The last few months have been a coming out party for TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater, as he’s continued to defend the championship while also making notable appearances for “WWE NXT” and the WWE main roster. But one thing Slater hasn’t been doing in 2026 is hitting the independent scene, a stark contrast from 2025 when the 21 year old wrestled the bulk of his matches outside of the WWE/TNA umbrella.
It appears to be something fans will get used to throughout the rest of the year. While not fully confirmed, Fightful Select’s Corey Brennan reports that the “overwhelming belief” among promoters is that Slater will be taking less indie dates in order to protect himself as his TNA contract begins to wind down. Slater’s deal with TNA is expected to be up by the end of 2026, and it’s believed he will draw heavy interest from outside the promotion, including WWE.
Some did not close the door on Slater working for select promotions, however, though its believed he would largely stick to those in his home country of England. This includes Revolution Pro Wrestling, where Slater worked the most in 2025 aside from TNA and WWE, or NORTH Wrestling, Slater’s home promotion, where he previously reigned as NORTH Champion for over two years.
One place fans shouldn’t expect to see Slater in again is wXw, the promotion Slater pulled out of in December in order to compete at WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event special where John Cena retired. Sources close to the situation claim there has been no contact between Slater and wXw, who were said to be annoyed with Slater pulling out of the show so late, since that time.
