During the WWE NXT New Year's Evil special this past Tuesday night, The Vanity Project—comprised of WWE EVOLVE Champion Jackson Drake, Ricky Smokes, and Brad Baylor—made an appearance. The faction hinted that they will be appearing on the brand more regularly in 2026, following their significant involvement in EVOLVE over the past year.
According to F4WOnline.com, The Vanity Project currently holds WWE ID deals rather than standard WWE contracts through TKO. There is no information yet on whether WWE plans to change this arrangement. The report noted that these ID deals grant WWE the right of first refusal to match any offers that other promotions might extend to their ID talent. With TNA Wrestling now in partnership with WWE, AEW remains the only other promotion that could realistically offer any of them full-time contracts.
It remains unclear whether their potential call-up to NXT will affect their contract situation, but updates will be provided as they become available.
Drake has held the championship title for over 250 days but has not competed since last November. Smokes and Baylor, competing as Swipe Right, lost during last month's NXT year-end awards show episode. Both wrestle frequently for Wrestling Open, a promotion based in Massachusetts. Former members of The Vanity Project, Zayda Steel and Bryce Donovan, were also WWE ID prospects but exited the program in 2025.
