WWE is reported to be currently interested in signing current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA and several other notable indie talents, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
In addition to KUSHIDA, WWE has reportedly shown interest in signing Karen Q and Rachael Ellering, who both competed in the Mae Young Classic this year. Karen Q currently wrestles in ROH and Ellering has been wrestling on the indie scene. WWE also reportedly was interested in signing Marko Stunt prior to his leg injury last month, and Beer City Bruiser, whose contract with ROH expires after December 31st.
KUSHIDA is currently under contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling until the end of January 2019 and normally contracted talent should not legally be available for negotiations, but WWE has become more aggressive with their efforts towards talent signed with other companies. Meltzer speculated that WWE likely feels that only ROH (with Sinclair backing them) and Major League Wrestling pose any serious legal threat to their aggressive tactics and might be under the assumption that New Japan would not take any legal action against them due to being in Japan and the possible differences in laws regarding contracts, which could handicap New Japan’s chances to succeed legally.
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