Marcus Mathers and Chazz “Starboy” Hall recently were pulled from a PRODUCE Wrestling event, and the promoter had plenty to say about the WWE ID program.
Mathers and Hall were pulled from PRODUCE’s July 16 event in Jersey City due to WWE obligations. The promotion released a statement, saying that all wrestlers’ future bookings would be terminated if they canceled an existing booking.
If you cancel an existing booking with PRODUCE for another independent contractor gig that isn’t a full time contract, all future bookings will be terminated.
Fans questioned how PRODUCE handled the situation, and promoter Adam Abdalla posted a statement, highlighting how wrestlers have been “conned into doing scabwork” through WWE ID.
Just a note on yesterday: The point of my announcements was not to name and shame talent. It was to highlight the fact they were promised the equivalent of a grant program and were conned into doing scabwork. This should be widely understood. PRODUCE exists to serve our fanbase, but as an idea, also as an institutional critique that shines a light on practices that are designed to devalue the talent. I’ll take 1000 bullets personally if it brings sunlight to things that will make folks think twice about screwing talent or the fans. This will always be the tone. If you want passive viewing, youve got plenty of options.
It was speculated that WWE ID talents were pulled from PRODUCE due to their affiliation with MyAEW. However, GCW’s Brett Lauderdale felt there is “zero chance” of that being the reason, noting that there are EVOLVE tapings on July 17 and 18, which require them to be in Florida.
PRODUCE responded to Lauderdale and wondered why WWE would cancel bookings 24 hours before tapings, especially with both events being at least a two and a half hour flight away. PRODUCE claimed they were given no logic or explanation for why Mathers and Hall were pulled and said, “Those don’t justify f-cking the fans,” while tagging Gabe Sapolsky, who oversees EVOLVE and WWE ID.
Lauderdale agreed and noted that GCW also has dealt with WWE ID talent being pulled from shows, including Mathers. He doesn’t believe MyAEW, which GCW has spoken to about a partnership, has anything to do with WWE ID talent.
The WWE ID program was created in 2024 and has seen multiple wrestlers enter and leave the program, with a handful making their way to EVOLVE and NXT. While a WWE men’s and women’s ID Championship has been defended on independent promotions, there have been multiple instances where a WWE ID talent gets pulled due to WWE obligations.
