WWE Rumors: Company Reportedly Set To Make ‘Big Play’ To Sign Top Talent And Stop Him From Joining AEW
WWE and AEW are both reportedly chasing the signing of Benjamin Carter, and the former might be close to making it official. As documented by Fightful Select, by way of Ringside News, Vince McMahon’s promotion is set to make a “big play” to recruit the promising independent star.
According to the report, WWE’s current plan is to have Carter compete on the NXT UK brand. The performer’s residential status has prevented him from working in the United States and getting paid recently, so WWE reportedly intends to use him on its British brand if he signs a contract.
The report noted that Carter joining NXT UK would “would circumvent [residential issues] and keep him closer to home” for the time being.
However, AEW has also expressed an interest in Carter recently. He’s already impressed officials after competing on Dark and his relationship with the company is positive. As The Inquisitr previously documented, he’s spoken highly of Tony Khan and the AEW locker room.
In a recent interview with Fightful, Carter told Sean Ross Sapp that he worked those matches for free as well. He revealed that his visa status meant it would have been illegal for the company to pay him, though he stated he’d do it for free “any day.”
Carter’s comments suggest that he’s keen on joining Khan’s promotion. However, he does have friends in WWE who may convince him to join. As the Ringside News report highlighted, he was trained by Friday Night SmackDown‘s Seth Rollins.
The company just relaunched its British offshoot, and the addition of a popular independent star such as Carter would undoubtedly excite fans. This year has seen some of the show’s talents get released due to COVID-19 cutbacks and controversies. Officials might be looking to beef up the roster.
The article also stated that Impact Wrestling has been keeping tabs on Carter. Khan and McMahon’s promotions seem like the most likely destinations given their industry status, but Impact could be an appealing alternative. It’s worth noting that Carter made an appearance on the latest episode of Impact’s Xplosion show and faced Chris Sabin, who is one-half of the corporation’s Tag Team Champions.
As The Inquisitr article reported, Carter has tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks. However, his latest television appearance suggested that he’s made a full recovery and is looking to make a name for himself in the wrestling community.
