WWE interested in two former Ring of Honor champions

In addition to developing new talents, WWE also has an eye on the independent scene, which continues to be another endless source of potential superstars. The company has shown interest in numerous talents, some of whom will end up in their developmental territory or directly in one of their brands. This could be the case at hand today, as two former ROH champions could soon sign with WWE according to a recent report from Fightful.

"Sources familiar with the situation have informed Fightful that Vinny and Dutch, collectively known as The Righteous, have told some promoters that they are finishing their commitments on the independent circuit in the coming months," the outlet wrote. "From WWE, it is said that the company has shown interest in them, and many believe it is very likely that they will be signed."

"It wouldn't be the first time WWE has shown interest. In December 2022, The Righteous, KC Navarro, and Kylie Rae participated in an exclusive tryout for independent wrestlers. However, this happened just as Vince McMahon abruptly returned to the company and forced an acquisition, causing all hirings to be frozen. This affected WWE's interest in new talents in general, and for several months, no new wrestler was hired," Fightful wrote.

"The Righteous would end up signing with AEW/ROH before getting their contractual release this year. However, we have been told that several talents within WWE have been advocating for the duo's signing. Among them is Elijah, formerly known as Elias, who even recorded videos with them. Another big supporter of The Righteous was the late Bray Wyatt, who wanted to work with them and pushed for their hiring after their tryout," the report concluded.

The Righteous worked for Ring of Honor since the team's formation in 2020. In December 2021, they managed to win their only title: the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (alongside Bateman). A championship they held for 224 days until their defeat at ROH Death Before Dishonor 2022, the first event of the new era after the company was purchased by Tony Khan.

That defeat marked the end of their appearances on the company's television programming, leading many to believe that AEW would not feature them in this new era. However, everything changed when they returned at ROH Supercard of Honor 2023, marking the beginning of a new stage in the brand, where their rivalry with Sons of Texas (Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara) stood out.

Vincent and Dutch competed for ROH for the last time in April of this year. A month later, their names were removed from the active roster of AEW/ROH, with several media outlets confirming that their contracts had expired without being renewed. Since then, they have appeared at some independent scene events, although there is no record of them having wrestled any matches.