Report: WWE Eying Top Free Agent Talent

WWE has been the landing spot for free agents like Penta, Ricky Saints, and Jade Cargill, and now a former NJPW star could be heading to the company.

According to Fightful Select, WWE is interested in signing former NEVER Openweight Champion Jeff Cobb, who once turned the company down for NJPW. One Fightful source even reported that Cobb was already on the internal WWE roster, but the claim has yet to be verified. According to Fightful sources within AEW, the company is not expecting him to join.

Cobb is set to compete in the New Japan Cup this week, where he faces former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito in the second round. Cobb recently bemoaned his lack of success in NJPW, even noting that he was not winning as many G1 Climax matches as he used to, planting the seeds for a possible exit from the company. The result of the upcoming New Japan Cup match will likely provide further clarification on his future. Cobb is currently a member of the United Empire faction which used to be led by AEW star Will Ospreay.

Cobb is not the only free agent expected to join WWE, as former AEW star Malakai Black is rumored to already have pitches brewing in WWE creative despite not confirming whether he was rejoining the company he left in 2021. Former AEW stars like Penta, Ricky Saints (fka Starks), Ethan Page, Lexis King (fka Brian Pillman Jr.), as well as international talent like Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer have all debuted in WWE over the last year ot so.