Hook testing free agency is his best move

Free agency has been one of the biggest stories in wrestling this year. Big stars like Mercedes Mone, Kazuchika Okada, Jacob Fatu, and Giulia are either moving or have moved to new promotions. The contract battles don’t stop there as Dijak, Becky Lynch, Natalya, and more are slated to be free agents soon. There’s one individual who recently opened up about testing the free agency waters, and that’s Hook. The young prospect is going to see what can be available to him and perhaps that would mean a jump to WWE in the future.

In April, Michael Shalik of SE Scoops reported that Hook has plans to explore free agency later this year. The report would go on to say that someone familiar with WWE’s recruitment strategy would be “interested in him.”

Hook to WWE would be an interesting move. In AEW he fits his role perfectly, maturing from the quiet but savage youngster, and slowly becoming a talent that can stand on his own. He’s still only two years into his professional career, and Cagematch lists a total of 61 matches to date. That’s still early in the infantile stages, meaning there’s a lot of potential for growth in Hook’s future.

If AEW were to lose out on his talents to WWE, NXT would be the perfect spot for him to go. Giving Hook the opportunity to learn under Shawn Michaels would be a career-changer. While Hook and Carmelo Hayes are two drastically different types of performers, Hayes has recently talked about the insight that Michaels gave him throughout the years, speaking from his standing as a Hall of Famer, and debatable GOAT. Michaels getting the opportunity to give that same level of tutelage to Hook would be a great benefit to his career.

Hook could benefit from a run in NXT as well. There are some fun potential matches that would pop up on the slate as well. Hook versus Wes Lee, Charlie Dempsey, Nathan Frazer, Axiom, and others jump off the page. Beyond that, there’s always the opportunity of main roster stars making a quick stop in NXT to get a shot at the Handsome Young Devil. Over time, Hook could be slotted into the main roster, but that would be a long time away.

Free agency is a benefit to stars and the fans that love them. If Hook truly plans to test out the free agency waters later in 2024, it would be interesting to see what turns his career would take if he decided to sign with WWE.