During the golden age of professional wrestling, WWE earned the reputation of a territory that churned out stars left and right.
All a wrestler had to do was sign the dotted line, and poof, they were a star. WWE’s promotional machine was all-knowing and all-powerful.
But in reality, we all know it didn’t exactly work like that. Even today, when WWE has about as much global reach as any entity on the planet, it is still not a guarantee that the promotion instantly makes a wrestler a star. WWE’s own creative process can be the biggest fly in any wrestler’s ointment.
But if you were to ask me about the chances of WWE turning Jade Cargill into a bigger star than what she already is, I’d say they are extremely high.
Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp reported early Thursday morning that Cargill’s run with All Elite Wrestling is winding down and that she is apparently on her way to WWE once it’s done.
Jade Cargill is believed to be finishing up with AEW, sources within the company tell Fightful Select
Sources within AEW and WWE both believe she's headed to WWE.
Full story coming to Fightful Select pic.twitter.com/AVts09jkYo
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) September 14, 2023
While there are no guarantees, on paper, Cargill and WWE feels like a great collaboration. If Cargill was a football player, she would be a scheme fit for WWE. It just makes sense.
Is she as seasoned in the ring as some of WWE’s top stars? No, but the former college basketball star has the athletic pedigree to get there. But that also shouldn’t be WWE’s priority when it comes to Cargill. At this point of her career, her strength is her incredible look and the star power she exudes. She commands attention. Her matches are good, but her entrances are also worth the price of admission.
Undefeated TBS Champion @Jade_Cargill is ready to defend the title for the 60th time!
Order #AEWDoN LIVE on PPV right now!
🇺🇸: https://t.co/fVjgrTiTeE
🌐: https://t.co/RLL4ZBJoGf pic.twitter.com/bvrCiH4anp— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 29, 2023
Cargill’s strength just so happens to be a trait WWE is constantly seeking with its performers. WWE has reportedly found it in Cargill.
It should be easy for WWE to capitalize. It should be easy to have Cargill go straight to the top of the women’s division on either Raw or Smackdown. I’d be surprised if Cargill landed on NXT. A television program that is partly dedicated to developmental feels beneath her at this point.
It should be easy to slot her right alongside the likes of Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair (when she returns), Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley, Bayley, IYO SKY and Asuka.
It should be easy to give her even bigger entrances than the ones she produced in AEW. It should be easy for that star power to translate to an even wider audience.
How could this go wrong? The primary reason in the case would be the same one in most cases: WWE’s poor creative decisions. Cargill would not be the first to fall victim to them and probably won’t be the last. WWE’s creative misfires have dashed many wrestlers’ hopes in the past.
Another could be Cargill’s inexperience in the ring catching up with her, but even that could helped by having Cargill consistently work with WWE’s top stars.
Other than those two and maybe injuries, there shouldn’t be anything standing in the way of Cargill becoming a major star in WWE.
It should be easy. But again, this WWE, and things don’t always work like that.