Future Plans for El Generico, WWE Signing More Indy Stars?

Last week it was revealed that masked indy star El Generico (real name, Rami Sebei) was on the verge of inking a deal with America's No.1 wrestling promotion. As PWInsider noted, the performer still has to pass various physical tests first, but barring any issues, he should be under contract soon enough.

For fans of Generico, this must be great news. After wowing and impressing many in companies like DragonGate USA and ROH for years now, it's heartening to see the Canadian finally get his shot at the big time.

But what will WWE do with him? Will he be allowed to keep his Luchador persona? Or is a whole new character planned for him?

Well, in this week's (subscribers-only) F4W Newsletter, Bryan Alvarez talked about some of the early internal discussion for El Generico, noting that the feeling is the 28-year-old will likely lose his trademark mask and be repackaged:

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The belief from speaking with those in WWE is that there is a very good chance he'll be unmasked and given a new gimmick and probably spend at least 6 to 8 months in developmental before being called up, probably starting around the end of this month if everything goes as planned.

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Considering the success Rey Mysterio has found in WWE, particularly with kids, many of whom love his "masked underdog babyface" persona, it remains to be seen whether taking Generico's mask away is the most astute move. It helps him stand out, if nothing else.

Following on from this, Alvarez goes on to note that the company may be interested in signing other stars from the U.S. indy scene:

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There are several other big-name indy stars on WWE's radar. I don't know who they are, but within the business the top two names mentioned are Sami Callihan of DGUSA/EVOLVE, who has done tryouts with WWE and impressed people, and Adam Cole of ROH, who has a good look and can work despite being a little small.

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Despite the questions surrounding the plans for Generico, it's certainly encouraging to see the company branch out and sign smaller, talented wrestlers. Let's hope it continues.