Report: Update on WWE Allowing NXT Wrestlers to Work Independent Promotions

By Connor Casey

The Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez dropped a report on Saturday afternoon claiming a massive policy change within WWE"s developmental system. Alvarez tweeted that the company was going to start letting members of the NXT roster work with independent promotions, something virtually unheard of outside of the now-defunct EVOLVE promotion. It was later confirmed that Ivy Nile of Diamond Mine had been booked for a Reality of Wrestling (Booker T's Houston-based promotion) show on Feb 11. Shawn Michaels then stated during the post-show press conference following NXT Vengeance Day on Saturday night that no bookings had been confirmed beyond Nile's ROW appearance, claiming this was a one-time deal.

"As of right now, that was honestly a one-shot deal," Michaels said. "Booker has obviously been very good to us here. It was something that he asked and we obviously wanted to help him out with that. As of right now, there is no talk of any of that, to my knowledge. Right now, that was just us helping Booker out with the show and doing what we could to see if we could help."

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Dave Meltzer then reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that Michaels' statement was technically true, but that the company is already talking with other promotions. 

"I will try to explain it, Ivy Nile will be working a show in a couple of weeks for Booker T's Reality of Wrestling," Meltzer said (h/t WrestlingNews.co). "Right now, the Reality of Wrestling because of Booker T, it's not....Shawn Michaels actually said it's a one-time thing. From what I understand, regarding Reality of Wrestling goes, they expect to get some NXT stars from time to time. Bryan had put in a tweet and Bryan is basically correct that there are several other companies that have been talked to with the idea that they may be able to get NXT stars, but the Booker T thing has to go well. If it goes well, there are other companies and I think they're targeting companies that have good relationships with AEW and see what they can do. That's part of it of course too. They would be willing to send in theory NXT talent to some independents at maybe...companies have been talked to whether it ends up happening or not, we don't know."

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