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Free agency might be the most anticipated option once the calendar turns from one year to the next, but the fact is that a lot of superstars have contracts that expire at various points throughout the year. The end of the year just happens to be a logical ending or starting point for contracts.
While it was disappointing for the WWE to miss out on stars like Bandido, Rush and members of The Elite, there still exists a plethora of talented wrestlers throughout the world that may become available at some point in 2019. It could be in the next few months or again, at the end of the year.
But the WWE will try to sign almost any talented wrestler they feel can both help the WWE and also hurt the competition. With the emergence of All Elite Wrestling, the WWE will also likely be offering more lucrative contracts to those superstars they are either trying to sign or resign.
Since the deals may be better than ever, it might not be as crazy as before to see particular wrestlers come to the WWE. With that in mind, here are 10 professional wrestlers from various promotions that the WWE should try to sign once those talents' current deals expire.
#10 Salina De La Renta
Salina de la Renta is the top manager of one of the biggest factions in Major League Wrestling, Promociones Dorado. In her stable, she represents the likes of LA Park, El Hijo de LA Park, Low Ki and Ricky Martinez.
Her 'mission statement' is that she represents the finest that Latin America has to offer and that she is a pipeline for them to succeed in the United States. She has wrestled on occasion but is primarily a manager/advocate.
WWE needs to refocus on adding and developing more managers because they have been lacking lately in that department. Outside of Paul Heyman, Maria Kanellis and Lio Rush, there aren't many acts in WWE that have managers or promoters. Think Rosa Mendes, but with talent.
The former Stokely Hathaway and Robbie E were both recently signed and each man debuted at NXT Live Events as managers/promoters. A lot of acts that aren't that great on the mic or that cannot fluently speak English need to be paired with managers that can talk for them.
Salina de la Renta is gorgeous and could do just that for any number of superstars that aren't comfortable on the mic. Whether that continues to be as a representative for Latino stars or other international superstars, de la Renta would be a perfect fit in WWE or NXT. Her current deal with MLW ends with 2019, so it may become a possibility.
#9 Dalton Castle
When you first look at Dalton Castle, you probably wouldn't expect that a lot of his offense is based on amateur wrestling. He was actually a Greco-Roman wrestling champion in New York and wrestled in both high school and college. Some of his flashy appearance can likely be attributed to being a fan of 'Macho Man' Randy Savage.
Castle had a run with the Ring of Honor World Championship last year but had to drop it due to a back injury. He is back in action, but recently lost a quick match to Rush at the 17th Anniversary ROH Show. Is that a sign of things to come in the company, or just the start of a storyline?
ROH needs established stars like Castle even though it may seem like they are transitioning well after losing The Elite. They still need trusted veterans like Castle, Silas Young and Lethal to help along some of the newer names to ROH.
A big reason why Castle is perfect for WWE is because he has legit wrestling credentials and he also has a ready-made character. He probably wouldn't be able to bring the Boys with him to NXT or WWE, but his act is flashy and workable in any promotion.
The Velveteen Dream is pulling off a very similar gimmick in NXT at the moment, so perhaps that lessens his chances of being signed. But WWE is interested in anyone who can help their product, and Castle is someone who could certainly do that.
The Lucha Bros
If you aren't familiar with just who Pentagon Jr. and Fenix are, they are two of the most gifted performers of the current generation. If you restrict yourself to only the WWE or the main roster shows, then you are truly missing out of some fantastic professional wrestling outside of the WWE, and mainly superstars like Pentagon Jr. and Fenix.
I'll admit that I became acquainted with them during their runs in Lucha Underground. But during that show's run, the performed in some of the best matches of the last few years and in some of the most creative storylines as well. Pentagon's whole 'master' storyline was interesting as was Fenix's shift from valiant good guy to a soulless bad guy.
Other audiences may have become familiar with them due to Impact or All In, and that's great. Pentagon Jr. fought Kenny Omega in a dream match outside of the WWE and Fenix teamed with Rey Mysterio and Bandido in the main event of All In against the Young Bucks and Kota Ibushi.
As a tag team, they are great, and just watch their series of matches with LAX for proof of that. But they are also able to stand alone as singles performers as they did in Lucha Underground.
Like de la Renta, their current deals with MLW expire at the end of 2019 and they will also be appearing at Double or Nothing. If they are satisfied with what they've done so far in their careers, they might look to the biggest stage in early 2020 and sign with the WWE.
Ace Austin
The easiest comparison I can make for Ace Austin is if you blended Rich Swann and Finn Balor. He's primarily an athletic high-flyer, but some of the moves he pulls out are akin to those performed by Swann, Ricochet and Will Ospreay. While he still has a ways to go and is still working to be on the levels of Ricochet and Ospreay, he's still one of the best middleweight/cruiserweight workers in the world.
He also has a built-in gimmick with playing cards as his name is obviously Ace and he is routinely seen with a deck of cards. He also sports a tattoo of some cards on one of his upper arms.
Austin's matches in MLW with Swann, Teddy Hart and DJZ were phenomenal and should at least give those not familiar with his work a taste of the type of style he brings to the ring.
Should WWE give him a chance, and they'd be crazy not to, the matches he could put on with the likes of Andrade, Ali, Balor and Richochet would certainly wow the crowds.
Killer Kross
If you like The Joker or any other type of characters who sow chaos and nihilism, then Killer Kross is right up your alley. The best comparison I can make is that he's a mix between Bray Wyatt, the Joker and, a Mafia Boss. He's calm, calculating and might even be able to convince you to turn on your grandmother with a few words.
He did foment chaos as the White Rabbit and leader of the Rabbit Tribe this past season in Lucha Underground. Kross got Paul London to basically kill his former teammates in the Rabbit Tribe with his threats and words.
When he was involved in matches, he usually eliminated opponents by using a sadistic version of the mandible claw formerly used by Mankind.
Killer Kross also made an immediate name for himself in Impact when he was revealed as the 'X Marks the Spot' attacker. He'd basically leave a talent like Sonjay Dutt or Joseph Park lying unconscious after an attack and he left a piece of paper with an X on it on their bodies.
He was also a major part of Austin Aries' title run and thrust himself into Johnny Impact's feud with Brian Cage before Bound For Glory. His words are just as imposing as his moves like the Doomsday Saito Suplex and his other submissions.
Eli Drake
Back in the day, Drake was a part of FCW when it was in its earlier stages. A few years later, Drake left the WWE and FCW became NXT. Before the WWE fans were able to witness Drake's ability on the mic, he was out of the company but eventually returned in front of worldwide audiences as a member of Impact.
He debuted with the current Tanga Loa and the current Drew McIntyre as The Rising, a group that wanted to put the wrestling back in wrestling. It was very apparent that Drake was mostly with the group to make a name for himself, and once he broke from the group, he did exactly that.
Drake became one of the top stars in the company, winning every title and even the world title during a tumultuous time of transition in Impact. His ability to spin yarns on the mic was what truly set him apart from everyone else, whether he was running down an opponent or the fans.
Impact recently terminated his contract when he stated that he felt his character wasn't booked the best over the past year. He also refused to take a match against Tessa Blanchard. Impact was also allegedly worried that he had already been talking with All Elite Wrestling.
But whatever the case is, he's a hugely talented performer who should command looks from every major promotion. Depending on where he lands, he could likely slot into the main event somewhere like AEW but if WWE did sign him, they may not book him towards the top of the card initially. EC3 has been booked terribly and he was another former successful Impact star to sign with WWE.
Tessa Blanchard
While she is one of the most talented women's wrestlers in the world, I'm not personally a fan of Tessa Blanchard. It might be her strange facial expressions when she's heeling it up or her constant need to push her tongue against her cheek with the camera on. I know, it's weird.
But that doesn't stop the fact that she's been setting the world on fire everywhere she's wrestled. She's won titles in Shimmer, WOW, Impact and practically everywhere else, growing her profile even more with every title win. Blanchard was a part of the first Mae Young Classic but left the festivities without a contract offer.
Reasons behind why they didn't sign her are only known to her and WWE, but she was of the mind that they would be signing her after her tryout. Maybe the youngster rubbed some people the wrong way or maybe she didn't wow at her tryout. But for them to offer her a spot in the MYC and have her lose in the first round to eventual winner Kairi Sane was something that must have shown faith in her ability.
She also appeared as an enhancement talent several times on episodes of NXT much like Leva Bates and Santana Garrett did a few years ago. She's still in her early 20s and may still eventually want to end up in the WWE. I mean, how could WWE not think about a potential match between two daughters of members of the Four Horsemen? It writes itself.
Kelly Klein
Kelly Klein has been on the independent scene for a while and has been a focal point in Ring of Honor's recent return to establishing the Women of Honor division. The above photo is from when she fought the current Sarah Logan in the division. Nicknamed 'the Gatekeeper', Klein has been booked as the top heel in ROH's Women of Honor, and even became Women of Honor Champion.
But with the recent appearance of the former Beautiful People, Velvet Sky and Angelina Love as the new group Allure along with Mandy Leon, things might be changing for the talented Klein. While she's mainly been a heel in ROH, the arrival of the pretty girls might force her to have to forge an alliance with someone like Jenny Rose, Mayu Iwatami or any number of the other women in ROH.
Klein is like Beth Phoenix in that she isn't a cardboard cut out of a model like Lana or Mandy Rose. She's a little bigger, but is tough, physical and athletic. She's certainly similar in stature and style to someone like Rhea Ripley, who has essentially played the same role as arrogant bully in NXT UK.
'The Gatekeeper' might be comfortable in ROH as she recently signed a new deal, but WWE would certainly up her profile. She'd also be able to compete with some of the talented women who she might not get to face should she stay out of WWE.
Feuds with Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Ripley, Asuka and Ember Moon would certainly help her show the world just how great of a professional wrestler she really is.
King Cuerno/El Hijo Del Fantasma
Throughout the last five years, the former King Cuerno and current El Hijo del Fantasma has been on the WWE's radar. He was reportedly offered a spot in the Cruiserweight Classic but was unable to compete due to contractual obligations to both AAA and Lucha Underground.
While he competed in LU, he was one of the most compelling superstars to never win the Lucha Underground Championship. He had fantastic matches every time he hit the ring and his feud with Mil Muertes was one for the ages. If you didn't see it, think about a hardcore match turned up to 11 with lucha elements thrown in, like 'Day of the Dead' themes and caskets.
Under the Fantasma name, he routinely competed in Impact Wrestling when stars from AAA like Drago, Pentagon Jr., Fenix and Aerostar all started to appear in Impact. He competed for the X Division Title but came up empty in his bid. Now that he's a free agent, it's thought that he might jump back on WWE's radar.
He was among the plaintiffs in lawsuits against LU, trying to be receive fair compensation while under contract to them because they couldn't compete anywhere they wanted while in LU's off-season. Cuerno was actually granted his release from the company earlier this year, so will he seek to go to WWE once again?
Ivelisse
Like King Cuerno, Ivelisse was essentially given her freedom recently when Lucha Underground released a number of superstars from their contracts. The fourth season of the show wrapped up in November, but the talents aren't usually allowed to compete on TV anywhere until the season is finished airing.
Because of that fact and the boom in the business as a whole, Ivelisse was missing out on opportunities in any number of promotions that could have provided her with a platform to wrestle. She was a part of FCW as Sofia Cortez but constantly had injury issues. Eventually, she wanted out of her contract due to issues with head trainer Bill DeMott.
During her time in LU, however, she showed a willingness to fight anyone, even the biggest and baddest guys like Pentagon Jr, Mil Muertes and Matanza Cueto. She did have feuds with Taya Valkyrie and Catrina and was usually involved in matches involving the Trios Championships or the Gift of the Gods title.
Ivelisse blends strong style with lucha moves and could easily hold her own again in the WWE. The main question for her, however, is if she would want to return to the company. She didn't enjoy her time in developmental, but a lot of things have changed down in NXT.
Triple H is in charge and he clearly values talent and potential more than politics. I'm sure he'd gladly welcome her back to the company as they have done with EC3, McIntyre and Mickie James. He's more focused on improving the company with talent now more than ever, so she might accept an offer if one is presented to her.
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