Grab your fans and clutch your pearls, because this is a rumor that we can very much get behind. Several Ring of Honor wrestlers that WWE has supposedly had interest in have seen their contracts expire, but haven’t moved on from the independent scene just yet. This is reportedly because WWE is hedging their bets and waiting 90 days or so before bringing in former ROH-contracted talent. Adam Cole might be the first domino to fall, since we’ve been hearing rumblings that WWE wants to bring him in for over a year now.
But you can add a new name to the rumored crop that WWE wants to get under contract — a list that has, at various times, included Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Donovan Dijak, Lio Rush, Bobby Fish, and Raymond Rowe — and this one has the potential to be a game-changer. According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE has “great interest” in bringing in Dalton Castle, and the belief is that ROH would have to extend a “major offer” in order to keep Castle in the fold.
The Observer’s Dave Meltzer notes that Castle would have tremendous superstar (that’s with a small “s”) potential in WWE, and he’s definitely right. Fans have been saying Catle would be a natural fit in WWE for years now, and there aren’t many on the independent scene who have as much charisma, or as fully-formed and original a character as the Party Peacock.
The only question — and a very sad one at that — is what will become of The Boys if Castle were to leave ROH? Yes, we know he has employed various Boys around the globe (often utilizing hilarious cameos), but I’m talking about the real Boys here. I guess there is a second question: who will become Castle’s WWE-approved Boys? I guess we could finally give NXT’s the Ealy Brothers something to do.
If you’re somehow unfamiliar with Dalton Castle, FEAST YOUR EYES.
