PWInsider is reporting that officially, Indi Hartwell will be booked as part of the babyface side of the roster and Raquel Gonzalez is also on the babyface side.
This has been obvious by the way they have been booked in recent weeks but apparently, their turns became official this week. Technically speaking, Hartwell became a face during her storyline with Dexter Lumis and Gonzalez became a face a few weeks ago Dakota Kai turned on her.
PWInsider also reported that in regards to recent reports about WWE no longer wanting to recruit independent talent, sources in the company state that there will be room for some independent names.
Dave Meltzer recently reported that WWE wants to focus more on signing bigger wrestlers who are not from the independent scene with the idea being that they can mold them. Vince McMahon reportedly wants wrestlers who stand out and who can someday headline WrestleMania. Meltzer also noted that there would always be exemptions.
PWInsider confirmed that there has been a push internally to go for larger athletes that are from outside pro wrestling because there is a feeling that the company went too far in one direction in recent years by recruiting too many independent names. Some would say that NXT has become ROH or PWG with a budget.
PWI added that WWE is not closing the door completely on hiring independent talent and the days of William Regal going to PWG to scout talent are not completely over but the preference is to build talent from scratch.
Meltzer previously noted that some in WWE would scoff at the fact that they had to reteach some NXT wrestlers who came from the independent scene and then they would have to “beat the NXT” out of them when they got to the main roster. It appears that WWE is looking to “correct” this by putting more focus on homegrown talent.
