WWE Talent Scout Jim Smallman Considers ‘Connection To An Audience’ The Most Important Attribute For New Signings

WWE

WWE international talent scout Jim Smallman has opened up about his role in the company and revealed the most important attribute he looks for when recruiting new talent from the independent scene.

One of the hallmarks of WWE’s leadership under Nick Khan has been its increased focus on international markets, with Europe seeing multi-week tours, Raw and SmackDown broadcasts and several major premium live events in countries such as France, Scotland, England and Germany and, in three weeks time Italy, with Clash in Italy on May 31.

There has also been plenty of investment in recruiting talent from the continent, with the company just recently hosting it’s latest set of UK tryouts in London in late April, as they look to add to their roster which has recently added European standouts such as Lizzy Rain, Mason Rook, Dorian Van Dux and Elio LeFleur, to name a few.

Since leaving his post as NXT Senior Writer and Producer in January 2025, Jim Smallman has worked in the UK as WWE’s International Talent Scout, and at these latest tryouts, Smallman discussed the “incredibly exciting” state of the European indie scene.

Speaking in a video posted by WWE Recruit on Instagram, Smallman said:

“The international independent scene is incredibly exciting at the minute. During the course of me doing my job last year I went to 16 different countries and I could have probably went to another 16 on top of that, which tells you how lively all the different scenes are.

“In Europe alone, obviously we have the UK which is where we are at the minute, but then there’s Germany, Hungary, Spain, Italy, France, all great places that have fantastic companies that are producing really cool talent, some of which are at this tryout. So, there’s exciting people already here, there’s exciting people coming through, so the future of wrestling outside of North America is just really exciting.”

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Smallman then opened up about his process behind his recruitment efforts, often packing several shows and wrestling school visits into one weekend, across several countries and cities:

“I decide where to go by looking at what shows are on at the weekend and trying to cram as much as possible in a weekend. So, for example I might go to a school and then two or three shows in France, or I might do the same in Germany. I like to try and make it so I can see as much of a scene in one trip, rather than just flying here there and everywhere all the time.

“The craziest trip I’ve done so far was flying into Germany to go to a school in Gelsenkirchen in West Germany and then flying to Berlin and getting a train to Dresden, going to a school there, going to a show. And then flying to Stockholm in Sweden and then eventually flying back to Manchester.

“That was a more crazy weekend but super worthwhile from a work point of view. Super horrible for my exhaustion point of view. But I just try and make it make sense and I always wanna try and see as much as I can.”

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When asked what he looks for in talent at these independent shows, Smallman identified “connection to an audience” as the most important attribute:

“What I look for when I go to an independent show is primarily people’s connection to an audience.

“There are loads of people who are fantastic technical wrestlers. There are loads of people who are fantastic athletes that have a great look. But the thing you’re looking for the most is: do these people connect with an audience. That’s the really magical thing.

“There are people who, the second they walk through the curtain, they have it, they have something special, different, a complete intangible. That’s what you’re looking for.

“Not everyone has it. Some people have it from day one, some people have it after time, but that’s what you’re looking for.

“It’s like a mysterious ingredient X that you can’t really describe but when you see it you know it, and when someone has that connection it’s really special.”

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