Today Pro Wrestling Sheet broke that six new WWE signees from the international independents had received their contracts – three of whom were long rumoured, one a former TNA star and another a competitor in last summer’s WWE Cruiserweight Classic. The list included female stars Thea Trinidad (aka Rosita on Impact Wrestling), Evie and Nixon Newell, plus former Impact champion Gunner (TNA Television and World Tag Team Champion), Italian wrestler Adrian Severe (who competed in the CWC as Fabian Archer) and German indie star Axel Dieter Jr. of Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw).
Here’s a quick look at more details about all six wrestlers:
THEA TRINIDAD
Previous Promotions: Women Superstars Uncensored (WSU), TNA, ROH, SHINE
Accolades: TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion (as Rosita, w/ Sarita)
It’s no surprise she finally signed a deal, as she’s been reported to be at the last two sets of NXT tapings. She portrayed a character who was sitting ringside scouting Andrade ‘Cien” Almas, much like how Stacey Keibler debuted in WCW as Ms. Hancock. Oddly enough, both times the episode aired, her parts had been edited out. She’s also currently portraying AJ Lee in the WWE Studios co-production with The Rock‘s film company, Wrestling With My Family, about WWE Superstar Paige and her family. But Trinidad has been a wrestler since 2010. She was trained in part by WWE Superstar TJ Perkins and debuted with WSU in 2010. After being scouted by Tommy Dreamer, she worked in TNA as Rosita, a part of the faction Mexican America, winning the TNA Knockouts Tag Team titles. When she parted ways with TNA in 2013, she returned to the indies, accompanying her fiance Austin Aries in Ring of Honor and competing in SHINE. She also made sporadic enhancement appearances with NXT.
EVIE
Previous Promotions: MCW (Melbourne City Wrestling), Stardom, SHIMMER, SHINE,
Accolades: PWWA Champion, Artist of Stardom Champion, SHIMMER Tag Team Champion
Evie has been rumoured to have signed as far back as the Fall of 2016. But the New Zealand apparently officially signed her deal in the past week, after tryouts and passing her medical. She had her final indie appearance a few weeks back.
NIXON NEWELL
Previous Promotions: SWE (Southside Wrestling Entertainment), Stardom, WCPW, SHIMMER, CHIKARA, PROGRESS
Accolades: WCPW Women’s Champion, Queen of Southside, SWE Tag Team Champion
Another UK star that was long rumoured to have signed (although her Stardom run had many second guessing the rumours), Nixon Newell also had her final indie match a few weeks ago and, like Evie, seems to officially signed recently as well.
GUNNER
Previous Promotions: Impact Wrestling, PWX, NWA Anarchy
Accolades: TNA Television Champion, TNA World Tag Team Champion
The former TNA star has also been in the rumour mill as well, but it looks like he’s finally heading to NXT. He debuted in 2001 with NWA Anarchy as Phil Shatter and had a 9-year career on the indies before TNA came knocking in 2010. He was renamed Gunner (he was an actual US Marine Corps. gunner in the Iraq war) and became a solid worker for five years. In his TNA tenure, he won the TNA Television Championship and won Tag Team gold partnered with “Cowboy” James Storm.
ADRIAN SEVERE
Previous Promotions: NEW, ASW, PROGRESS, OTT, IPW:UK
Accolades: 2x NEW World Heavyweight Champion, NEW World Tag Team Champion, NEW Hardcore Champion
Adrian Severe was a student of former WCW Superstar Alex Wright, trained and groomed in Wright’s German-based promotion New European Championship Wrestling (NEW). In 2015, he also became a regular with the Liverpool based UK promotion All-Star Wrestling (ASW) and a year later, he was also competing in PROGRESS, OTT and IPW:UK. His international growth caught the attention of the WWE and last year he was selected as a competitor in the WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic, where he competed under the name Fabian Aichner. If he’s heading to NXT, chances are he’ll continue under the Aichner moniker.
AXEL DIETER JR.
Previous Promotions: wXw, PROGRESS
Accolades: wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion, 2x wXw World Tag Team Champion
A rising star in Germany’s top promotion, wXw, Dieter recently wrestled his last match in Germany with wXw wishing him well in his “across the ocean” adventures. It was assumed he was heading to North America to try his hand, but it wasn’t concrete if it was NXT, Ring of Honor or Impact Wrestling. It appears the answers have come in and he’s signed with the WWE. There’s a fair chance that while Dieter Jr. – as well as Fabian Archer – will not only get some NXT airtime, but be used more like the UK stars. William Regal has said in the past that the UK show will feature the best indie stars of Europe, not just the UK. In essence, it’ll be the European version of NXT. If that’s truly the case, guys like Dieter Jr. and Archer are strong candidates to become regulars on that show as well.
Main Photo: WWE
