Earlier this week, we asked some questionsabout WWE’s newest addition to its Developmental system, the ID (Independent Development) program. Launched in 2024, it’s the bridge for talent already active on the indie circuit who are interested in wrestling for WWE and vice versa.
There are those who argue it’s also a means to control another wrestling market, homogenize training methods & wrestling style, and/or prevent or delay talent from signing with AEW. The persistence of those arguments is a big
part of why so much attention’s been paid to a string of departures from the ID program over the past few weeks.
We still don’t have anything but questions and arguments to go on about the program as a whole, and now we have this game of work or shoot to play with Sloane Jacobs and Beyond Wrestling.
It’s something I happened to stumble across on social media. Tuesday (Oct. 13), WWE ID posted this on X/Twitter:
WWE ID would like to apologize to @WrestlingOpenRI for Sloane Jacobs’ behavior last night.
WWE ID values @WrestlingOpenRI and @WrestlingOpen as important places for independent wrestlers to grow and develop.
I haven’t been able to find any clips of Jacobs’ appearance, but reports all say teamed with Kylie Alexa and Paris Van Dale in a lose to Allie Katch, Liviyah and Shannon LeVangie. Afterwards, Jacobs got on commentary to blame the loss on Van Dale and brag about being on Tubi. When one of the regular announcers cut her off, she threw down the headset and stormed off.
Beyond has been a WWE ID partner from its inception. Jacobs’ ID contract is her second stint with WWE; she was signed to a developmental contract for several months in 2022, including a few televised matches on Level Up and NXT. She’s currently allied with Evolve Women’s champ Nikkita Lyons, but until this past was still wrestling on the indies as The Notorious Mimi — including for Beyond and its sister show Wrestling Open.
That promotion accepted ID’s apology, reposting its message with:
I got nothing but love for WWE ID. Honestly, I feel like I’ve been the biggest proponent of Mimi ever since she got cut, and felt shared pride when she got another chance through the WWE ID program. But using the IWTV broadcast to air grievances was not the right time or place…
Jacobs reposted that and replied:
“nothing but love for the program” but can’t even be bothered to call me the correct name righttttt
Which Beyond replied to with a screenshot of her profile listing both Mimi and Jacobs, and writing:
No disrespect intended. Hope you’re well and appreciate all you’ve done or did for Open. As you can see I’ve got plenty of messages to answer so I’m not going to continue to engage. Best of luck with everything.
This could easily be set-up as a work. But unless Beyond sees big money in a Sloane Jacobs/Paris Van Dale clash, I’m not sure what the work is in service of.
Clips weren’t the only thing I couldn’t find, either. While some sites aggregation of this story mentions it “attracting interest on social media”, I can’t find any sign of that either. If this was storyline, I kind of think everyone involved would be making sure we saw the incident and at least some manufactured interest in it.
What is on social media doesn’t seem like storyline, but in pro wrestling you can’t really rule anything out. It’s Jordan Cruz, one of the wrestlers who went on after the six-woman match featuring Jacobs, and he’s unhappy about the whole thing, presumably because their match was overshadowed by her commentary run-in. Beyond reposted Cruz with its own apology:
My bad dude. You came all the way out from the West Coast and your career shouldn’t be a backdrop for drama. Hope to see you back in the ring at @WrestlingOpen soon. Hey, maybe if anything it’ll get more WWE eyes on you and you’ll get signed hahaha
The shoot read is that Jacobs did go off script to grab some headlines, Beyond didn’t like her doing it, and WWE did feel the need to publicly smooth things over with its partner. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t expect to see Jacobs/Mimi back in a Beyond or Wrestling Open ring. Evolve is taped in advance, but it will also be interesting to see if she’s back in WWE again, or if they too might be legitimately upset with Jacobs.
What do you make of this particular WWE ID situation?
