Former AEW talent sheds light on value of WWE ID deal

WWE likely saw AEW's success by taking top indie talents and turning them into legitimate draws for a bigger, more mainstream audience. By creating a pipeline for highly talented indie wrestlers, WWE is giving itself a significant advantage to continue producing some of the best wrestlers on the planet. Of course, for WWE, that means more than in-ring production. 

You must cut promos and tell stories to succeed at the top level. Often, indie wrestlers can't develop those skills on the minor circuits. Shows are too focused on making memorable matches and creating highlights to keep fans returning for more. That has limited multiple talents that have made it to the pros, at least in the early parts of their careers.

"I feel like nowadays we're spoiled, and everybody can wrestle for the most part," Del Sol said. "If you're on a big show, you pretty much got it in the ring. What we're lacking is the promos and the storytelling ability. And that's where we need more work and more focus."

It will be years before we see the true value of WWE's ID deal. However, for viewers of NXT, there may be some signs of progress within the year. WWE has arguably the best development systems in the world. Those who thrive get a chance to become true stars, and those who fall short get a softer landing on another promotion such as AEW or New Japan Pro Wrestling.

On paper, WWE is doing something good for the wrestling industry and its future. Unfortunately, we haven't known how things look in reality for a while, but there's plenty of reason for optimism.