On Friday night at an NXT Live Event in Tampa, Florida, a new duo emerged to take on the mixed tag team duo of NXT North American Champion Ricochet and Kacy Catanzaro, whom the duo warned would be the “Worst Nightmare” for NXT. The duo was former NXT UK Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley pairing up with Shane Thorne, formerly of The Mighty alongside Nick Miller (who recently got his release from the WWE to attend his newborn child in Australia), who has now changed his ring name to Shane Solo.
A New Nightmare Debuts at NXT Live Event in Tampa
@RheaRipley_WWE is just so Bad Ass🤘#NXTTampa #LoveIt pic.twitter.com/pac8xMZ66h
— MattKOTR (@mlking89) January 19, 2019
@RheaRipley_WWE and @ShaneThorneWWE #NXTTampa pic.twitter.com/ptvRe1J99P
— Ashley (@AshleyLiz39) January 19, 2019
In a very Chyna-esque move, the duo entered the arena with 225 lb. Shane Solo (formerly known as Shane Haste during his Australia and Pro Wrestling NOAH days in The Mighty Don’t Kneel) perched firmly on Ripley’s shoulders.
https://twitter.com/judekilgour/status/1086461648217477120
While the new pairing got the loss against Ricochet and Kacy on Friday night, the pairing got quite a bit of buzz from those in attendance and on Social Media, and a partnership could be just the thing to help elevate Shane Solo as a singles star in his own right with Miller gone from the WWE for the foreseeable future (returning to his former moniker of Mikey Nicholls, he’s already been announced for a return to Melbourne City Wrestling). Rhea Ripley has quietly made her return to the NXT circuit regularly in the US since about November, initially defending the NXT UK title at Live Events, and then feuding with Bianca BelAir at recent events.
