WALTER signs with WWE, will wrestle for WWE UK brand (w/Radican’s Analysis)

-PWInsider reported that WALTER has signed with WWE. PWTorch has indpendently verified the report. WALTER will be part of the NXT UK brand once he reports to WWE. WALTER had said in the past interviews he would not consider a WWE contract because he doesn’t want to live in the U.S., but this signing creates a loophole because it would allow him to work in Europe.

WALTER was offered a WWE contract earlier this year, which he turned down. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer reported that talks between WWE and WALTER resumed in September. WALTER ended up doing his medicals in early November for WWE. WALTER, who is from Austria, is best known for his work in wXw, but has expanded into well-known promotions in Europe like Progress Wrestling and OTT. WALTER is currently the OTT and Progress Wrestling Champion. He dropped the PWG World Championship to Jeff Cobb in October.

Radican’s Analysis: With details of the new WWE UK contracts coming out and the restrictions placed on WWE contracted UK talent and the signing of WALTER and several other prominent UK talent already under contract, WWE is going to make it difficult for independent promotions to create dream matches in the UK. Will Ospreay tweeted about the development today and it sums things up nicely:

https://twitter.com/WillOspreay/status/1067125340668129280

WALTER is a great talent and is arguably the best wrestler of 2018. His body of work across OTT, wXw, Progress Wrestling, and PWG has been amazing. WWE is getting one of the best talents in Europe under contract with the singing of WALTER, but the bigger picture here is with the structure of the new contracts, it’s going to be hard for non-WWE affiliated promotions in Europe to draw interest going forward.