As part of the McMahon Family’s effort to “shake things up” on Monday’s edition of WWE Raw, it was announced that several NXT stars will be getting called up to the main roster soon. Those stars include EC3, Lacey Evans, Nikki Cross, Lars Sullivan, and Heavy Machinery.

It turns out that Cross has actually worked on the main roster before. Last month during a SmackDown TV taping in Manchester, England at the Manchester Arena, Cross took on then-SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch alongside the other SAnity stablemates (Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain). The match was short as it only went five minutes with Lynch winning by submission.

There have been rumors for months that the company could be moving up some NXT stars to the main roster and now those rumors have come true. It should be noted that WWE has yet to announce when these talents will make their main roster debuts or which brand that they’ll be featured on.

It’ll be interesting to see if WWE makes another announcement with more NXT stars being called up on Tuesday’s SmackDown Live. If so, this could be an indication as to who will be featured on which brands.

Which of these Superstars do you think has the best chance of making an impact on the main roster?

? ? ? ? ? ?

UP NEXT: Let's take a look at some NEW Superstars that are set to arrive in @WWE very, very soon… #RAW pic.twitter.com/Vj9vUPbTZA

— WWE (@WWE) December 18, 2018

Rey Mysterio Segment Announced For SmackDown

We noted before how Rey Mysterio was added to a number of upcoming SmackDown shows, making it seem like the Master Of 619 will be a regular of the Blue Brand going forward.

Now a new promo from the Miz has confirmed these reports. Miz posted the following video from Instagram, revealing that Mysterio will be a special guest on Miz TV during this week’s SmackDown Live:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpKxlWohd4w/?utm_source=ig_embed

Rey Mysterio made his return to SmackDown Live last week during the special 1000th episode of the show where he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in a one on one match.

EC3 Wants To Shave John Cena’s Head

John Cena recently made a tweet from his official account and in the post; the Cenation Leader talked about giving your absolute all so you’ll be in peace at the end, knowing that you tried your best:

If you give your absolute all to something, no matter the result, you should be at peace knowing you couldn’t work any harder.

— John Cena (@JohnCena) October 21, 2018

NXT Star EC3, who has been calling out Cena since he joined the Development Territory, responded to this tweet from the Cenation Leader, saying that he wants to shave his head:

I want to shave your head.

— ecIII (@therealec3) October 21, 2018

While not confirmed, it appears that these tweets are seeds for a future rivalry between these two stars. With Cena confirming his status for WrestleMania 35, the big question is if we can see them competing at the Grandest Stage of Them All?

EC3 Possibly Injured At NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4

EC3 suffered a nasty shiner in his match against Velveteen Dream at Saturday’s (August 18, 2018) WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 event in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center at the Center on the WWE Network. In the post-Takeover press conference, Triple H noted that EC3 was “dinged up.” EC3 sent out this photo on his Twitter account:

Here’s looking at you kid#NXTTakover pic.twitter.com/zmF9eSw0wg

— ecIII (@therealec3) August 19, 2018

WWE posted this interview of EC3 from after his match. EC3 explains his 1-percent mindset and weighs in on the Aleister Black controversy.

Triple H Thanks WWE Fans

WWE put on another highly praised NXT special this weekend and fans came out to support the show. Triple H, who oversees to the brand, took to his official Twitter account to thank the fans for another great night of action by writing the following:

“An incredible night @BarclaysCenter for #NXTTakeOver: Brooklyn. Thank you to every @WWENXT Superstar who performed tonight and THANK YOU to everyone in attendance and who watched on @WWENetwork.
This is your brand!!! #WeAreNXT.”

An incredible night @BarclaysCenter for #NXTTakeOver: Brooklyn. Thank you to every @WWENXT Superstar who performed tonight and THANK YOU to everyone in attendance and who watched on @WWENetwork.
This is your brand!!! #WeAreNXT pic.twitter.com/6N5VRtAIoQ

— Triple H (@TripleH) August 19, 2018

NXT is back tonight with the go-home show before Saturday’s Takeover event. 3 matches have been booked for tonight along with one segment meant to build anticipation for a key match on Saturday.

NXT 8/15 Preview

Roderick Strong vs Tyler Bate

The feud between the Undisputed Era and Moustache Mountain continues tonight as Roderick Strong takes on Tyler Bate.

Moustache Mountain and the Undisputed Era have each won the NXT tag-team titles from the other team once this summer. The rubber match between the two top teams in the division goes on Saturday but single’s action between Strong and Bate takes place tonight.

the Street Profits vs the Mighty

The Mighty defeated the Street Profits the last time the two teams met. The Street Profits caused a distraction last week which allowed Heavy Machinery to pick up the win over the Australian tag-team.

One of these two teams moves closer to the top of the tag division and one moves closer to the bottom. Which team is which will be decided tonight.

Kairi Sane vs Aliyah

Kairi Sane will have what is commonly referred to as a tune-up match tonight. Sane will take on NXT Women’s Champion, Shayna Baszler, Saturday at Takeover. Before then, however, she’ll take on Toronto’s Aliyah tonight.

These two met last September, with Sane coming out the victor.

Shayna Baszler will most likely be keeping an eye out on this match as she prepares to face Sane again.

Velveteen Dream Verbal Assault

EC3 threw the Velveteen Dream in a pool during a somewhat bizarre segment on last week’s show. This week, Velveteen Dream is said to have a verbal assault planned for his Takeover opponent.

NXT Airs at 8 PM tonight only on the WWE Network

NXT is back tonight with a show from Full Sail University in Florida. The main event for the night is scheduled to be Johnny Wrestling taking on EC3.

Several other matches and segments have been confirmed for tonight’s show.

NXT Preview 7/4/18

Johnny Gargano vs ECIII

• NXT General Manager, William Regal, has told Gargano he needs to move on from his rivalry with Tommaso Ciampa. This is why Regal has scheduled him in a match tonight with EC3. If Gargano can’t get his mind off what Ciampa did to him, he will be in tough against the top one percenter tonight.

Shayna Baszler Has Defeated All Challengers

• Recently, NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler has defeated Dakota Kai, Nikki Cross, and most recently Toni Storm (at the UK tapings).
• Bianca Belair and Candice LeRae are two members of the division who seem to be winning matches a lot lately. Either of them could potentially come out to challenge the champion tonight.

Heavy Machinery vs The Mighty

• TM-61 are now known just as the Mighty and they use any under-handed techniques they can to defeat their opponents. They have already used such tactics once to defeat the powerhouse team of Heavy Machinery.
• After their recent loss to the Mighty, Heavy Machinery indicated that playtime was over. They get a chance at revenge tonight.

Chris Dijak vs Velveteen Dream

• After dropping a tough loss to Ricochet at Takeover, the Dream could use a win here.
• The 31-year-old former ROH wrestler, Dijak, dropped his first match on NXT television in May to Ricochet.

First Match Booked

The first match for next week’s episode of WWE NXT on the WWE Network has been officially announced by NXT General Manager William Regal, who revealed that EC3 vs. Johnny Gargano in a singles match would take place.

WWE taped the next week’s edition of NXT on Thursday, June 21, 2018, from Winter Park, FL at the Full Sail University. Regal wrote the following:

“.@JohnnyGargano needs to move on from @ProjectCiampa, so next week he’ll be facing someone who demands the main event spotlight, the top 1% @therealec3. #WWENXT.”

.@JohnnyGargano needs to move on from @ProjectCiampa, so next week he’ll be facing someone who demands the main event spotlight, the top 1% @therealec3. #WWENXT

— William Regal (@RealKingRegal) June 28, 2018

Main Event Program Begins

WWE officials have started the next program for NXT Champion Aleister Black on this week’s episode of NXT as Black was doing a promo in the ring before being interrupted by Tommaso Ciampa.

It appears that these two superstars will compete for the gold at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV during WWE SummerSlam weekend.

What are your thoughts on Black feuding with Ciampa? Sound off in the comment section.

EC3 has reflected on his first stint in the WWE.

The WWE NXT superstar was a recent guest on E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness to talk with WWE Hall of Famer Edge and former World Champion Christian.

During this interview, he talked about departing from the sports entertainment company in 2013 where he admitted that it was the best thing to happen to him for various reasons and elaborated on them.

“As much as that sucked at the time, it was the best thing that could happen to me for a numerous amount of reasons.” EC3 continued, “and, like, what a better time, what a better opportunity than now? I don’t believe in, ‘ah, everything happens for a reason’. I believe in that in a sense, but the way that everything panned out, played out, worked out, damn, I couldn’t be happier or more excited about what’s to come and where it’s going.”

EC3 did note that his complacent attitude may have been a factor in the decision made by WWE to part ways with him at that time.

“‘What do I have to do to do this?’ ‘This, this, and this.’ ‘Yeah, but…’ ‘What do you mean, ‘yeah but’?’ Yeah, but do it or don’t.” EC3 elaborated, “I mean, we’re all guilty, probably, of ‘yeah buts’ in our lifetime too. ‘Yeah buts’ are probably what got me fired in the first place. There was a sense of complacency. There was a sense of ‘yeah, but, like, you know, I’m not going to get this shot because of this’. And then, yeah, you know what? You get fired, you lose it all, your back’s against the wall, you refuse to accept ‘no’ for an answer. You refuse to let anyone else dictate how you’re going to live your life, how you’re going to make your living, or what you’re going to do. Then you go out and you kill it. You just throw that ‘yeah but’ away and you go, ‘yeah, butts!’”

What are your thoughts on EC3’s comments about his WWE departure?

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcribed quotes

EC3 has opened up on the career path that he has chosen to get him to the point that he is at this time in his life.

The current WWE NXT superstar was recently a guest on E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness to speak with WWE Hall of Famer Edge and former World Champion Christian to talk about various topics. (transcript via Wrestlinginc.com).

In this interview, he spoke about his decision to depart from Impact Wrestling and his time with the promotion where he became a top guy as World Heavyweight Champion.

“I became champ and had a run with it.” EC3 recalled, “then, lose it, win it back, run with the Hardys. It was kind of a weird time especially within the company. I think it was the closest to ‘nobody knows what the hell is going on’ because there [were] always rumors and speculation and we were never really abreast. It could be real or it could be facetious. You never knew and all we could do is do our jobs and did them well. Then, I go from a heel to a babyface for a while. Management changes once, twice, and then, finally, a third time. There was new ownership and at the same time, in my life, I don’t know, my life plan did not work out and I can just probably leave it at that as far as personal things. I thought I had it figured out. I obviously didn’t. And I’m looking at everything and I definitely needed a change and the time seemed right. I loved the company.

EC3 continued by stating, Impact was great to me. Management was nothing but wonderful and accommodating and I had a really sweet deal. But at the same time, I’ve done it. I don’t know what else I can do here besides this company becomes number one, which is not going to happen at all with me. I have unfinished business that I have to seek. Like Good Will Hunting, I had to see about a girl, but that girl was named Vince, Vincent Kennedy McMahon. And she is beautiful! She is so hot! She’s not crazy at all! A little bit [boxy], yep. Yeah, thick around the shoulders… In the back of my mind, there were other options. I was going to leave regardless, before my time just because I had to do something with my life to change it.”

Alongside Bobby Lashley, EC3 was able to get out of his contract early, which in turn allowed him to sign with WWE. The sports entertainment company placed him in NXT, where he made his first appearance on the WWE Network at NXT Takeover: Philly in January.

After his first stint in the WWE, he decided to sign with TNA. EC3 addressed his decision to return to the WWE.

“When I pop in the [WWE] Performance Center or if I’m doing a live event, the local shows that we’ll do in Florida, and you get critiqued.” EC3 continued, “when I first started getting critiqued again, because Impact is all, for better or worse, like, ‘good job! You filled the time. Good job.’ ‘Ah, that wasn’t a good job!’ Or if it was a good job, I know if it was a good job or not. One of the main reasons I wanted to come back too was you’ve got to go to grow. And you need people telling you, ‘you suck’ or ‘this sucks, this sucks, this sucks, this could be better’ and you didn’t get that as much over there.”

What are your thoughts on EC3’s comments? Sound off in the comment section below.

John Cena has given his reaction to a challenge from EC3.

The former Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion was able to get out of his contract with Impact early, which in turn allowed him to sign with WWE. The sports entertainment company placed him in NXT, where he made his first appearance on the WWE Network at NXT Takeover: Philly.

During a recent interview with WWE.com, EC3 made it clear that he would like to wrestle the former WWE Champion at an upcoming WrestleMania event.

He was quoted by saying, “Yes. I want to vanquish John Cena at WrestleMania.”

This is a big challenge considering that WrestleMania is the biggest event of the year for the sports entertainment company.

Cena, who was last seen on WWE television just last month at the Greatest Royal Rumble event by beating Triple H in a singles match, responded EC3’s comments by posting this on his Instagram account:

https://instagram.com/p/BiwXZ57gkQQ/?utm_source=ig_embed

What are your thoughts on a potential match between these stars? Sound off in the comment section below.

A lot has changed in NXT in the past few years and anybody who was there before and returns now has to feel different not only in the environment surrounding him, but in himself as well.

During a recent interview with Byron Saxton for WWE’s website, EC3 talked about his one percent mantra, how he is the best and deserves the best and more.

Talking about the changes in him since his first WWE run, the former Impact World Champion said that previously he was satisfied with just working hard but now he takes everything personally and tries to be ruthless to cope up with the world:

“I was satisfied with just working really hard, and if it’s not my time, well, we’ll get them next time! Now I take everything personally. This is a ruthless world, and one must be ruthless to cope with it. I do not have a dream; I have a vision. I do not seek happiness. I seek success. The only comfort I get in life is victory, after victory, after victory.”

EC3 first joined WWE back in February 2009 and had a 4-year long stint under the ring name Derrick Bateman. He wrestled for FCW and NXT during his time with the company before being released in May 2013.

After his departure, he went on to become a big name for TNA/Impact Wrestling and returned to NXT earlier this year after being released from Impact in January.

WWE is slowly but surely making changes to the way that they portray Shinsuke Nakamura on television.

It all started at WrestleMania 34 earlier this month in New Orleans when he turned heel after losing to AJ Styles for the WWE Title.

As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Louisville, KY at the KFC Yum Center on the USA Network, Nakamura received a new entrance song and video to go along with his new character.

While building up to the Styles vs. Nakamura match at this Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble event on the WWE Network, Nakamura has been taking cheap shots at the WWE Champion by connecting with several low blows over the past few weeks on SmackDown Live.

This leads us to former TNA World Heavyweight Champion and current WWE NXT Superstar Ethan Carter III pitching the idea of a new name for Nakamura’s finisher to go along with his new heel tactic. He sent out the following tweet:

With the amount of low blows @ShinsukeN is dishing out, he may as well change the name of his finisher to the Peenshasa.#sdlive

— ecIII (@therealec3) April 25, 2018

What are your thoughts on WWE turning Nakamura heel? Was it the right call? Sound off in the comment section below.

205 General Manager Drake Maverick has given his pick for tonight’s NXT North American Championship Ladder Match. The former TNA/IMPACT and PROGRESS star has touted EC3 as the man to climb the ladder and become the first ever holder of the new title. He stated: “Im rooting for my best friend @therealec3 tonight at @WWENXT #NXTTakeOver as competes to be your FIRST North American Champion.”

NXT General Manager William Regal announced on the March 7th edition of the weekly WWE Network show that the North American Title would be introduced at tonight’s Takeover: New Orleans event. The belt will become the 4th active title on NXT (fifth if you count the sporadically defended United Kingdom title) and tonight’s Ladder Match to determine the first ever Champion will feature: Ricochet, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan, Velveteen Dream, EC3 and Adam Cole.

https://twitter.com/WWEMaverick/status/982658046135500800

NXT Tag Team Champion Bobby Fish was at tonight’s NXT TV tapings but was on crutches after suffering a knee injury at a weekend live event. PWInsider reports that Fish is scheduled to undergo knee surgery later this week in Birmingham, AL.

There’s no word yet on when Fish will be back from the surgery but it was announced at tonight’s tapings that he and partner Kyle O’Reilly will put their titles on the line at “Takeover: New Orleans” during WrestleMania 34 Week.

In a change of plans, perhaps due to the injury, the finals of The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic came down to air on NXT TV instead of Takeover. Roderick Strong and WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne vs. The Authors of Pain was set to begin as the finals but Adam Cole and O’Reilly attacked both teams for the contest. NXT General Manager William Regal then announced a Triple Threat for Takeover with Dunne & Strong vs. The Authors of Pain vs. O’Reilly & Fish with the winners being crowned Dusty Classic winners and NXT Tag Team Champions.

It was also confirmed at the NXT tapings that the Ladder Match to crown the inaugural NXT North American Champion will feature EC3, Adam Cole, Lars Sullivan, Killian Dain, The Velveteen Dream & Ricochet.

Here’s what looks to be the updated card for Takeover, which takes place on Saturday, April 7th from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Stay tuned for more updates & clarifications on the Takeover card.

NXT Title Match
Aleister Black vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas

NXT Women’s Title Match
Shayna Baszler vs. Ember Moon

NXT Tag Team Title Match, Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals
Roderick Strong & WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne vs. The Authors of Pain vs. The Undisputed Era

Ladder Match to Crown the First-Ever NXT North American Champion
Ricochet vs. Ethan Carter III vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Adam Cole vs. The Velveteen Dream

Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa

– Tonight at WWE Elimination Chamber, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose, and Mickie James will challenge Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss for her title in the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber Match. Ahead of the match, Banks revealed in this post on Instagram that she can only think about those who said she’d “never make it” and people labeling women’s wrestling as the “bathroom break” match.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfmfoh9nAxc/

– Recent WWE signee EC3 and 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick attended Saturday’s UFC event — UFC on Fox: Emmett vs. Stephens — at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

Here for the fights.#ufcfightnight pic.twitter.com/j65596aa5x

— ecIII (@therealec3) February 25, 2018

– Following Monday’s announcement that Jeff Jarrett will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018, the WWE Network has added videos highlighting the career of “Double J” to the “WWE Hall of Fame: Class of 2018” Collection.

• Why was Roman Reigns once arrested?

Former Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion EC3 has addressed his decision to leave the promotion.

Newsweek.com has an article up looking at Impact Wrestling’s new management, several talents departing and how they will overcome these obstacles this year.

Alongside Bobby Lashley, EC3 was able to get out of his contract early, which in turn allowed him to sign with WWE. The sports entertainment company placed him in NXT, where he made his first appearance on the WWE Network at NXT Takeover: Philly last month.

“My decision to leave Impact had nothing to with their business or finances and everything with me wanting to challenge myself to something new. Leaving Impact was a very difficult decision as I had six months left on a very lucrative and talent-friendly contract. Anthem lived up to that contract and always treated me with the utmost respect as a businessman and a person.”

Impact Wrestling executives Ed Nordholm, Don Callis and Scott D’Amore recently spoke with Newsweek to address the recent wave of departures from the company.

Don Callis put a positive spin on the recent shakeup, noting that Impact has recently brought in talented competitors such as Brian Cage, Austin Aries and John Hennigan.

Here are some highlights of what was said about EC3, Bobby Lashley and Jeremy Borash:

EC3

Last weekend, we saw EC3 ringside at NXT Takeover: Philadelphia. He did an interview backstage at the show talking about returning to WWE after 5 long years. Scott D’Amore commented on what led to EC3 leaving Impact.

“His contract was not up,” D’Amore revealed. “He came to us, we had a frank discussion about where he saw himself going.  We decided to sit down and work something out that worked for us on how we’d wrap up this portion of his career.  I didn’t watch NXT TakeOver but when he showed up on screen and my phone started blowing up, I texted him:

‘Congratulations. All the best to you. You’ve got nothing but love and support from us here. And if you need anything, you know where we are.’

And he wrote back the same thing.”

Bobby Lashley

Ed Nordholm admitted that it’s not a good thing when you lose a talent like Bobby Lashley, but wishes him the best in his next career move, whether it’s pro wrestling or MMA.

“Bobby is free to figure out what he wants to do next, whether it be wrestling or mixed martial arts,” Nordholm said. “We wish him all the best.  He’s a great talent, it’s foolish to say, ‘No, we wouldn’t want to retain him,’ but he has his own ambitions about what he thinks is good for him next in his career.”

Jeremy Borash

Perhaps the most surprising departure from Impact in recent months is Jeremy Borash, who had been with the company since its inception in 2002. Ed Nordholm and Scott D’Amore both wished him well, but said they have a lot of other talented people on staff ready to fill his roles behind the scenes.

Nordholm: “He is leaving and joining the WWE.  We wish him all the best. He’s a talented guy and has been with the company forever. But we have a lot of talented guys—change is good and it gives other guys a chance to step up.”

D’Amore: “We always wish Jeremy well. I got one of my first breaks [from him]—Jeremy hired me to be a producer at World Wrestling All-Stars. But we have editors on our team who don’t get the notoriety that Jeremy does. We have great players ready to step up.”

Visit Newsweek.com to read the complete article.

Several of WWE’s newest signees were in attendance for Saturday night’s blockbuster NXT Takeover: Philadelphia event.

EC3, Trevor “Ricochet” Mann and the War Machine tag team were all shown sitting at ringside throughout the broadcast.

The high-flying @KingRicochet is here in Philadelphia, ringside for #NXTTakeOver! pic.twitter.com/hUgSDiR6Wj

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 28, 2018

Yo they're letting War Machine keep their name? that's awesome. ?? pic.twitter.com/PrY2Buo2vg

— ElementGames #WWE2K25 (@ElementGamesTV) January 28, 2018

Candice LeRae made a surprise appearance during the main event to even the odds when her husband Johnny Gargano was being attacked by Andrade “Cien” Almas and his manager Zelina Vega.

He may be leaving without the gold, but @JohnnyGargano has @CandiceLeRae and the #NXTUniverse by his side. #NXTTakeOver #NXTChampionship pic.twitter.com/biObM3MFfo

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 28, 2018

EC3 was interviewed backstage about his return to WWE after 5 long years, which you can check out below.

In addition to performing on the 205 Live shows this weekend, Matt Hardy also took time to comment publicly on Ethan Carter III and the Undertaker.

It is believed ECIII is WWE bound and Hardy took the time to mention his past with him:

In another time, on another Plane, before my PRIMAL PASSENGER had #WOKEN, I had a BROBDINGNAGIAN RIVALRY with The 3rd Version of Carter.

I must admit.. I found him to be a WORTHY ADVERSARY on the Battlefield. @therealec3 https://t.co/xvjl2VBTdI

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) January 21, 2018

ECIII was recently spotted at the WWE Performance Center.

Matt Hardy Q and A

Hardy also took part in a live Q and A session with fans on Facebook Live over the weekend. In addition to answering other questions, Hardy commented that he does not believe we have seen the last of the Undertaker.

According to Matt, the Undertaker has been around for nearly 4000 years:

“The Undertaker is one of the oldest souls in existence. I get chills speaking of him. He has been around for nearly 4,000 years. He was in the most powerful vessel ever when he was known as the Man of Dead, The Deadman. Yes, Undertaker — I have a very strong suspicion we have not seen the last of him. I have an enormous amount of respect for The Deadman. He is possibly the most magical Superstar in the history of World Wrestling Entertainment, the history of the WWE.”

The following article may contain spoiler information about an upcoming WWE debut/return: 

WWE welcomed several new talents to the Performance Center this week in Orlando, including Ricochet, tag team War Machine and Candice LeRae. As it turns out, another free agent has been spotted at the PC.

pic.twitter.com/zmFcrrHLjY

— SEScoops (@sescoops) January 17, 2018

After wrapping up nearly 5-year run with Impact Wrestling, former Impact World Champion Ethan Carter III (Michael Hutter) was at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando this week. PWInsider reports that EC3’s contract was initially set to expire closer to the summer, but he was granted an early release and is now an unrestricted free agent, able to work anywhere.

With the Royal Rumble coming up in less than two weeks, the Rumble match would be an opportune time for EC3 to make his return to WWE. Fueling speculation that he could make a surprise appearance in the Royal Rumble, EC3 has been pulled from an independent show that takes place on Sunday, January 28th.

For what it’s worth, he’s updated his Twitter name over the past several days. His Twitter handle is still @therealec3, but he changed his display name to “iii”.

BIG THINGS COMING#staytuned

— ecIII (@therealec3) January 12, 2018

One of the most exciting aspects of the annual Royal Rumble match is the surprise entrants. Whether it’s a superstar making their WWE debut or a legend returning to the spotlight, the Rumble has produced a lot of memorable surprises over the years.

• Looking Back at 3 Memorable Royal Rumble Debuts

This year’s Royal Ruble takes place in less than two weeks on Sunday, January 28th from Philadelphia, PA. While this is speculative, it’s worth noting that free agent and former Impact Wrestling World Champion Ethan Carter III has been pulled from an independent show the day of the Rumble.

EC3 finished up with Impact Wrestling this week after nearly 5 years with the company. He had been advertised to appear for Renegade Wrestling Revolution on 1/28, but they posted a message on Facebook stating that EC3 will no longer be appearing at their “Over The Top” event from Houston, TX due to “reasons out of their control.”

Obviously this is far from a confirmation that “EC3 will be in the Rumble!” but it’s worth taking notice of. EC3 would be a tremendous addition to either RAW or SmackDown and has developed into a world class performer since his first WWE run as Derek Bateman.

Discussion: If EC3 does return to WWE, do you think he’d be a better fit on RAW, SmackDown or in NXT?

– Bobby Lashley and EC3 are done with IMPACT Wrestling after this past weekend’s TV tapings in Orlando. EC3 previously worked in WWE under the name Derrick Bateman and has a good shot at returning to the company.

PWInsider reports that there is “absolutely WWE interest” in EC3 returning. As for Lashley, Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline reports that the door is still open for him to return to WWE after initially leaving WWE for undisclosed reasons.

– There have been three matches confirmed for this week’s episode of SmackDown Live. A US Title Tournament match-up between Bobby Roode & Mojo Rawley, as well as Xavier Woods vs. Jinder Mahal will go down.

The winners of those respective matches will face off for the vacant title at the Royal Rumble on January 28th. A Six-Woman Tag Team match between the teams of Becky Lynch, Naomi, and Charlotte Flair vs. The Riott Squad has also been confirmed.

Former IMPACT Wrestling star Rockstar Spud posted a rather telling image of himself and EC3 on Twitter with the words “there is an entire universe to conquer.”

The UK born performer had a lengthy run in IMPACT alongside Ethan Carter 3rd, their main event heel personas dominated IMPACT’s programming and provided some of the most entertaining segments available inside the (then) 6 sided ring.

It has been long rumored that Rockstar Spud will be signing for WWE to help boost the flagging 205 Live programme. EC3 himself lost a ‘Feast or Fired’ match during this week’s IMPACT tapings and he is heavily linked with a return to WWE, possibly even as early as the Royal Rumble.

https://twitter.com/RockstarSpud/status/952613906442280963

One of IMPACT Wrestling’s biggest stars, EC3, appears to have finished his time with the company, the recent television tapings featured the now infamous ‘feast or fired’ briefcase match and EC3 found himself with the unfortunate fate of grabbing the ‘fired’ case.

Here are the results for the ‘Feast or Fired’ match:

• Moose – Took the World Title Opportunity
• Petey Williams – Took the X Division Title Opportunity
• Eli Drake – Took the Tag Title Opportunity
• EC3 – Fired

It was recently revealed that both Ethan Carter and Bobby Lashley were likely to leave the company imminently and that a return for both to WWE was extremely likely, now that EC3 is off IMPACT he could potentially appear at the Royal Rumble in just a few weeks.

On Sunday morning, EC3 tweeted:

pic.twitter.com/5k0Kae7ULa

— ecIII (@therealec3) January 14, 2018

IMPACT Wrestling star EC3 recently did an interview with The Mirror in the UK to discuss several professional wrestling topics. ECW discussed recent IMPACT Wrestling departures, Rockstar Spud leaving the company, and how IMPACT can re-cement itself. Here are some of the highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj6jLXd3ftY

Impact, as many fans will know, has undergone so many changes over the past year that at times it’s been a bit bewildering trying to keep up…

“Try working here.”

Those changes have included a lot of talent departures, including your good friend Rockstar Spud, from Birmingham, England.

“Oh my mate, my mate Spud has departed! He has and he is one of the most talented people I have been around and one of the biggest students of the game in this industry. Despite the hell I have put him through and what we have done to each other, I can hearken back to the good old days and what we once were, and I know deep down, in the in the cockles of my heart, that little b*****d will be just fine.”

I don’t blame you! There have been other people who have been a big part of Impact over the last few years leaving the company – Low Ki, Robbie E, Spud, Taryn Terrell and even referee Earl Hebner. What do you think Impact needs to look to do now, to re-cement itself?

“I think people over complicate changes in the business. People come, people go, no matter where a talent is, we’re all gears in a machine in a way, so things do change and just because they do change, it doesn’t mean they are changing in a negative for either the talent or the company. This place is wide open and opportunities are aplenty for people to get an opportunity, to step up and challenge for top spots, people – pun intended – to make an Impact.

“So the platform is there for them to do that. I wouldn’t have had an opportunity if I hadn’t have come over and made that impact as well, to get that different opportunity and change where I was and who I am. Change is good. Change is not the worse thing ever, change is not the writing on the wall or negativity, change is necessary for growth and that comes from both a talent and a company perspective.”

You can read EC3’s full interview with The Mirror by clicking this link here.

Impact Wrestling star Ethan Cater III was a guest on Sean Waltman’s, X-Pac 12360 podcast this week. EC3 spoke about what led to his WWE departure, if he’d ever return, what he learned from the late Dusty Rhodes and much more. Here are some highlights of what EC3 said about:

His departure from WWE / NXT:

“I got hurt on the road, I believe it was a Saturday Night Main Event match with Cesaro and I kinda got hurt. I had surgery and rehab so I went back to developmental to at least work on my skills or do whatever to get back on the radar. Instead, I got fired, but it’s okay, it’s a lesson to learn and it inspired me to work ever harder.”

A potential return to WWE one day:

“It’s definitely a thought I have now that I’ve accomplished a lot and kind of made a name for myself elsewhere and to be blunt and frankly honest I have a lot left to accomplish. I believe I have a lot to prove there (WWE), that I never had the chance to do or didn’t deserve at the time. But you know I’ve learned a lot about myself and know myself now that it’s definitely on my mind but it’s not something I can focus on, my commitments are with Impact.”

What he learned from Dusty Rhodes:

“Just communication, telling a story the ability to base a promo. The hook in the beginning and the conclusion being the most important part and the peaks and valleys you take them on the way, when you’re trying to tell that story. He compared it to a lot of promos to match and match to promo. You have your initial thing that catches their attention. You can have the best match of the world and your finish absolutely sucks. You have a bad match but you have a bad promo. You have an okay or bad match until the end and the conclusion is great, then you have a great promo and a great match.”

Get it all on this week’s brand new episode of AfterBuzz TV’s X-Pac 12360.