– We noted before how after being rumored for a while, WWE officially announced the signing of Todd “War Beard Hanson” Smith and Raymond Rowe, collectively known as War Machine and Ricochet.
In the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was noted that all three of these stars have signed a three-year contract with the company. While not confirmed it’s speculated that other wrestlers who reported to the performance center this week may have signed a similar deal.
– Johnny Gargano is all set to challenge Andrade “Cien” Almas at the upcoming NXT Takeover: Philadelphia event for Almas’s NXT Championship during the Royal Rumble weekend.
Prior to his match at the upcoming event, Gargano posted the following emotional message on Instagram, saying that he wants to win the title to share it with his dad:
“When I was 8 years old.. “replica belts” didn’t exist yet but I was OBSESSED with Championship Titles and being a Champion. So much so.. my Dad got this made for me as a present at a trophy shop.
My first Championship.
My Dad went in for open heart surgery on Christmas day. He’s doing everything in his power to be able to travel to Philadelphia to attend #NXTTakeOver with the rest of my family.
I’m going to do everything in my power to bring home a new Championship to share with him.”
