With a new year comes a new pool of free agents for professional wrestling promotions to choose from, and 2026 is no exception. As of January 1, two former NWA titleholders have entered the free agent market, and the race is now on to see who can claim Colby Corino and EC3 for their respective locker rooms.
According to Fightful Select, Corino's NWA contract has expired, and he is currently a free agent. Corino is best known for his NWA Junior Heavyweight Championship reign, which saw the young performer defend his title 21 times over the span of 189 days. Unfortunately, Corino's career was halted by emergency spinal surgery, and has not picked up since July 2025. While Corino has not provided any updates about his next in-ring venture, Corino may very well show up in WWE, as his father, Steve Corino, is a current road agent and trainer for "WWE NXT." This connection, combined with his successful NWA and well-received Deadlock Pro Wrestling runs, may provide the "The Prince of Old School" a door to become a WWE Superstar.
EC3, another former WWE Superstar, also announced his free agency via social media post on January 1. In his three-part statement, he announced that his time with NWA had come to an end, highlighted the NWA legacy he was leaving behind, and applauded himself for his involvement with the creation of Exodus Pro, NWA's first territory.
"Building the future matters to me," EC3 concluded. "That work matters."
Underneath his post, most netizens applauded him for his NWA run, with some openly wondering if EC3's NWA departure will mean a jump to TNA. EC3 has yet to announce any post-NWA plans.
EC3 and Corino's contract expirations come after a successful 2025 for NWA, with Billy Corgan's promotion scoring a broadcasting deal with Roku to counterprogram the CW's "WWE NXT."
