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Wrestlers used to jump from one promotion to the other, often seemingly more than other folks changed their socks.
Sometimes one particular territory won't be a good fit for the wrestler, or maybe their persona or character is at odds with the creative vision being offered. For whatever reason, wrestlers have found a 'grass is always greener on the other side of the fence' mentality to be beneficial.
Adam Cole, Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe, and AJ Styles are all major stars in the WWE but cut their teeth in other promotions such as ROH and TNA. Here are five ROH wrestlers who might get offered a contract with WWE, and five who never will.
Might Join WWE someday: Silas Young
The Last Real Man has enjoyed an ROH TV title reign of late and seems to be putting together a heel group centred on himself and Beer City Bruiser.
Why he might be right for WWE: Young has a great presence, voice, and look. He has throwback appeal but can wrestle the breakneck modern indy style. He would be a great fit on 205 Live or the main roster.
Won't ever join WWE: BJ Whitmer
The Bullying heel has spent more time at the announce booth than the wrestling ring of late but has a wealth of experience and top draw presence.
Why he probably won't go to WWE: Whitmer has been on the indy scene for a long time, cutting his teeth in CZW and eventually landing in ROH. If WWE were interested, they'd have already signed him by this point. With him now moving toward a non-wrestling role it seems unlikely he will ever be in a WWE ring.
Might join WWE: Punishment Martinez
Mixing size and speed, agility and power, Punishment Martinez is one of the brightest young lions in ROH today.
Why he might join WWE: Martinez has the size that WWE craves so much in their talent (McIntyre, Big Cass, Braun Strowman) but also has technical wrestling ability and can utilize high flying offence like a cruiserweight. He also has a great look and presence.
Won't ever join WWE: Sumi Sakai
The wily veteran and technical wrestling maestro brightens up the ROH ring and locker room with her mere presence.
Why she probably won't sign with WWE: Sakai's career has more days behind it than ahead at this point, and she lacks the glamour girl good looks that WWE demands of its women wrestlers.
Might Join WWE:
One of the stronger, tougher women's wrestlers, Klein has been a mainstay of the fledgeling Women of Honor division in ROH.
Why she might sign with WWE: Klein has the look, the skills, and the charisma to fit right in with wrestlers like Charlotte Flair and Asuka.
Won't ever Join WWE: Delirious
The crazy, deranged masked man appears sporadically at ROH events but always gets thunderous applause from the live audience, even if non-ROH fans don't recognize him.
Why he won't join WWE: Delirious has too many strikes against him. One, he's more of a trainer these days than an active wrestler (he runs the ROH Dojo and performs quite well in that respect.)
Also, he's undersized for anything but 205 Live and is getting long in the tooth. Then there's the fact that his ROH loyalty will probably have him die or retire before he jumps to WWE.
Might Join WWE: Dalton Castle
The current reigning ROH world champion was an instant sensation when he appeared on the company's Top Prospect tournament. His technical wrestling and aerial wizardry are dwarfed by his immense personality.
Why he might join WWE: Though he is under contract with ROH at the current time, Dalton Castle has also wrestled for other promotions and is by no means a loyalist. His athletic acumen and fantastic presence would be a tremendous asset for WWE.
Won't ever join WWE: The Boys
The Boys started off as mute, interchangeable valets for Dalton Castle but have developed into their own act and have even won tag gold.
Why they probably won't join WWE: It's hard to imagine the WWE hiring the Boys with their gimmick intact, given the promotion's family-friendly programming, but stranger things have happened.
Might Join WWE: Matt Taven
If you have ever attended an ROH live show and witnessed Matt Taven in action, you will realize he is one of the most underrated, sensational performers on any promotion's roster. His recent elevation to leader of the Kingdom will perhaps allow him to truly shine.
Why he might join WWE: Taven's top-notch technical skills are matched by his goofy, over the top persona and charisma. He could be the third member of the Zayne/Owens alliance right out of the box, or he could be repackaged and rule NXT with an iron fist.
Won't ever join WWE: The Briscoes
ROH's longest-tenured stars, the Briscoes are amazing as a team or as solo wrestlers and are beloved by fans all over the world.
Why they probably won't join WWE: First and foremost, the Briscoes are fiercely loyal to Ring of Honor and have even stated they would retire before they quit working for the promotion. Secondly, the WWE is in the process of de-emphasizing their tag division, which would be anathema to one of the greatest tag teams of all time.
There you have it; Five ROH stars who might jump to the WWE and five who never will. Comment and let us know if there are any other wrestlers you'd like to see change companies.
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