More on WWE pulling ID talent from PRODUCE event

Another day, another round of commentary on the WWE ID program and indie talent being pulled from shows at the last minute.

On Thursday, we covered a public discussion between GCW owner Brett Lauderdale and PRODUCE promoter Adam Abdalla about why talent needed to change travel plans with little notice. Our own Dave Meltzer had more information on the subject in his daily update today. 

“This is from WWE,” Meltzer wrote. “They changed the Evolve taping schedule from one day a month to two days in a row, so new dates were added and talent had to be pulled off some dates.” 

The problems, however, go deeper than a change in plans. 

“It was also said that there was a communications issue in that even after this decision was made,” Meltzer wrote, “a lot of talent wasn’t informed quickly and made bookings even after those dates were known, but they themselves didn’t know about them.”

Later, Bryan Alvarez discussed the issue on Wrestling Observer Live, saying that the situation was putting WWE ID talent in a catch-22.

“You are responsible for keeping busy,” Alvarez said, referring to WWE ID talent. “You are responsible for getting regular bookings. And not only do they want you to get regular bookings, but they want you to get regular, semi high-profile bookings. And that’s on you. They’re not going around and telling you where to work. You’re responsible for getting booked in high-profile places and working regularly. And there have been ID talents that, apparently, the company figured, ‘you’re not working regularly enough, and you’re not working in high-profile enough places, so you’re out of here,’ and they get cut from their ID deal.”

All of this news has some asking whether WWE ID contracts are actually a benefit to indie wrestlers. 

“I’ve talked to to indie wrestlers, and they’re just like, ‘I don’t want an ID deal,’” Alvarez said. “’It is not a benefit to me to get an ID deal.”