This ECW legend has opened up on the ongoing WWE ID program.
WWE ID is an ongoing program undertaken by the Stamford-based promotion to provide independent wrestlers guidance and support in building a potential career in WWE.
The program began following the success of the previous NIL program. It currently hopes to support independent wrestling prospects and schools with training, development, and mentorship. Already multiple wrestling schools have received the prestigious WWE ‘ID’ stamp, including institutions run by Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Booker T, Rikishi, and many more.
During his latest ‘One Of A Kind‘ podcast episode, ECW legend and Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam shared his honest opinion on the program. RVD claimed that the program could become like what it was in the past, bringing several companies under the umbrella of World Wrestling Entertainment.
If WWE continues to do this and partners with, and therefore legitimizes certain organizations, it could be like the old territory days, where companies all over the country could be under the umbrella of WWE, and that would leave the others to then be outlaws. That’s what you used to call the ones that were not part of the big machine. It’d be interesting to see the history go back to where it came from, which happens a lot.
So it looks pretty cool. WWE is on the grow, and you gotta have places to put that growing energy, and man, they’re just a machine for it. They’re always finding new ways to grow and to put their growth into.”
H/t Fightful.com
Rob Van Dam is scheduled to appear on the November 6th episode of NXT from the 2300 arena in Philadelphia alongside several other ECW legends.
NXT Champions Open Up On The WWE ID Program
During a recent interview with ESPR | Wrestling Podcast, NXT Champions Trick Williams and Roxanne Perez shared their thoughts on the ID program. The NXT Women’s Champion shared:
It’s amazing. So many more opportunities for all those men, women on the independent scene that have been fighting for a spot here and now it’s gonna be a little bit easier to fight for that spot. I think it’s really, really cool that Reality of Wrestling gets to be a part of it. That’s where I came from. But now, to see all of my peers that are still down there that now they’re gonna be able to get seen and get so many more opportunities, I’m really happy. It makes my heart so happy.”
As Williams continued:
Agreed. People work very hard for opportunities and I like to work with people who I know love what we do as much as I do and we have the athletes here and I’m sure they love it too but, also shout out to the people who invest and commit their lives to this game, to what we do every single week so I’m glad they get opportunities as well.”
In other news: A former WWE star has named MJF as one of his next fantasy opponents.
Speaking on his podcast, Booker T also gave his thoughts on the new program.