By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
I wrote a blog on Tuesday with my list of candidates for the WWE ID program that can read here.
Since then, WWE has announced the first nine independent wrestlers to receive a WWE ID contract.
– Jack Cartwheel (renamed Jack Summit)
– Zara Zhaker
– Zayda Steel
– Sam Holloway
– Marcus Mathers
– Bryce Donovan
– Gal
– Sean Legacy
– Cappuccino Jones
– Ice Williams
I purposely listed Cartwheel, Steel, Zakher, Mathers and Holloway first, as those five were all on my list of top indy prospects.
So, let’s discuss the other four.
* Bryce Donovan is a regular in Wrestling Open and Create-A-Pro in the Northeast indy scene. He’s tall, maybe 6’1″ or 6’2″, and he’s had five AEW matches: three singles losses to MJF, Jack Swagger and Wheeler Yuta, and two multi-man matches.
Donovan routinely teamed with Bobby Orlando as “The Shook Crew.” After they failed to win the Wrestling Open tag titles, they broke up, and Donovan has come back with a great heel character. I’m a fan, and not surprised to see his name on this list. Cagematch.net shows Bryce has competed in 69 matches this year.
* Gal, formely known as Gal Barkay, also is frequent competitor at Wrestling Open in Massachusetts. The Israeli has a great physique — he recently won a body-building competition, and when he’s heel, he wears his medals around his neck. He’s a great smug heel, and I’ve consistently praised his matches, so I am not surprised at all to see him getting an ID contract. Gal is a six-year pro, but he’s only had 29 matches this year, and I feel like I’ve seen a high percentage of them.
* Sean Legacy, age 28, competes regularly in Georgia and I’ve liked what I’ve seen of him. He’s made the trek to Wrestling Open twice and actually faced Bryce Donovan in a match there on May 23, 2024. Legacy also has toured Japan with NOAH, and he’s had just one AEW match, a loss to Will Hobbs in September 2020.
Here is what I wrote, verbatim, about his Action Wrestling match on April 26, 2024:
“Cody Fluffman and Sean Legacy defeated Slime SZN” Bu Ku Dao and Jaden Spade at 7:38. Dao is 5’0″. Fluffman is the heavy partier dancing to the ring; he’s essentially Blue Meanie. Spade wears a headband and purple, and I can’t help but compare his looks to Velveteen Dream. Legacy has a good physique and I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him. Fluffman steamrolled his weight over Spade for some comedy. Legacy hit a standing moonsault at 1:30. Spade kept Legacy grounded. Dao hit a snap suplex. Fluffman hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 5:30. Dao and Legacy traded forearm strikes. Fluffman popped Dao in the air, and Legacy hit a forearm strike to pin Dao. Entertaining enough. Legacy is the one to watch of this bunch.”
* So, this brings us to Cappuccino Jones, who I admittedly had never heard of before. He wrestles in the Oklahoma indy scene, which clearly is why he’s been under the radar. He’s had 28 matches this year, which is quite a bit fewer than most of the wrestlers I would expect to be under consideration for a WWE contract. However, a check of IWTV’s database shows he’s had 12 matches that are available.
SO, here is a review of a match I watched Saturday morning for this article. I checked out “Wrestling For a Cause” on Saturday, June 1, 2024, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Cappuccino Jones vs. Richie Adams. This match is kicking off the show. Jones is Black and thin, and he sipped on a coffee on his way to the ring. Adams is white with dark hair and a beard. My first impression is to compare Jones to NJPW’s Kevin Knight. An intense lockup to open and Jones worked the left arm. Jones hit a hip-toss for a nearfall at 2:00. Richie grounded Jones and tied up Cappuccino on the mat and Richie applied a hammerlock. Jones hit a dropkick at 4:00. Jones nailed a dive through the ropes and they were both down on the floor.
A heel named Mike Andrews walked to ringside and distracted the ref. Two other heels beat up both Jones and Adams. They beat up Cappucino in the ring. Jones was not able to get back into the ring and was counted out.
Cappuccino Jones defeated Richie Adams via count-out at 7:10.
Okay, that match probably isn’t the best highlight match for him, but it gives me a sense of his size, athleticism, and ring skills. So, while he’s under the radar, I can see why WWE offered him a contract.
I’m very curious to see who is next to get a contract.
To the readers, I agree that Jack Cartwheel is the best of the group and the most likely to be a big star.
I see that guy wrestle for Hoodslam every month and he’s amazing. He reminds me of PAC combined with Jack Evans (ironically PAC and Evans were friends coming up). Good physique. Insane hops, can do corkscrew red arrows and stuff. Little on the short side if I remember correctly (standing near him, I’m 5’10 and he seemed 5’4), not that much of a weakness because he is ripped. The Jack Evans parts is that he can high fly and do good Babyface and possibly heel character stuff.
His biggest weakness I saw was him overdoing it with his comedy “Cartwheel” gimmick with 20 cartwheels per 10 minutes approx (and Hoodslam is mostly a comedy promotion and he’s overdoing the comedy more than some of the comedy wrestlers).