WWE's current strategy of hoarding independent talent is lamentable

[Tom Guycott]

Originally Posted by Stickman They aren’t hoarding anything. If talent doesn’t want to be there they can sign elsewhere.

Okay, so what would you rather do... take a job where you make $50 a night and are appreciated or make $500 a night?

Yes, that's an exaggeration, but WWE has gotten into a habit of throwing a more comfortable amount of money at people who "have a name" on the indy circuit and, for the most part, not doing shit with them or even planning to. They mostly just take talent off the table so that they aren't making money for or gathering attention elsewhere.

This has actually been made worse by NXT, where they might get a false sense of upward momentum, but then when they get the call to the main roster, they're "just another guy". They've gone even harder with tournaments like the Mae Young and CWC, trying to sign talent that you know damn well they really wouldn't do shit with or see any value in (women and cruiserweights), but they appear to not want to take the chance to let someone else see value and capitalize.

People around here have poked fun at Ryder over the years, but seriously, the guy is mostly getting a paycheck to tour with WWE and barely do anything. When he was at his hottest, there wasn't like there was a viable place to go where he could truly say "push me or else". Hell, even when Cody walked, it was considered a huge gamble, even with the beginnings of a new renaissance in the industry going on about that time. They signed CM Punk way back when, and had zero plans for him. They have Daniel Bryan, and fired* him. Twice. And basically gave him paid leave for a few more years. They turned KENTA into a joke, and Shinsuke Nakamura isn't that far behind. Gallows & Anderson are around in spite of WWE treating their tag team divisions like scum. Same with War Machine Raiders. They have the Kanelis' family because the company had a raging boner for Maria and her husband had to tag along, but they clearly have no plans for him to be worth shit. Ricochet is hot shit in NXT right now, but main roster? If it ain't Rey Rey, it ain't worth doing, so you know he'll be on the purple brand holding the "this flippy shit is all you are" title for awhile until all his shine rubs off and he fucks off to oblivion or walks like PAC. Oh yeah, and PAC. Pretty sure 3/4 of UE is around just so those three guys who aren't Adam Cole aren't in ROH anymore.

There's plenty more, but you get the point. There are very few people they "really" want. Every person they have is one less person available for ROH, iMPACT, NJPW, and any other fed... only that strategy is getting less sustainable, since there are now more sources making more noise than ever before, and less guys having to sacrifice "what they love" for "more money".