With all the recent talk of All Elite Wrestling and their ability to sign wrestlers, people may forget that WWE has been the biggest force in pro wrestling for the past four decades, and that doesn’t just go away. Sure, not all of us expect AEW to be immediate competition for WWE, but they will certainly take away some independent talent from signing with the worlds biggest wrestling company.

But with that being said, most of the performers in the world today grew up watching the greats of the Attitude Era like Stone Cold, The Rock, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and others, and that influence carries a lot of weight when deciding where to sign. Add to that the fantastic work that Triple H is doing down in WWE, and we are still going to see mass signings to WWE amidst the excitement of AEW’s continued announcements.

So sit back and read along as we take a look at 2019 and 10 independent wrestlers that will decide to sign with WWE, and 10 from tWWE that will be on their way out (either being let go or walking away).

20 Debuting – Trevor Lee

via pwmania.com

Impact Wrestling has been fantastic over the past few years, and as always, the X-Division has been great during that stretch, and one of the biggest reasons for that is the three-time X-Division Champion, Trevor Lee, who parted ways with the company several months ago. He is now a free agent, and although he is drawing major interest from AEW and New Japan, WWE is the spot that Trevor belongs in. Lee was trained by Matt and Jeff Hardy, and although he doesn’t have the charisma of Jeff of the character work of Matt, he’s much better in the ring than either of them ever were, and whether he joins 205 Live or NXT, Lee will be a welcome addition to the WWE roster.

19 Leaving – Titus O’Neil

via f4wonline.com

On the surface, Titus O’Neill looks like what WWE love in a superstar, and as a member of the Prime Time Players, he was proving it, but ever since that point, he just hasn’t been able to find his footing. Since that point, the only thing he’s done has been the Titus Worldslide at Greatest Royal Rumble, and when Titus Worldwide failed, it became clear that he had no future with WWE. He is a very charitable person, and for that, you can see why WWE has kept him around because it is quite admirable, but at the end of the day, this is a wrestling company, and Titus is going to have to make way for someone to take their place on the main roster.

18 Debuting – Austin Theory

via voxcatch.fr

Austin Theory has been a star on the rise for a number of years now, but he’s just become the Evolve Champion for the first time, and it’s the start of a fast-track for him on the way to NXT. After winning said Championship, he promised that he would hold it until the day he walks into TakeOver, and with the looks, the skills, and the charisma, no one can doubt him. Sure, the title has just been won, so he won’t be in NXT in the next few months, but he has had a try-out with the company, and with the relationship that WWE have with Evolve, it’s only a matter of time until Theory is NXT bound.

17 Leaving – TJP

via WWE.com

TJ Perkins was the inaugural WWE Cruiserweight Champion (assuming we all want to see this as a new belt and forget Hornswoggle), but that feels like so many years ago, because the company have failed to use him properly since. TJP is a charismatic, high-energy performer capable of working a multitude of styles, and with all this combined with his experience, he should be a big star in tWWE, but he’s highly overlooked. He worked on the indies for so many years, but WWE just isn’t using him right, and with the name value he now possesses, he could return to Europe, Mexico, Japan, and the U.S indies and make huge money.

16 Debuting – Moose

via sportingnews.com

Moose was very close to signing with WWE a few years ago, but his troubled past was something WWE didn’t want to deal with at the time. However, with so many promotions fighting for talent, they’ll look past that in 2019. Moose has everything you could want in a big star: size, a great connection with the crowd, and incredible athleticism for a man of his size, and WWE is where he wants to be. Sure, Impact give him the freedom to be who he wants, but in terms of a global audience, they don’t come close to WWE, and while he will have to go through NXT first, Moose will be as big a star as he wants in WWE.

15 Leaving – Dana Brooke

via WWE.com

With so much talent in the women’s division coming up, it’s hard to see how people like Dana Brooke will have a place in the future of this division, and in 2019, it’s likely that they will let her go. With the look and obvious raw talent that she possesses, a WWE return in the future wouldn’t be surprising, but in order for that to happen, she needs to work on her in-ring skills and character. If she can channel the likes of EC3 and Drew Galloway in transforming herself on the independent scene, then we can see Brooke as a big future star. However, before 2019 is out, she’ll have to rely on herself.

14 Debuting – Eli Drake

via spaziowrestling.it

A lot of stars on the current independent scene get over with the crowd due to their jaw-dropping arsenal of moves, but Drake is the complete opposite to that, and it makes him stand out quite a lot. He’s been working for Impact for the better part of the last three years and has even been their World Champion, and with his fantastic promo ability to go along with an old-school move set, he is a perfect fit for WWE. Sure, they are going to have to work hard to help get him over as a top heel, but with his talent and character work, he could be a top villain in NXT in no time.

13 Leaving – Apollo Crews

via caq.fr

As a wrestler, Apollo Crews seemingly has it all, but unfortunately, he just doesn’t have the larger than life charisma that WWE desire, and after pushing him hard early on in his main roster career, it will be over in 2019. Most of the performers on this side of the list would be great on the independents, and so would Crews, but in the same vein as EC3 and Drew McIntyre, he would ultimately make his way back to WWE. Crews has the look and the in-ring skills, but he has to work on his charisma, promo and character work, but if he can do that in a year or two away from WWE in a similar style to Bobby Lashley, he’ll come back as a huge star.

12 Debuting – Aussie Open

via twitter.com

With the WWE UK Division and UK in general thriving, there is a need for more talent to fill up rosters, and none have taken their spot with more gusto in 2018 than the duo of Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher, Aussie Open. The former Progress Tag Team Champions have been improving weekly over the last few years as a team, and with so many familiar foes waiting in NXT, it’s only a matter of time. It's true that they’re still quite young as a team (and in general, as Fletcher is only 21), so the company may take their time with a big push, but the talent and the fan following is there, so it’s a matter of when, not if, for these two.

11 Leaving – Hideo Itami

via alchetron.com

Hideo Itami came to WWE at the time NXT was really beginning to heat up with TakeOver, and he should have been a big star, but a number of factors have worked together in holding the former KENTA back. Whether it be the difficult change in style or his multiple injuries, Itami has just never connected with WWE crowds in the way former indie standouts like Shinsuke Nakamura, Samoa Joe, or countless others did. He has been linked to a move back to Japan for quite some time now, and despite the quality of 205 Live, it just doesn’t have the exposure that Itami would like, so when his contract expires, expect him to go back to his homeland.

10 Debuting – Madison Eagles

via twitter.com

Madison Eagles is one of the finest professional wrestlers on earth, being the only woman to be named No. 1 in PWI’s Top 50 as a wrestler outside of WWE or TNA, but it’s time she took her talents to the biggest stage. Eagles can wrestle any style imaginable, and being from Australia, she hasn’t wrestled a lot of the worlds top talent on a big stage. However, 2019 could be her year, if she so chose. WWE haven’t acknowledged whether the Mae Young Classic will be a yearly occurrence, but if it is, Madison should be at the top of WWE’s list when it comes to signing new favorites for that tournament.

9 Leaving – Gran Metalik

via WWE.com

205 Live has been drawing rave reviews over the past year due to the quality of their weekly show (no surprise that came after Triple H took over), but not everyone on that brand can be happy. Sure, he’s been performing on RAW as a member of the Lucha House Party as of late, but he has expressed frustration at his standing in the company, and with rumored heat behind the scenes due to this, it’s only a matter of time. Only time will tell if the Lucha superstar will be fired or will walk away, but with so much wrestling out there, there’s no need for him to be tied down to WWE.

8 Debuting – Fred Yehi

via Big Gold Belt Group

Fred Yehi isn’t one of the biggest names in the wrestling world, but if you follow promotions like Evolve, MLW and even the newly formed Black Label Pro, you’ll know all about him. Yehi has a legit background, has a great look and is young enough for WWE to mold, and given their close ties to Evolve, they’ve no doubt seen plenty of him, so it wouldn’t surprise us if he turned up in NXT this coming year. His partner, Tracy Williams, is currently signed to ROH, but if he were to one day join WWE, then these two would be able to rekindle the Catch Point magic from Evolv. Either way, Yehi is going to end up in WWE quite soon.

7 Leaving – Gallows and Anderson

via ewrestling.news

Gallows and Anderson made their debut shortly after AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura also defected from New Japan, and despite holding Championship gold, they aren’t anywhere near the level they should be. WWE usually struggle to book tag teams consistently and convincingly, and these two are a prime example of that, and recently, rumors have been flying that they wish to return to New Japan. There is also the rumored All Elite Wrestling, and these two have strong connections to that, but either way, it’s hard to see them re-signing with WWE.

6 Debuting – Shane Strickland

via Wikipedia

All the talk in the wrestling world over the past year has been about the UK and Japan independent scene, but the US is continuing to grow with promotions like MLW and Evolve, and a big star in both of those promotions is Shane "Swerve" Strickland. Combining his charisma with fantastic athleticism, Strickland has become a star in every promotion he works for, and the next logical step in his career is to move to NXT. Sure, the brand is currently stacked with talent, but if the company invest time into Shane, he will pay it back, as he is a genuine superstar in the making.

5 Leaving – Alicia Fox

via prowrestlingsheet.com

Somehow, Alicia Fox has been with WWE for over a decade now, but with all of the incredibly talented women coming through NXT and NXT UK, there’s no way she can keep her job much longer. The current main roster brands are also stacked with talent, but unfortunately, Fox came into WWE at a different time, and she just doesn’t have the wrestling skills to keep up. She hasn’t really done anything over the last few years at all, and it wouldn’t have surprised anyone to see her let go over the past few years, but 2019 is the year that WWE finally need to move on from her.

4 Debuting – Kushida

via sescoops.com

Ever since AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Gallows & Anderson all came to WWE from New Japan, there have been rumors about the next top star to jump, and while it’s unlikely Tetsuya Naito or Kazuchika Okada will jump, Kushida may just do it in 2019. He has recently announced his departure from New Japan, and while AEW is an interesting proposition, it’s almost certain that he ends up in NXT in the year 2019. Sure, he won’t be able to be as Marty McFly as he likes in WWE, but using that character, the skills in the ring, and his pure aura, Kushida could become a huge star in 2019.

3 Leaving – The Revival

via pinterest.com

Once upon a time, The Revival were having Match of the Year seemingly every month, and their rivalries with Chad Gable and Jason Jordan, Enzo & Cass, and #DIY are arguably all best in NXT history, but that was a long time ago. Since moving to the main roster, The Revival have had stop/start pushes (injuries early on didn’t help their cause), and although they are still one of the top teams on RAW, that’s not enough. The duo of Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson have the tag team chemistry down perfectly, and WWE just isn't giving them what they deserve, but if rumors are true, there is an elite new wrestling promotion that would love to book a dream match with the pair.

2 Debuting – Jay Lethal

via Bet Cruise Blog

Jay Lethal has been one of the best professional wrestlers in the world for the past decade, but he’s done all he can do for TNA/Impact and Ring of Honor, and it’s time for him to move on to bigger and better things. He is currently still reigning as ROH World Champion, so it may be hard to walk away from that, but with NXT having so many dream opponents for Lethal, it just makes sense. Whether he’s a heel, a face, or even a comedy character, Lethal excels, and with all the experience he possesses, WWE is the best next step for him.

1 Leaving – Finn Balor

via sportskeeda.com

When he debuted in WWE, it looked like the sky was the limit for Finn Balor, and especially so after he was crowned the first Universal Champion, but it seems like Vince McMahon has lost faith in him since that point. Sure, he’s been put into some big matches, but considering how he was used in NXT and how he debuted on the main roster, his run since that has been a big disappointment. This one may be a bit unlikely, but with the way he’s been treated and the abundance of improvements on the indies since his departure back in 2014, it just makes sense if he wants to get the best out of his career.