As of late, something wierd has been commonplace on WWE television. Heat and Velocity have become must-see shows for indy wrestling fans because they've recently been commonly showcasing young, up-and-coming U.S. independent talent. Within the last month, indy talents like Scoot Andrews, Michael Shane, Paul London, and a host of others have appeared on either Heat or Velocity. Ring of Honor's James Maritato and Spanky were even hired away recently and have become full-time members of the WWE roster.

Maritato, who competed as Little Guido in ECW, has become Nunzio, Jamie Noble's feisty little cousin and has become a regular on Velocity and even SmackDown! As the masked Diamond Back, Spanky debuted on the January 11, 2003 Velocity and, after getting in some very sufficient offense, scored the upset win when he pinned Funaki after the manuever that he once called, "Sliced Bread #2." Lesser known indy wrestlers like Shawn Evans, Jimmy Valentino, and Aaron Stevens have also received some national exposure through WWE television.

WWE has also been utilizing the talent of its three primary developmental leagues, Heartland Wrestling Association, Ohio Valley Wrestling, and Ultimate Pro Wrestling, on its television shows. Doug Basham, Nick Dinsmore, and Red Dogg, all WWE developmental talents from OVW, have been seen on Velocity. Rico, John Cena, Victoria, the colossal Dave Batista, Randy Orton, and 3-Minute Warning (Rosey & Jamal) have made the jump from the developmental leagues to the big-time and have become regulars on WWE television. OVW wrestlers Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin have recently been catapulted into the scene as on-screen proteges of none other than Kurt Angle.

Of course, who could ever forget the impact that Brock Lesnar has made in less than one year. He's already outdone the success of Kurt Angle's year back in 2000. He's annihilated established stars like Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, The Rock, and The Undertaker. He plowed through four men en route to emerging as the 2002 King of the Ring Tournament victor, an honor that he shares with icons like Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bret Hart, Randy Savage, and others. He won the WWE Undisputed World Heavyweight Title and held onto it for almost three months.