It's an electric time right now at WWE NXT, as Sasha Banks made history over the weekend and Adam Pearce officially joined the team.
Banks and Charlotte were vital parts to a highly successful run of shows on the East Coast. As they have developed a reputation of doing, they tore the house down. The opportunities WWE continues to hand them point to a promising future for women's wrestling within the company.
As for Pearce, he will now bring his experience as an NWA world champ to the WWE developmental system on a full-time basis.
In other NXT news, a former Bellator fighter is the latest recruit at the WWE Performance Center, the son of a former tag team champion may join him and Chad Gable is now forced to find a new pack where he can serve as the alpha male.
WWE Signs MMA Fighter
The Albanian Psycho has made his way to NXT. Gzim Selmani will follow his MMA career with one in the squared circle.
Mike Johnson writes for PWInsider, "WWE has signed Gzim Selmani, a 20 year old Albanian MMA fighter, who has fought in BAMMA and Bellator, to a WWE developmental contract."
His MMA record isn't all that impressive (he's just 4-2, per Sherdog), but he has the right energy and size to fit into the wrestling world.Selmani is 6'3'', 263 pounds.
He posted on his Facebook page that he would beginning training full time at the Performance Center soon and added, "I am so blessed that I signed with this amazing company."
The behind-the-scenes NXT hierarchy is shifting.
Per a press release shared by F4WOnline, WWE is promoting both Sara Amato and Jason Albert (Matt Bloom). Albert officially gets the spot as NXT's head trainer vacated by Bill DeMott. Meanwhile, "Amato has been promoted to NXT's Assistant Head Coach."
The NXT team is also getting an NWA champ. According to PWInsider (h/t Wrestle Zone), Adam Pearce is now officially a producer and trainer with NXT.
Pearce worked with NXT on a short-term basis in the past. Clearly, he was doing something right if WWE asked him to stick around.
As for Amato, it was frustrating for fans to see her come to NXT as a trainer rather than a wrestler, but she has certainly made an impact in this role. She's spear-headed a thriving women's division and is now set to do even more.
Before they even debuted on TV, Shoot Nation is done. The Chad Gable-led crew is disassembling.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc), WWE is pulling the plug on Shoot Nation. However, Sawyer Fulton and Angelo Dawkins will remain a tag team.
That's a surprising move. It was a good idea to package former amateur wrestlers as part of a faction. It was an easy way to showcase several talents and give guys something to work with gimmick-wise.
Gable is now going to have to find another path to the top. Fulton and Dawkins don't have much potential as a traditional tag team. Unless they are getting another gimmick handed to them, they will struggle to stand out as is.
Indy Wrestler and Son of Former Superstar
Meets with WWE
WWE has its eye on another Rougeau.
Cedric Rougeau, son of Jacques Rougeau (The Mountie), recently spoke with company officials. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc), WWE met with Rougeau earlier this month when Montreal hosted Raw.
At 6'6'', 295 pounds, Cedric is much larger than his father. And he has an impressive look to go with the fact that he is a fourth-generation wrestler.
There's been no word yet on WWE making a move, but chances are, he at least gets a tryout. His lineage and frame will certainly get him in the door.
Notes from Events in Northeast
When NXT expanded its reach beyond Florida over the weekend, it also made history. As noted on WWE.com, Sasha Banks and Charlotte headlined NXT's first-ever live event in Philadelphia.
This was the first WWE house show to feature women as the main event. With as talented as those two are and how much the division is improving, it won't be the last.
The bout, the show and the mini-tour overall were all hits. Of the Friday show in Philly, a correspondent for Pro Wrestling Torch notedthat "the crowd was electric."
The fans weren't the only ones who walked away happy. WWE brass was reportedly thrilled with the house shows in New York and Philadelphia.
PWInsider's Mike Johnson writes, "WWE officials, especially Triple H, were said to have been ecstatic with last night's NXT event in Philadelphia, PA. The atmosphere of the show was described as absolutely electric, possibly even better than the NXT event in San Jose over Wrestlemania weekend."
The NXT wrestlers themselves were amped up as well. Johnsonreports, the roster's morale was "beyond high."
That's great news for NXT fans outside of Florida. It points to the developmental brand doing more traveling in the future.
The more this happens, the better it will be for the prospects. By touring more, NXT is slowly becoming more and more like WWE proper. That's going to make the transition from one to the other easier for these talents.
