Why WWE Passed On Signing Wheeler Yuta

WWE is the destination for a lot of the best pro wrestlers in the world, but Wheeler Yuta hasn’t seen that spotlight yet. Tony Khan is giving him great exposure as part of the AEW roster, still, fans have wondered why a WWE contract wasn’t in front of him before that.

Wheeler Yuta not being signed by WWE at a time when he was gaining momentum on the independent scene became an early sign that WWE was changing how it hired talent. Behind the scenes, people saw his rejection as proof that WWE was shifting its developmental model heading into NXT 2.0. WWE wanted athletes they could mold into Superstars, so “indie darlings” like Yuta weren’t getting deals.

This subject came up during an interview with Sean Ross Sapp, as Wheeler Yuta shared a message he received years ago from a well-respected WWE coach. The coach’s reaction apparently made it clear that WWE’s talent strategy had changed in a way that left many within the company confused.

“Something is going on. Something weird is going on. There is a shift here. Wheeler Uda has everything. That’s a surprising one to all of us. He’s a young, handsome dude with great height that can already wrestle. He’s already better than everybody here. The whole developmental is going to change.”

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Wheeler Yuta then explained what that period in his career felt like while working across independent promotions during the recovery period following the COVID shutdown. He spoke about how the uncertainty around the future of wrestling shaped his approach to his work and growth.

“Yeah, that time in my career was so much fun, like being able to do that on the independents. And it really felt like everyone—like the independents, especially coming out of COVID—were really damaged. Everyone had either gotten signed, and companies were closing, and everyone was just so uncertain about the future.”

“Well, you know, I had a lot of time sitting at home, and I was lucky that I didn’t get laid off for too long. I had my day job at the Vitamin Shoppe in Philly, and I had to go back as an essential worker. But I did have a lot more time to myself to really focus on what kind of wrestler I wanted to be and work on my body and stuff like that.”

“That was a really fun time in my career, to just be able to, like you said, go on that tear and really be one of the top guys on the independents. Because up to that point, I was sort of working my way up and trying to get there.”

“That was an absolute blast—my match with Lee Moriarty at Beyond and then the one with Daniel Garcia, even though we were both in AEW at the time—those are two of my favorite matches that I’ve ever had. That was a really fun time in my career as the independent wrestling champion.”

Wheeler Yuta’s journey before reaching national television ran through a long stretch of independent promotions where he built a consistent body of work. He made a name for himself, hustling on the indies, and he gained a good following and a lot of buzz around his name.

Yuta competed for smaller companies that included Beyond Wrestling, Combat Zone Wrestling, CHIKARA, and other regional companies. This is where he developed the timing and ring control that became part of his identity.

By the time AEW brought him in for regular bookings on their television shows, he had racked up years of steady work that made him a perfect fit for a national platform, but WWE just wasn’t looking for someone like him.

We will have to see if Wheeler Yuta ever ends up on WWE television. He has a lot of talent, and the company may have also shifted their focus a bit, because Triple H has brought a lot of new perspective to the table.

What’s your take on WWE passing on Wheeler Yuta? Do you think that he will end up in WWE after his AEW deal runs up? Let us know what you think in the comments section!

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