthew (2024-10-30). "WWE Reveals Details and First Independent Schools for WWE ID". ComicBook.com. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  3. ^ Murray, Andy H. (2024-10-29). "WWE Launches New Indie Developmental Program, 'WWE ID'". WhatCulture.com. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  4. ^ "What is WWE ID aka WWE Independent Development? All you need to know about the new program in the Triple H era". October 29, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Johnson, Mike (August 25, 2025). "KNOKX PRO REMOVED FROM WWE RECRUITMENT WEBSITE". Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  6. ^ "Former WWE Star's Involvement In WWE ID Program Revealed". November 9, 2024. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "Sean Waltman Is Coaching WWE ID Prospects Over Zoom". February 27, 2025. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  8. ^ Thompson, Andrew (February 1, 2025). "WWE Evolve announced, premiering March 5th on Tubi". POST Wrestling. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  9. ^ Ucchino, Rick (February 18, 2025). "Triple H Unveils New WWE ID Championships To Spotlight Up-And-Coming Talent". SI.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  10. ^ Vetter, Chris (August 1, 2025). "GCW "ID Showcase" results (8/1): Vetter's review of Jack Cartwheel vs. Cappuccino Jones for the WWE ID Title, Kylie Rae vs. Zayda Steel vs. Zara Zakher for the WWE Women's ID Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  11. ^ Collins, Ben (August 24, 2025). "Jackson 'deeply concerned' as son's bout 'goes wrong'". BBC. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  12. ^ Harkness, Ryan (August 24, 2025). "Video: Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson's son Raja puts pro wrestler in hospital". MMA Mania. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  13. ^ Johnson, Mike (August 25, 2025). "KNOKX PRO REMOVES WWE ID BRANDING FROM SOCIAL MEDIA". Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  14. ^ Jeremy Lambert (November 14, 2024). "Brad Baylor Announced As WWE ID Prospect". Fightful. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  15. ^ WWE ID (November 8, 2024). "#WWEID welcomes @JackCartwheel Scouted From: Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) Hometown: Sacramento, CA". X. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c WWE ID (October 29, 2025). "WWE welcomes the newest WWE ID prospects". X. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  17. ^ Jeremy Lambert (November 14, 2024). "Jackson Drake Announced As WWE ID Prospect". Fightful. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  18. ^ Jeremy Lambert (November 7, 2025). "Yayne Harrison Named as WWE ID Prospect". Fightful. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
  19. ^ WWE ID (November 9, 2024). "#WWEID welcomes @SamHHolloway Scouted From: International Wrestling Cartel (IWC) Hometown: Akron, OH". X. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  20. ^ WWE ID (November 10, 2024). "#WWEID welcomes @justgal_ Scouted From: Wrestling Open Hometown: Mt. Olympus". X. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  21. ^ WWE ID (November 7, 2024). "#WWEID welcomes @coldbrewjones! Scouted From: This Is Wrestling Hometown: Coffeyville, KS". X. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  22. ^ WWE ID (November 8, 2024). "#WWEID welcomes @Sean_Legacy1 Scouted From: Pro Wrestling Revolution/NOAH Tryout Hometown: Augusta, Georgia". X. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  23. ^ WWE ID (November 9, 2024). "#WWEID welcomes @MarcusMathers1 Scouted From: Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) Hometown: Philadelphia PA". X. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  24. ^ Jeremy Lambert (November 14, 2024). "Aaron Rourke Announced As WWE ID Prospect". Fightful. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  25. ^ "Ricky Smokes Announced As WWE ID Prospect". Fightful. November 15, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  26. ^ Jeremy Lambert (November 17, 2024). "Zoe Sager Announced As WWE ID Prospect". Fightful. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  27. ^ "WWE NIL". WWE Recruit. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  28. ^ "Exclusive: New WWE Next In Line program class includes sons of Mark Henry, Scott Steiner". USA Today. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  29. ^ Russell, Skylar (February 21, 2025). "Brandon Rechsteiner Says Brock Rechsteiner Will Be In WWE, Teases Possible Bloodline-Like Story For Steiner Family". Fightful. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  30. ^ Boyer, Claire (February 3, 2025). "WWE Extends NIL Opportunity to Colorado State Lineman, Former Sumo Champion". SI.com. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  31. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (August 1, 2025). "Cappuccino Jones Becomes First-Ever WWE ID Men's Champion". Fightful. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  32. ^ Thomas, Jeremy (September 22, 2025). "Kylie Rae Vacates WWE ID Women's Title Following Pregnancy Announcement". 411Mania. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
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