WWEA WWE star has named the independent wrestling match that “played a big role” in getting him signed with WWE. Before signing with WWE in 2019, Joaquin Wilde performed as Zema Ion and DJZ for the likes of TNA Wrestling, where he notably held the X-Division Championship. Being an independent star, he was also able to make a name for himself with matches in other companies, including a match in Evolve that caught the attention of WWE. 47 mins in”Evolve 115 saw Mustafa Ali defeat DJ Z back in 2018, with Wilde going on to thank his opponent for the pivotal match, tweeting:“This match played a big role in WWE signing me to a contract 3 months later. Ali departed WWE on September 21, 2023, and has since headed to TNA Wrestling, going on to win the X-Division Championship at No Surrender in February the following year.