WWE & GCW: Who Made the Call for Stars to Step Through the Forbidden Door?

Fans excited to see WWE Superstars make appearances outside the promotion know who exactly who to thank for this huge deal. 

Earlier this week, it was reported that WWE Superstars would be competing at Josh Barnett's Bloodsport, which will be part of the GCW Collective during WrestleMania 40 week. GCW themselves wasted little time in confirming the report by announcing that Shayna Baszler will be part of their Bloodsport show. 

WWE's Decision Maker

WWE talent working the GCW Collective is a huge deal given the Sports Entertainment juggernauts historic reluctance to work with others. In his Figure-Four daily update, Dave Meltzer revealed that the call for WWE talent to take indie dates around WrestleMania week came from none other than Paul 'Triple H' Levesque himself. Meltzer added that the Game has a "different view on these things" compared to his father-in-law Vince McMahon. 

Playing Well with Others

While this is a historic move by WWE, it isn't the first time that Triple H has shown a willingness to work with other promotions. In 2020, WWE brought in then-IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James for that year's Women's Royal Rumble. This year's match saw TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace compete in the match. 

On the men's side of things, Shinsuke Nakamura was able to compete for Pro Wrestling NOAH last year as part of The Great Muta's retirement tour. More recently, WWE NXT Superstar Charlie Dempsey challenged for the AJPW Triple Crown Championship this past January.