Vetter’s Blog: Notes on the latest WWE ID program signees

“WWE ID will identify the top independent wrestling prospects with an official ‘WWE ID Prospect’ designation and support their development journey,” the WWE website states. “WWE ID will give fans the opportunity to follow the paths of these standout prospects on the independent wrestling scene through curated, behind-the-scenes content, as well as highlights and matches showcased across WWE’s social media platforms.”

Between Thursday and Sunday, WWE announced at least five new “WWE ID prospects. They are:

– Ricky Smokes

– Brad Baylor

– Aaron Rourke

– Jackson Drake

– Zoe Sager

So again… who are these five? Fortunately, I’ve seen all of them at least once and here’s my thoughts! NOTE that any bio info (age, matches, etc.) comes from cagematch.net.

I’ll start with Smokes and Baylor, as they are teammates in the Northeast indies as a great heel tag team dubbed “Swipe Right.” I wrote a column on Nov. 6 where I endorsed both men for the ID program. Here is what I wrote just two weeks ago:

– Ricky Smokes and Brad Baylor. I’m listing these two together, as their “Swipe Right” tag team has really taken off. They are great, cocky heels you love to boo. Baylor’s age isn’t listed but I believe he’s 20; he’s had 51 matches this year. Smokes is 24 and has competed in 62 matches this year. This is one of two tag teams on my list, where I’m bringing in both guys on a team.”

Okay, on to the others:

– Aaron Rourke, age 28, wrestles across the northeast indies, and competes frequently on the same shows as Baylor and Smokes. I have compared his overall look to Malachi Black, but he’s thinner. He is known as “Evil Gay,” open with his sexual identity, and he’s great as both a heel and babyface. He’s a good wrestler and if I’m surprised at him being on this list, it’s only because at age 28, I think he is the oldest person of the 15 WWE ID recipients so far. Rourke has had 52 matches this year.

– Zoe Sager is a six-year pro from Alberta, Canada, and was trained by Lance Storm. She’s had 35 matches this year. It appears she hasn’t wrestled outside of Canada yet and had just one AEW TV match in March 2023 in a loss to Emi Sakura. I saw her wrestle Judas Icarus (who has since signed with TNA!) on a Love Pro Wrestling show on Sept. 29, 2023 in Alberta. In my review (still available in the database!)

Zoe Sager (w/heel manager) defeated Judas Icarus in an intergender match to retain the LPW Grand Championship at 17:40. Icarus was in the squash loss to Dutch and Vincent on Saturday’s AEW Collision; he wrestles barefoot and has a lot of Mike Bailey’s qualities, from his kick-based offense to his dark black hair. Zoe is a blonde and reminds me of the Pretty Empowered ladies in NWA. She appears shorter-than-average, as Icarus isn’t particularly tall but he had several inches on her. In a real fight, he’d destroy her. She grounded him early on with a leg lock around his head. He hit a hard kick that dropped her at 2:30 and she stalled in the ropes.

He backed her into the corner and hit some hard chops. He hit a bodyslam and a backbody drop, and this is the lopsided match it should be; he just has so much muscle mass compared to her. He hit some hard kneestrikes in her lower back as she was seated on the mat, then a running penalty kick to her chest for a nearfall at 5:00. Her manager choked Icarus in the ropes, allowing her to hit a 619 and some punches to the face. She hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall at 7:00, and she grounded him. The ref threw the heel manager out. Judas hit some more chops in the corner.

Zoe came off the ropes but he caught her with a knee lift, then he hit a Mafia Kick at 10:30. He hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall and they were both down. She hit an enzuigiri, then a Helluva Kick at 13:00. He hit a spear, then a headbutt. She shoved him into the corner; she got underneath him, put him on her shoulders, and hit an Electric Chair falling slam for a believable nearfall at 14:30. She hit a Pele Kick and they were both down again. She went for a low blow but he blocked it; he got a rollup for a nearfall, then a flipping slam for a nearfall. She got a rollup for a nearfall. He hit a release suplex, dropping her stomach-first. She hit him in the head with her title belt with the ref out of position. Zoe then hit an X-Factor faceplant for the tainted pin. They told a good story despite their size differences.

Also, in my show-closing notes I wrote “she is clearly talented.”

– Jackson Drake is a seven-year pro from North Carolina but is still young. He previously was a tag partner with Jay Malachi (now known as Je’Von Evans.) Drake has actually competed in NWA, and even on WWE Raw (he and a tag partner were destroyed by Indus Sheer on May 15, 2023), as well as three AEW matches.

 He lost an AEW Rampage match to Bryan Keith in July, lost to Dante Martin in a prior match, and as part of a team that lost to Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal and Satnum Singh. Drake has wrestled 37 matches this year. I’ve seen all of his Deadlock Pro matches and a few others. He’s maybe 6’0″ and lean.

Here is what I wrote about his match on Sept. 15, 2024, in N.C.-based Deadlock Pro:

Robbie Eagles vs. Jackson Drake for the PWA Title. Drake is probably just into his early 20s and has a good physique. Robbie tied him up on the mat early on. He hit a huracanrana at 2:30. Drake hit a roundhouse kick to the chest in the corner and took control. Eagles hit a kneedrop on the back of Drake’s knee. Eagles nailed a flip dive through the ropes at 4:30 and landed on his feet. In the ring, Eagles twisted the left leg and kept Drake grounded. He hit a running elbow to the back of the head at 7:00. Drake nailed a standing powerbomb for a nearfall, then a top-rope Swanton Bomb for a nearfall at 8:30. Drake hit a huracanrana but Eagles rolled through and got a nearfall.

They traded rollups. They hit stereo Mafia Kicks and were both down at 10:00.

Eagles hit a 619 to the back of the leg, then a top-rope missile dropkick on the damaged knee. Jackson hit a running knee to the side of the head and they were both down, and we got a “both these guys!” chant. Eagles hit a series of roundhouse kicks to the chest; Jackson hit some back. Jackson hit an enzuigiri at 13:00. Eagles applied the Ron Miller Special (a Trailer Hitch leg lock), but Drake reached the ropes. Drake put him on his shoulders but his knee buckled and Jackson collapsed to the mat. Eagles nailed the Turbo Backpack for a nearfall at 15:00. He hit a top-rope 450 Splash onto the damaged knee, and he re-applied the Ron Miller Special, and this time Drake tapped out. The winner was never in doubt but that was really good.

Robbie Eagles defeated Jackson Drake to retain the PWA Title at 15:15.

There are 15 official WWE ID prospects so far and more are coming. One was supposed to be revealed in Memphis over the weekend; I haven’t seen an official name come forward. Also WWE has announced someone will get an ID contract in Detroit this weekend.

I will also reiterate that I wrote a list that included 25 men and 10 women who should get WWE contracts. So far, five men and two women on that list are among the 15 who have been given contracts.