Report: WWE signs WALTER, one of the biggest stars in wrestling

WWE is loading up for 2019, as they have reportedly signed another one of the biggest stars in independent wrestling in WALTER.

This year, WWE managed to sign a bevy of incredible wrestlers, with many of them being the best of the best in women’s wrestling. Candice LeRae, Ricochet, Io Shirai, Mia Yim, Chelsea Green, the War Raiders, Matt Riddle, Keith Lee and many more huge names signed with the company in 2018, but WWE isn’t done loading up on talent for 2019.

The upcoming WWE NXT Performance Center class will be beyond loaded, and WALTER will be headed to the promotion soon, per a report from PW Insider’s Mike Johnson.

Per Johnson, WALTER will officially join WWE once his upcoming independent dates are fulfilled, and the hard-hitting Austrian superstar will bring his knife-edged chops to NXT in no time. WALTER’s amazing matches, imposing presence, and vast knowledge of the pro wrestling business will allow him to quickly excel in NXT, and it will be interesting to see how long he spends with WWE’s most popular brand, especially if NXT does indeed get a show on Fox Sports 1.

PW Insider also reported earlier this month that Shane Strickland and Trevor Lee are set to join WWE, as they will exit MLW and Impact Wrestling, respectively. Though not quite as acclaimed as WALTER, Strickland and Lee are two of the most talented wrestlers on the scene and would undoubtedly raise their star statuses in NXT with better coaching and training, in addition to benefiting from WWE’s exposure.

With WALTER, Lee, and Strickland scheduled to join a stacked Performance Center class that will likely include more big names, perhaps a few women’s wrestlers, the rumblings of NXT getting a television deal will likely grow.

It was Pro Wrestling Sheet’s Ryan Satin who posited a two-hour NXT show on FOX in the future, as a result of this loaded up roster. The logic is clear here, because with all this talent, fitting everyone on a one-hour show, even with rotating talent, would be an onerous task. Leaving off the likes of Strickland, Shirai, WALTER, or Green would be criminal.

WALTER is a PROGRESS Champion, a former PWG Champion, a Defiant Wrestling champion, an OTT Champion, and wXw’s centerpiece. His impact on pro wrestling is incredible, and this signing could be a huge boost to both WWE’s product and their efforts to expand in Europe, given WALTER’s experience and influence.