In a groundbreaking move that’s sure to perk up the wrestling world, WWE announced its latest initiative, WWE Independent Development—or “WWE ID” for short. This program aims to bring top-tier indie talent straight to WWE’s front door. Think of it as WWE’s “hip new indie dive,” where they pick up the strongest prospects and throw them straight into the espresso machine of sports entertainment. So far, five independent wrestling schools have made the cut as WWE ID-approved campuses: Reality of Wrestling, the Nightmare Factory, Black and Brave Academy, Elite Pro Wrestling Training Center, and Knokx Pro Academy.
Now, WWE’s turning up the heat on its espresso machine with the official announcement of three inaugural WWE ID recruits. Let’s take a closer look at these grapplers and their path to a WWE near you.
WWE ID’s First Class of Superstars!
1. “The Real Deal” Zayda Steel The first WWE ID prospect was introduced on X (which, we’ll remind you, is totally not Twitter anymore). Hailing from Washington, D.C., and breaking out of Combat Zone Wrestling, Steel brings over two years of hardcore, slap-you-in-the-face talent to the table. Known for major appearances with Major League Wrestling, Marigold, and Warriors of Wrestling (where she even served as WOW Women’s Champion), Steel is ready to turn heads in WWE. Oh, and she just got back from Japan after wrestling with Marigold—proving she’s got chops on both sides of the globe.
2. Bryce Donovan Next up: Bryce Donovan, the eight-year veteran with a resume that reads like a wrestling bucket list. The man’s taken on everyone from indie darlings at Beyond Wrestling and Limitless to the big leagues at AEW. Fun fact: He even squared off with former AEW World Champion MJF on AEW Dynamite. Donovan’s journey to WWE ID proves the company’s serious about scouting folks who can hang with the best, or at the very least, roast them on the mic.
3. “Cold Brew” Cappuccino Jones And last but certainly not least, we have “Cold Brew” Cappuccino Jones, a man whose name alone should earn him a championship belt. Scouted from This Is Wrestling, Jones has a caffeinated edge like no other. His finishing moves—the Froggy Brew and The Decafinator—are clearly designed to knock you out faster than a double shot of espresso. Jones has already clashed with the heavy hitters over at Ring of Honor, even stepping up against the beastly trio of Cage Of Agony. So, yes, the man can handle the heat.
But this is just the beginning! WWE promises to keep the caffeine coming, with another WWE ID recruit set to be unveiled this weekend at Reality of Wrestling’s Super Sunday event. Who will be the next indie standout? Which wrestlers will rise from the indie coffee shops to the WWE corporate espresso bar?
Stay tuned, folks—WWE ID might just be the shot in the arm that wrestling’s been waiting for.