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Something that has become apparent over the past year is that wrestling fans love a good surprise. From AEW's major signings in late 2021 into early 2022, to WWE's rapid-fire free agent signings following Triple H's rise to power, this year has seen new signings play a key role on both of the major promotion's programming. While some fans tend to role their eyes every time that a new wrestler arrives onscreen, either complaining about roster bloat, the signing feeling unnecessary, or just being a troll, there is a method to the madness. When utilized well, new additions to any roster can be a great way to keep your audience excited while also adding a level of freshness to your show.
The WWE & AEW Signings Are A Throwback To The Monday Night Wars
An extremely exciting aspect of the Attitude Era and the Monday Night Wars was the constant jumping ship between promotions. Whether it be The Outsiders and Hulk Hogan arriving in WCW after runs in WWE and forming the NWO, The Radicalz making the jump from WCW to WWE, Chris Jericho's infamous WWE debut, or the famous Rick Rude jump that saw him on both Raw and Nitro the same night, there were plenty of free agent signings made during this period. In turn, wrestling became very exciting to watch as fans chose their favorite promotion and hoped to see more talent arrive.
While nowadays tribalism has reached a fever pitch, there is nothing wrong with a bit of friendly competition and fans picking favorites. Wanting your show to thrive and deliver exciting content is hardly a bad thing, and both WWE and AEW have leaned into making their products as exciting as can be over the last year.
Free Agent Signings Were A Huge Part Of NXT's Rise
While NXT may not be at the level it once was, fans of the Black and Gold brand can look back fondly on the promotion's rise from 2014 through 2019. A key factor of the developmental brand's success was the regular influx of free agent signings that came to the brand. Whether it be wrestlers being signed to Performance Center classes, appearing ringside at TakeOver specials, or having shocking debuts similar to the Undisputed Era and Samoa Joe, WWE NXT made more regular free agent signings than AEW and WWE combined.
To that end, it was one of the reasons that NXT was so exciting during its prime. There was always a sense of "anyone could show up at anytime". Free agents from WWE's past like Too Cool, Brian Kendrick, and Rhyno would make sporadic appearances for the brand, while Joshi stars like Io Shirai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane would make huge splashes in the women's division. Critics of AEW, and WWE to a lesser extent, have cited free agent signings as a negative, but looking at NXT as a blueprint, it makes sense as to why both Tony Khan and Triple H are actively trying to make regular signings to keep things fresh and exciting on TV.
Free Agent Signings Keep The Audience On Their Toes
If there was ever a show to look at for proof that free agent signings and debuts can make for great programming, look no further than AEW's All Out PPV in 2021. Featuring the AEW debuts of Minoru Suzuki and Satoshi Kojima, the debut match for CM Punk, and actual free agent signings in the form of Ruby Soho, Adam Cole, and Bryan Danielson, the show would be one of AEW's biggest and best showings. In recent months, WWE has reached a new level of hype from its fanbase as there has been a rapid influx of free agents appearing on Raw or SmackDown, building anticipation and excitement every week for new faces.
Whether it be Toni Storm debuting in early 2022 and becoming one of the top stars of AEW, regardless of gender, Karl Anderson returning to WWE while a champion in New Japan, or Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland becoming AEW Tag Team Champions, there have been a ton of big stories to come out of the numerous free agent signings from both AEW and WWE this year. WWE and AEW have both learned that an easy way to keep audiences engaged and excited is through playing the free agent card, and it is something that will likely continue into 2023.