Triple H: WWE ID Program A Long-Term Investment For Entire Wrestling Industry

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul 'Triple H' Levesque says the company is playing the long game when it comes to its new WWE ID program. Whether that means they are the beneficiaries of their investment into an up and coming talent or not.

Wrestlers signed to the WWE Independent Development program are afforded financial assistance to help them survive the pitfalls of performing on the indie circuit, plus a pathway through WWE approved promotions and training facilities.

WWE ID is not too dissimilar from the company's NIL program, which is designed to help college athletes make the transition into pro wrestling.

During the Survivor Series press conference Saturday night, Levesque said they wanted to also help those future WWE Superstars who took to pro wrestling out of the gate.

"There is... a group of men and women that are out there that, for whatever reason, found their way to professional wrestling. Whether it was after college, before college, whatever that is. They went a different route than college athletes did. We don’t want to negate any of them. We’re keeping our eye on all of them. The independent scene is very difficult," Triple H told Gil Torres of Contralona. "That’s a long hard road. We’re trying to make that easier. We’re trying to pay attention to the people at the top of those lists. The people that have the most potential within that grouping. We’re going to support them in their careers. Financially, we’re going to support them in their careers. From an education standpoint, as they are going through their journey, as long as they are continuing to progress, we stay with them."

Levesque went on to provide more details on the WWE ID program itself, saying that talent signed to a contract will send their recorded matches into the company for feedback and tips to improve. In addition to having some access to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.

MORE: WWE ID: A Complete Guide To The Newest Recruits

WWE will also be providing promotional assistance via social media content to help wrestling fans get better acquainted with the stars of tomorrow.

"They stay in our system until it’s time for them to outgrow that system. If they are not, we’ll make moves and change some people around and we’ll get to the people that we feel like that long-term investment can pay off. Not just for us but for the industry itself. The strength of our business is built on the strength of the athletes across all things. While we’re extremely excited about NIL and our college recruiting and everything we’re doing there. When you look at NXT, you can see a system that is churning out athletes, incredible athletes, at a very rapid pace. This is another way for us to amplify that. It’s to strengthen that independent scene. - h/t Fightful."

According to the Wrestling Observer, if a wrestler signed under the WWE ID program is offered a contract by AEW or another rival promotion, WWE has the right of first refusal. Meaning the company would be able to sign them to a deal to bring them to NXT or allow them to ink a deal elsewhere.

—Your one-stop shop for all things professional wrestling—

Multiple Men's WarGames Match Competitors Suffer Injuries At Survivor Series

WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2024 Results: The OG Bloodline Wins; CM Punk & Roman Reigns Shake Hands

Reason Behind Jade Cargill's Absence And Injury Drama Continue To Be Questioned