PRODUCE Wrestling promoter feels WWE ID program has ‘conned’ talent
The promoter behind PRODUCE Wrestling feels WWE has “conned” its ID talent by misrepresenting what the program was going to be.
On Wednesday, it was announced that WWE ID wrestlers Marcus Mathers and Chazz “Starboy” Hall have both been pulled from PRODUCE’s July 16 event in Jersey City, New Jersey due to WWE obligations. PRODUCE also stated yesterday that anyone who cancels a booking for them for “another independent contractor gig that isn’t a full time contract” will have all of their future PRODUCE bookings terminated.
How PRODUCE handled the situation was called into question by some on social media, which resulted in promoter Adam Abdalla posting a statement explaining his side of things. Abdalla said he did not want to name and shame talent but instead highlight how wrestlers have been “conned into doing scabwork” through WWE ID.
“Just a note on yesterday: The point of my announcements was not to name and shame talent,” Abdalla wrote. “It was to highlight the fact they were promised the equivalent of a grant program and were conned into doing scabwork. This should be widely understood.
“PRODUCE exists to serve our fanbase, but as an idea, also as an institutional critique that shines a light on practices that are designed to devalue the talent. I’ll take 1000 bullets personally if it brings sunlight to things that will make folks think twice about screwing talent or the fans. This will always be the tone. If you want passive viewing, youve got plenty of options.”
The WWE ID (Independent Development) program was created in 2024 as a way to provide select indie talent with resources while creating a pathway for them to possibly join NXT down the line.
Reason talent was pulled from PRODUCE event —
Game Changer Wrestling’s Brett Lauderdale pushed back on a fan’s idea that Mathers and Hall were pulled from this indie show because PRODUCE Wrestling has a relationship with AEW. Lauderdale said WWE has Evolve tapings scheduled for July 17-18 and is requiring ID talent to be in Florida by July 16.
In response to Lauderdale’s explanation, PRODUCE questioned why wrestlers would have to be in Florida a full day before the Evolve tapings when they already had bookings scheduled.
“Why would you be required to cancel bookings 24 hours before tapings that are a 2 hour and 30 minute flight away? If youre on RAW, you arrive the same day,” PRODUCE wrote. “We were given no logic or explanation. Mandatory PC training? Pretaped promos? Those don’t justify f***ing the fans.”
Recent weeks have also seen WWE ID talent pulled from shows for Big Time Wrestling, Limitless Wrestling, and Dreamwave Wrestling due to WWE opportunities.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.