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Ricochet, Candice LeRae, War Machine Will Bolster NXT Roster

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Professional wrestlers Ricochet, Candice LeRae, War Machine – Raymond Rowe and Hanson – are wasting no time in starting their tenure with WWE.

On their website, WWE and NXT social media posted pictures of all four wrestlers’s first day at the Performance Center, sporting T-shirts “Property of WWE Performance Center.” The images come off the heels of the company announcing the signing of all four wrestlers to contracts.

Both Ricochet and War Machine said their farewells at events over the weekend and LeRae will make her final indie appearance at Bar Wrestling’s Happily Ever After event in Baldwin Park, California on Jan. 18.

To say these recent signings are “good gets,” by the WWE is an understatement as all four wrestlers coming into the promotion are regarded as the best in the ring. They come in with a lot of experience, wrestling for companies all around the world, numerous championships and massive fan followings.

The NXT and WWE universes had a glimpse of LeRae during the Mae Young Classic and her appearances in Full Sail University, but they may not know much of Ricochet or War Machine.

It’s going to be a new experience for many fans and while the next few weeks may be a good opportunity for folks to watch videos of all four wrestlers in order to get acclimated with their work, it might be good idea for them to wait until the competitors make their NXT debuts so as have that authentic experience of seeing all four wrestlers perform for the first time in a WWE ring. 

All four wrestlers bring qualities and attributes to NXT that will not only let them showcase their talents, but also help boost the brand’s singles and tag team divisions.

Ricochet is regarded as one of the greatest high flying wrestlers of his generation. There is no one in NXT – or the WWE for that matter – who can move like him, which will allow him to stand out from the other superstars. His style will mesh well with the other wrestlers on the brand.

He’ll also have the NXT crowd eating out of the palm of his hands, which means he could be a babyface when he makes his NXT debut. Potential opponents for Ricochet in his first few months of NXT could include Lars Sullivan and Velveteen Dream. He could also mix it up with the likes of Aleister Black or Roderick Strong.

As for War Machine, fans will argue that NXT already has a couple of big man tag teams like former titleholders the Authors of Pain and Heavy Machinery. War Machine is different in that they have spent years as a team and traveled the world together.

They’re ferocious and intimidating. They have power but are also agile. It will be fun for fans to watch War Machine face off against the AOP and Heavy Machinery – even SaniTY. They will also be good opponents for smaller teams like Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli and the Undisputed Era.

LeRae brings a different dynamic to the NXT women’s division. She has made a career out of battling some of the toughest women and men in professional wrestling – and found success with superstar tag team partner Joey Ryan.

There are some critics who are worried about LeRae being in NXT because of the stigma of intergender wrestling and her association with it. That doesn’t means she cannot interact with male talent. Fans would love to see her kick the snot out of a chicken heel like Adam Cole. Another way to display LeRae’s toughness would be to match her up against Shayna Baszler, who eliminated her from the Mae Young Classic.

The Queen of Spades will fight you just as hard as anyone, male or female. A match between Baszler and LeRae – given the right amount of time – would a display of hard-hitting action where a dominant heel would try her best to destroy the babyface who keeps getting back up.

Fantasy booking aside, WWE really acquired some great talent in Ricochet, LeRae and War Machine. When the four make their respective NXT debuts, the world will be watching.

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Donovan Dijak Suffers Injury at NXT Vengeance Day

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Donovan Dijak

NXT Vengeance Day was a rousing success for WWE on Saturday which saw a number of headlines come out of the event that was well-received by fans, including an injury suffered by Donovan Dijak during his match with Wes Lee for the North American Championship.

Dijak suffered an apparent broken finger during the match, which was seen on camera and shared on social media.

Following the event NXT general manager Shawn Michaels provided an update on Dijak, stating he did not suffer a broken finger – “Yeah, everybody is good” Michaels said. “I announced it at gorilla, it’s got to be a miracle, It’s not broken.

“We got him x-ray, they said it’s not broken and so yeah, I guess what you do is you kind of numb it and put it back in place and that’s what’s happening now. But it is, again, a modern miracle because we all saw it, it was pretty gnarly looking. But, apparently, he’s going to be okay, which is obviously fantastic news for us and him.”

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William Regal’s New Title in WWE Return

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William Regal

William Regal has made his return to WWE following his brief stint with AEW and now has a new title that is much different than what he had prior to his release from WWE during budget cuts last year.

Regal was Director of Talent Development and Head of Global Recruiting prior to his release. Regal was also the former General Manager for NXT and also had an on-screen role before he made his way to AEW.

According to PWInsider, Regal is now the Vice President, Global Talent Development for WWE.

Ahead of his return to WWE and amid his exit from AEW, Regal issued the following on social media:

“Yesterday was my last official day with @AEW. I’d like to thank @TonyKhan, Megha and all the hard working crew. Contrary to people who’ve never spoken to me or have their information from people who don’t know me or are trying to make themselves noticed, I had a lovely time working there and had a great time. Lots of talented Wrestlers, and lovely people to work for. To my fellow BCC members, it was a special, albeit brief few months but it cemented our already strong friendship. To everyone there, thank you for welcoming me. Best wishes.”

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Ex-NJPW Star Karl Fredericks Signs with WWE

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NXT 2.0

Former New Japan Pro Wrestling star Karl Fredericks has officially signed with WWE following the conclusion of his four-year tenure with NJPW. Fredericks announced on social media back in summer 2022 that he would not re-sign with NJPW.

Fredericks was initially linked to WWE last September, when he was reportedly spotted at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

According to PW Insider, Fredericks has officially signed with WWE and will be a part of the NXT brand initially.

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