WWE has announced that new Chinese recruits Zhao Xia, Yifeng and Big Boa have reported to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Below is the official announcement with comments from Triple H:

Recruits from China begin WWE training

Three new recruits from China have begun training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

Zhao Xia, Yifeng, and Big Boa were among seven recruits signed to developmental contracts after being discovered during a four-day tryout last June in Shanghai. They will join Tian Bing, WWE’s first Chinese talent signed to a developmental contract, who began his training last July. The additional four recruits are scheduled to begin training at the WWE Performance Center next month.

“Our investment in each of these potential stars further cements our long-term commitment to China and illustrates our commitment to recruiting performers from around the globe,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. “Our talent development team is dedicated to helping the world’s most gifted athletes and entertainers fulfill their dreams of becoming a WWE Superstar.”

Zhao Xia

Zhao Xia is the first Chinese woman to sign a developmental contract with WWE. She has trained in martial arts and is the co-founder of her own fitness studio. Zhao has multiple first-place finishes in various martial arts and fitness competitions, including the Second World Traditional Chinese Wushu Championship, Nike Challenge Competition and First China Throw Down: Battle on the Bund.

Yifeng

Yifeng is an actor from Shanghai, and a graduate of the Shanghai Theater Company. He was most recently featured in the 2014 movie “Lady and Tiger.”

Big Boa

Big Boa is a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He was the 2016 Brazilian jiu-jitsu China Open Gi/No-Gi Champion and represented China at the 2013 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships.

The recruits will join a group of more than 65 men and women training out of the WWE Performance Center.

WWE announced on Wednesday that Tommy End, Big Damo and “Crazy” Mary Dobson have reported to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL to begin training. They listed the following bios for the 3 WWE newcomers:

– Tom Budgen (Tommy End) is a 14-year veteran from Amsterdam who boasts an extensive background in kickboxing and pencak silat, a class of Indonesian martial arts that involves grappling, striking and weapon fighting. Trained by the likes of Chris Hero, Nigel McGuinness and MMA pioneer Bob Schrijber, “The Anti-Hero” has emerged as one of wrestling’s most prolific and dangerous strikers, a tatted, black-metal mutilator whose kicks, elbows and knees threaten to cave in skulls. Budgen competed across Europe, Japan and the U.S., including with EVOLVE Wrestling, London’s PROGRESS Wrestling, Germany’s Westside Xtreme Wrestling and California’s Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.

– Damian Mackle (Big Damo) comes to the Performance Center from Northern Ireland, where the barrel-chested brute is called “The Beast of Belfast.” Inspired by local hero and legendary tough man Fit Finlay, Mackle made his ring debut in 2005, and has studied under former WWE Universal and NXT Champion Finn Bálor and current NXT coach Robbie Brookside. At 6-foot-3 and more than 300 pounds, Mackle was a premier super-heavyweight on the independent scene, having wrestled under the banners of U.K.-based Insane Championship Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling and New England-based Beyond Wrestling, among other organizations. He has also locked horns with Samoa Joe and NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura in the past.

– Indiana native Sarah Bridges (Mary Dobson) brings nearly brings nearly five years’ experience to the WWE Performance Center. Only 23 years old, Bridges has toured throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe, as well as Japan, where she also lived and trained under former WWE Superstar Taka Michinoku. Initially carving her niche in the hardcore-wrestling circuit, Bridges has competed in Shimmer Women Athletes, Shine Wrestling and Ring of Honor. She is often recognized for her war paint and for entering the ring in an eerie hockey mask straight out of “Friday the 13th.” Outside of wrestling, Bridges trains in Olympic weightlifting and has won several competitions.

Channel Guide Magazine has published a new interview with NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. Topics discussed include his experience in NXT and at the WWE Performance Center, his feud with Samoa Joe and wanting to face Brock Lesnar.

As a child growing up in Japan, Nakamura liked wrestling, but wasn’t really a fan of WWE. “Japan had a huge wrestling culture. So I was not really a fan of WWE as a child,” he said. “It was much different than the Japanese style before. We had foreign wrestlers who came from America, Europe. Everyone from all over also ended up going to WWE. I did like Andre the Giant. I can’t imagine what it would be like to fight with him. I want to fight like him.”

Nakamura is at the WWE Performance Center almost every single day. In training there, he’s had a chance to improve his skills by working with veteran trainers like Terry Taylor as well as some of NXT’s younger wrestlers. “I have gotten a chance to talk with Terry Taylor. His opinion has been very interesting for me. He knows there is a psychology and certain things American fans like. I really enjoy studying from him…Most NXT guys are young guys. They keep me young working with them. They challenge me in a different way. I can teach them and also can study. I learn from them.”

Takeover: Brooklyn II saw Shinsuke Nakamura defeat Samoa Joe to capture the NXT championship. They’ve been feuding for several months in NXT and Nakamura says he’s quite familiar with Joe and hsi style. “I know his technique. He has good technique. He has this rare technique that is strong with not only wrestling, but MMA fighting. I also know similar techniques, so it’s nice to face him in NXT. He is a big challenge.”

One WWE Superstar Nakamura would like the chance to work with is Brock Lesnar. The two actually wrestled once before in New Japan, with Brock Lesnar besting the Japanese sensation back in January 2006. When Nakamura makes it to the main roster, a showdown with Brock Lesnar is one of the biggest marquee matches WWE could promote. Nakamura’s into it.

“If I get a chance, I would be up for that. My body would need to be ready because he is tough. Ouch.”

Head over to ChannelGuideMagazine.com to read the full interview.

• Spoilers: Big Angle Involving Shinsuke Nakamura Happening Tonight On NXT

– Former WWE Hardcore Champion Terri Runnels was at WWE HQ last week to film material for future WWE Network programming.

– In the video below, WWE Strength & Conditioning Coach Sean Hayes taking us inside the recent WWE Performance Center Combine:

– Speaking of the WWE Performance Center, WWE confirmed that Scotty 2 Hotty has been hired as a full-time coach. They announced the following:

Scotty 2 Hotty joins WWE Performance Center as a coach

The WWE Performance Center coaching staff has added another former champion to the team.

Attitude Era favorite Scotty 2 Hotty — aka, Scott Taylor— began coaching NXT recruits full-time this week in Orlando, Florida. A former WWE Tag Team and Light Heavyweight Champion, Taylor visited the Performance Center as a guest coach in June, and has competed in WWE and NXT as recently as 2014.

Famous for his outstretched hair and crowd-pleasing “Worm” taunt, Taylor became one of the most popular WWE Superstars of The Attitude Era, teaming regularly with Too Cool partner Grandmaster Sexay and WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi.

He joins another former teammate at the Performance Center in the form of Head Coach Matt Bloom. Bloom and Taylor partnered in 2001-2002, while Bloom competed under the moniker of the “Hip Hop Hippo” Albert.

WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes has been honored at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, where he worked closely with so many WWE talents. Cody Rhodes tweeted a photo of a new memorial that’s on display at the facility.

The tribute features a photo of The Dream, the Dusty Tag Team Classic tournament trophy and over a dozen of Dusty’s famous quotes:

“If you ain’t into this match, you’re at the wrong address.”

“I have wined and dined with kings and queens and I have dined in alleys on pork and beans.”

“Get a dream, hold onto it and shoot for the sky.”

“Funky like a monkey.”

“I am the hit-maker, the record-breaker, I got style and grace, a pretty face. I’ll make your back crack, your liver quiver.”

“The man of the hour, the man with the power.”

“Ric Flair, the stratosphere is reserved for you and me.”

“Superstar, when the other wrestlers are smilin’ and jokin’, The Dream be, WOO! Cookin’ and smokin'”

“If ya will!”

“I’m gonna rip his head off and dance down his tonsils.”

“When I was growing up I sure didn’t think 265 lbs. of blue eyed soul would captivate a country like I have.”

“I’m thankful for my polkadots.”

Here’s the photo of the tribute, sent to Cody by a friend at the Performance Center:

A pal at the Performance Center just sent this pic to me

Grand tribute. It's very nice to see this pic.twitter.com/0hlcc2DIb1

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) August 30, 2016

– It sounds like WWE tried something new with Sheamus this past weekend. Sheamus reportedly worked as a babyface at Sunday night’s live event in Huntington, WV, where he lost in a United States Title match against Rusev. Sheamus has been working as a heel on WWE TV since early 2015.

– Stevie Richards will be working a guest trainer at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando this month. As previously reported, Richards is in the running to be a full-time coach for WWE.

– Noelle Foley recently appeared on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast to promote her new WWE Network show with her father, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley. She revealed that despite her father wishing she wasn’t interested in men, she did have a crush on former WWE Champion Randy Orton, and says Orton smells “fruity.”

“We were backstage, probably five years ago and Randy Orton drops his shirt,” she recalled, “and I’m like, ‘dad, Randy [has] just dropped his shirt’ and he calls back. He’s like, ‘Randy, you dropped your shirt’ and Randy’s like, ‘oh, you can have it’, like pointing to me. First thing I do is smell the shirt because that’s me. And it was fruity! Randy Orton smells fruity.”

You can listen to the entire podcast here.

– Wrestling data analyst Chris Harrington dug into this week’s RAW viewership numbers and found an interesting (troubling) fact about this week’s 3rd hour. Monday’s RAW averaged 3.255 million viewers, with the following hourly breakdown:

• Hour 1: 3.371 million
• Hour 2: 3.490 million
• Hour 3: 2.903 million

Harrington notes that the 3rd hour drop in viewership (578,000 viewers) is the 2nd largest loss in viewership for the final hour of RAW in over 90 weeks. For a much more in-depth look at which Superstars’ “Hour 3” matches have lost the most viewers over time, check out Harrington’s latest #Wrestlenomics article over at Indeedwrestling.blogspot.com.

Final #Raw hr lost 587k viewers this week (vs. previous hr).
2nd largest loss in 90+ weeks.https://t.co/jTyTmGAS3O pic.twitter.com/cLCeN541T9

— Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) June 7, 2016

– Kliq members Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash visited Triple H at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando on Tuesday. Nash called it an “unbelievable facility” and noted that he saw some great looking talent training there.

@ShawnMichaels @TripleH at the performance center. Unbelievable facility. Great looking talent coming up soon pic.twitter.com/j4k2HOJxFh

— Kevin Nash (@RealKevinNash) June 8, 2016

– WWE stock closed at $17.43 per share today, up 0.75%.

– WWE had a lot of fans speculating on social media today with this cryptic tweet:

Locked Away. #Hatch pic.twitter.com/rzdRyLWgkR

— WWE (@WWE) May 26, 2016

– Here’s video from the recent WWE Performance Center tryouts:

– The following matches are scheduled for tonight’s episode of SmackDown on USA:

• Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro
• Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler
• New Day & Big Cass vs. Dudley Boyz & Vaudevillains
• Dana Brooke vs. Paige

– Wrestling legend Gerald Brisco is at the WWE Performance Center today:

Decades of knowledge about the business and an eye for spotting future superstars… @Fgbrisco @WWEPerformCtr pic.twitter.com/ARmqhwxNp5

— Triple H (@TripleH) May 19, 2016

– Sheamus and Titus O’Neil attended Wednesday’s Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins NHL Playoffs game:

Playoffs!! @TBLightning V @penguins #TBLvsPIT… #GoBolts #BoltsSocial @TitusONeilWWE pic.twitter.com/lysPKAsUWJ

— Sheamus (@WWESheamus) May 19, 2016

WWE issued a press release today announcing a number of new developmental signings. With a group that includes a few well-known names in there as well as more obscure international wrestlers, let’s take a look at who the newest additions to the developmental system:

Michael Nicholls and Shane Veryzer of Perth, Australia are Mikey Nichols and Shane Haste, also known as The Mighty Don’t Kneel (TMDK). They were the top foreign tag team in Japan’s Pro Wrestling Noah for several years and were due to sign about a year ago when Haste blew out his knee. It was considered a forgone conclusion that they’d sign once he was cleared and their work visas were in order. With their size, look, athleticism, and ability it was always inevitable that they’d go to WWE at some point.

Nicola Glencross of Glasgow, Scotland is well-known female wrestler Nikki Storm.  “Glencross has eight years of experience wrestling on the independent circuit for Japanese Women Pro-Wrestling (JWP), Pro Wrestling Eve, Scottish Wrestling Alliance, Insane Championship Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Elite, Stardom and Shine.”

Daniella Kamela of Los Angeles, California was a Tough Enough finalist. “Trained with Rikishi Fatu and David Gangrel Heath at Knokx Pro Entertainment, Kamela was an on-air talent for FOX Sports Arizona, Phoenix Suns dancer and Arizona Cardinals cheerleader.”

Macey Estrella of Parris Island, South Carolina has some experience with smaller indies but would be best known as the blonde haired women who cut a really passionate promo at a tryout camp that was aired on Breaking Ground. “Trained with Tom Caiazzo of American Premier Wrestling, Estrella is a former U.S. Marine and mmber of the Marine Corps SWAT Team.”

Nikola Bogojevic of Superior, Wisconsin is a Gerald Brisco recruit. “World-class Greco Roman Wrestler who was the National Champion in Greco Roman Wrestling at the Junior Pan-American Games in 2011. Bogojevic also won bronze at the Pan-American Games in Greco Roman Wrestling in 2014 and has extensive experience training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.”

Terrance Jean-Jacques of Boston, Massachusetts is another Gerald Brisco recruit, and he parlayed his amateur wrestling credentials into a single pro MMA fight.  “Standing 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 265 pounds, Jean-Jacques was an All-American wrestler at the University of Rhode Island in 2015. Prior to that, he accumulated a 32-2 record in wrestling at the University of Iowa.”

Babatunde Aiyegbusi of Olesnica, Poland is a non-wrestler athlete who was recruited into the system. “Standing 6 feet 9 inches and weighing 350 pounds, Aiyegbusi is a former professional football player who had stints in Poland and Germany. Most recently, he spent the 2015 pre-season with the Minnesota Vikings as an offensive lineman.”

Bianca Blair of Knoxville, Tennessee is another non-wrestler recruit. “Blair was an All-American and All-SEC track & field performer in hurdles at the University of Tennessee, and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2011 and 2012. A CrossFit competitor and powerlifter, Blair has been featured in RX Magazine, Femme Rouge Magazine and CrossFit.com.”

Carolyn Dunning of Las Vegas, Nevada is one of the non-wrestler recruits, with her background being as a fitness model. “Dunning is a former Air Force ROTC member and nationally ranked bodybuilding bikini competitor by The National Physique Committee (NPC).”

Scottish women’s wrestler Nikki Storm has signed with WWE, according to a report at Squared Circle Sirens.

Storm has been rumored to be joining the company since last year and finished up her independent bookings over the past weekend, losing a “loser leaves town” match against Sammii Jayne. Storm was carried out to sell her departure.

She’s expected to  report to the WWE Performance Center sometime over the next week.

WWE held another tryout camp at the Performance Center over the weekend in hopes of signing the next round of NXT performers.

WWE has publicly stated that they’re looking to beef up the NXT roster as the brand continues to tour the United States in 2016. The acquisition spree has led to companies like New Japan and Ring of Honor signing many of performers to longterm deals.

Courtesy of Squared Circle Sirens, here’s the complete list of who was in attendance:

• Cedric Alexander
• Taynara Melo
• Deonna Purrazzo
• Tony Nese
• Corey Hollis
• John Skyler
• Justin Chavers
• Chris Payne
• Kamila Turquetti
• Marcus Pitt
• Bryan Payton
• Jeremy Payton
• Maneey Abrol
• Jose Moreno
• Brennan Williams
• Roy Sims
• Danny Duggan
• Idan Dagan
• David McIntosh
• Kuba Ka
• Noelle Jones
• Mike Fierro
• Mike Parrow
• Rhett Giddins
• Laura James
• Anne Phung
• Jayme Jameson
• Marja Chow
• Shana Chow
• Jenna Becerra

Former WWE Tough Enough competitor Zamariah “ZZ” Loupe was recently injured at a training session at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando and is expected to be out of action for up to six weeks.

The incident that led to the injury was described as a case of miscommunication, but ultimately most of the blame fell on ZZ for “not paying attention.” There is definitely a feeling among some within the WWE developmental system that ZZ might not have the brightest future in WWE.

ZZ was the male runner-up on the latest season of WWE Tough Enough. It was announced in late October that WWE had signed ZZ, along with four other competitors from the show, to developmental contracts.

• Video: Emotional Footage Of Ronda Rousey’s Family Watching Her Get KO’d

– WWE posted the above video that features Roman Reigns talking about his intentions to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at this Sunday’s WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view.

– WWE Diva Cameron suffered a cut over her right eye while training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando recently. The cut was bad enough that she had to get stitches. She posted the following photo of the cut on social media.

No1 said it would be easy,but it will be worth every drop of blood I lose& tear shed.Nothing some stitches can't fix pic.twitter.com/zklRYkBm89

— Ariane Andrew (@ArianeAndrew) November 18, 2015

– Bray Wyatt granted a Make-A-Wish at the WWE live event last week in Nottingham, England. The official WWE Community posted the following photo of Wyatt with Make-A-Wish kid Ryair.

.@WWEBrayWyatt grants Ryair's wish in Nottingham, UK. Check out the photos!!
PHOTOS: https://t.co/zkLFNzWMB0 pic.twitter.com/1HAU2qjxYl

— WWE Community (@WWECommunity) November 16, 2015

• VIDEO: Ronda Rousey Tries Hiding Condition Of Her Face In Airport After UFC 193

Independent wrestling star Drew Gulak recently appeared as a guest on The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast and remained very vague about anything to do with WWE business. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On if he has signed a developmental deal with WWE:

“I am not allowed to speak on that issue. If I was allowed to I would be in great detail. But I can’t really elaborate on any business with WWE or if there has been any business with WWE.”

On his take on the WWE Performance Center:

“Based on everything I’ve seen it’s really amazing. It’s like they are pulling all their resources and talent and utilizing it to provide an environment for people to train in and become better and it’s already where the top professional wrestlers and people with minds for the wrestling business have gravitated towards at least traditionally. For the most part that’s where they hover around. It’s an amazing amount of resources that they pulled there and it’s nice to see them broadcasting that.”

On growing up as a wrestling fan and seeing the product live for the first time:

“I was a huge fan my whole life, I grew up watching it since I was young. When it really started clicking was when I started attending Combat Zone Wrestling shows live around 2001. I was super young probably about fourteen at the time and my brother was around eleven and we started watching the shows live and actually didn’t even know Independent wrestling existed because this was before YouTube was around and the internet wasn’t really privy to video sharing and wasn’t as common. For an Independent Wrestling fan you were getting your stuff through VHS tapes that were traded and I didn’t have access to any of that. I barely watched ECW because I didn’t know it was on TV half the time or I wasn’t around to check it out or up at that time to watch it. As ECW folded Combat Zone Wrestling was my first live experience where I was within feet of a wrestling ring and having watched it my whole life this was something that seemed larger than life.”

On training with Chris Hero and Mike Quackenbush:

“I’d go to Allentown and train with Chikara and at that time they were around three years in and sort of a fledgling promotion and Mike Quackenbush was the head trainer there along with Chris Hero. I’d pull up and have a couple seminars with them and when you see guys like that in the ring they do standout and there is a reason for it. They are innovators and ground breakers and having seen them a few times at Combat Zone Wrestling and then at Chikara shows it was really important for me to go and make the most out of that opportunity to train with them. He (Quackenbush) teaches to his students to go out and to learn from as many people as you can and he is very giving in that nature and is so knowledgeable and he loves wrestling and talking to you about it.”

• Ronda Rousey Getting Heat For Controversial Sex Comments, Rousey Responds

WWE Hall Of Famer Larry Zbyszko recently appeared as a guest on The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling Podcast and spoke about his recent time at the WWE Performance Center, his memories of the late Dusty Rhodes and more. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.

On the transition from wrestling to commentary: “For me it worked out great. I had a good twenty year career. By about 1992 I was thinking I’d start settling into the broadcasting thing. It was a good time, I was lucky with the body that I didn’t get hurt and didn’t have any artificial parts, didn’t have any major surgeries, none of that stuff. It kept me alive with the new generation and gave me more publicity because I was on Monday Nitro, then I was on some of the syndicated shows so I had a lot of publicity with the new generation and it was a great job. I worked out and kept myself in good shape and would golf a bunch, I was home so much the wife would get sick of me. It was kind of like the perfect ending to a good twenty year career. Anybody who does that it’s almost like you’ve got this special gift of gab or you are full of bullshit because either you can do a good interview for a couple of minuets and weren’t good color guy but for some reason I felt right at home. I had to soften my character up because for twenty years I was a big asshole and people believed I was an asshole and I softened up the character to where everybody loved me and then I was too old to hate and then I was a legend when I went against the New World Order.”

On memories of Dusty Rhodes and Dusty’s turn to join the NWO: “They came to me and it was up to me whether it went that way or not. I knew it would make Dusty happy and me and Bischoff and me and Hall were the two biggest buy rates that they ever did and definitely was the cherry on the cake with everything else. It was a one time deal but I remember Dusty dropped an elbow on me and landed all his weight with that elbow he dropped in the Scott Hall match, the bastard (laughs). Me and Dusty had a good relationship. Especially when I would come down and do stuff for the Crockets and TBS and Dusty always treated me right. He always recognized the talent. The last time I saw Dusty the poor guy, he didn’t look too good. He looked pretty grey. The last time I saw Dusty right before he died I had got the weird feeling that something was going to happen and I would wind up like him. I realized after he died that since Dusty was so involved with the Performance Center that now unfortunately that Performance Center lost a lot of knowledge when Dusty passed and I think there is a void left that I can fill.”

On his recent work at the WWE Performance Center: “You get emotionally involved whether you want to or not. I go there and I look at the faces of these young men and women and they will come to me and ask can you watch my match and you end up getting involved emotionally. I’m old school and what’s in me is you do what is good for the business otherwise no one makes money. Some of these guys and chicks at the school are great and are going to be good and have great potential. It breaks your heart because with others you want to say; did you ever think about getting a job? You get kind of emotionally involved with it and I can’t help it and I kind of steer myself to people I know are going to be good for the business.”

On getting to see old friends and his reaction to the passing of Rowdy Roddy Piper and The Ultimate Warrior: “You don’t get to see the guys too often and even though you spent so much of your life working with them and especially at the point we are at now when I go to Mania I’ll see a bunch of the guys and that will be cool but it’s amazing that they are dropping. Like with Piper, that shocked me and I never expected him to go. The Ultimate Warrior. That was wild. At 54 he looked like he was 80. I didn’t recognize the guy when I first saw him in the hotel, he looked like some old guy who was just shuffling by and I thought that’s the Warrior? Something wasn’t right and I’m surprised he didn’t keel over on stage.”

On the Dangerous Alliance: “The fans seemed to really like it and it was a cool group of guys. Me and Arn as the Enforcers, we were really over. Rude and Bobby Eaton fit right in and a young “Stunning” Steve with Paul E. so it was a good group of guys but the only thing with a group fortunately for me and Arn at 40 years old we clicked and it was great but it should have gone on a little longer. To be in a group you really couldn’t stick out, you were just part of a group and I had come from a school where it was better to stick out and be a single. But I was over 40 and Bill (Watts) came in at that time of the Dangerous Alliance so that’s when I kind of pulled myself out, got my knee fixed and wound up doing the broadcasting thing.”

• Video: UFC Star Miesha Tate Chokes Out 4 Guys Who Crashed Her MMA Gym!

Earlier, we posted WWE’s press release listing the latest developmental signees to report to to the Performance Center. Not all of the names WWE announced were necessarily breaking news, as the Tough Enough winners were on there, but there were plenty of other names that hadn’t been officially announced yet. That includes a few of the most notable names on the independent scene…sort of. WWE makes a point of only including real names, so it wasn’t immediately apparent who some of the wrestlers were.

That said, Richard Swann of Baltimore, Maryland is obviously Rich Swann, best known for his work in CZW, Dragon Gate, PWG, WXW, and the WWN family of promotions (Dragon Gate USA, Evolve, and Full Impact Pro). He’s a talented high flyer known for moves like the Rich Kick, a standing 450 Splash.

Christopher Girard of Boston, Massachusetts, is best known as Biff Busick. He’s made the rounds a in many of the same promotions as Swann, but he has more of a hard-hitting, grounded style. Which isn’t to say he doesn’t fly, but he doesn’t do it as much as Swann.

Finally, Adrienne Reese of Dallas, Texas is Athena. Originally trained by Rodney Mack with additional training later from Booker T, she’s been one of the top female wrestlers on the independent scene for several years. She’s incredibly smooth in the ring, with a nice, well-rounded mix of submissions, some flying, and more. It’s not an exaggeration at all to say that she’s probably right with or just below Natalya and Asuka as the best and most polished women on the roster.

– The Usos have been working out in the ring at the WWE Performance Center for the last week and are expected to return to WWE television in the near future. Jey Uso in particular has been out of action with a shoulder injury since the spring.

– Ryback is the guest on the first of two “Steve Austin Show” podcasts this week. On this week’s “Family Friendly” edition of the show, “The Rattlesnake” talks to “The Big Guy” just before his match against Kevin Owens at Sunday’s WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view. The official description for the show, which you can download at PodcastOne.com reads as follows:

“Ryback had a great conversation with Steve Austin just before his “Hell In A Cell” match on Sunday. They talked about growing up in Vegas, playing high school football and baseball, why Ryback is the guy to replace John Cena (when the time comes) at WWE, Ryback’s workout philosophy & strategy, why he doesn’t believe in “cheat days” when it comes to diet, what “The Secret” did for his pro-wrestling career, how Arnold Schwarzenegger motivated him back to the ring, and his “Tough Enough” experience. You’ll also hear about Ryback’s relationship with Vince McMahon, why he prefers to travel solo, and how he continues to improve his own in-ring performance.”

– WWE announced a match between NXT Champion Finn Balor and “Mr. Money In The Bank” Sheamus for the November 4th stop in Dublin, Ireland during their European tour. WWE tweeted the following about the match today:

1st Time EVER
Finn Bálor vs @WWESheamus
November 4th
Dublin Ireland pic.twitter.com/fgIzeyehEO

— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) October 27, 2015

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Daniel Vidot, an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League, participated in a three-day tryout at the WWE Performance Center this week, according to foxsports.com.au.

https://www.instagram.com/p/9EiDJFFMUt/

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“They first approached me last year but I was playing good football with the Broncos, so I didn’t take it seriously. Then just recently they contacted me again and I’ve decided I’m going to have a crack at it,” Vidot told The Courier Mail in September.

Vidot, who is 6-foot-2 and weighs 231 pounds, added, “The WWE talent scout reckons I’ve got the size and the look they are after so I’m going to give it a go.”

Vidot said if he doesn’t join WWE, he plans to continue his rugby career.

• The latest on three former WWE stars possibly returning

https://youtu.be/ASlhoCnPyFY

Australian professional rugby league starDaniel Vidot of the Brisbane Broncos from the National Rugby League says he’s getting a WWE tryout.

During an interview with The Courier Mail, Vidot said WWE has been interested in him since last year and he’s going to give it a shot.

“I’ve had an approach from the WWE. They’ve contacted me and have offered to fly me over to Orlando in a few weeks to try out for the WWE. I’m seriously looking at it. “

“They first approached me last year but I was playing good football with the Broncos, so I didn’t take it seriously. Then just recently they contacted me again and I’ve decided I’m going to have a crack at it.”

The man involved in the shooting at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando on Monday was 29 year-old Armando Alejandro Montalvo.

WWE recently filed an injunction against a man with the same name to keep the person from trespassing on the WWE Performance Center property.

According to online records, Montalvo was arrested for trespassing after being warned to leave the WWE Performance Center back on August 4th.

The man was also arrested for battery on a man 65 years or older, violating a domestic injunction, fraud and assault on a law enforcement officer over the past few years.

As reported earlier today, police said the man was reportedly obsessed with one of the female WWE talents and that’s why he was there today, however she was not.

• WELL-KNOWN UFC Fighter Cheats On His Wife With RONDA ROUSEY! (Photos Included)

(Credit: PWInsider.com)

More details are coming in regarding the shooting that took place on Monday afternoon at the WWE Performance Center. Orange County’s Sheriff department held a news conference and said deputies were sent to the WWE training facility after receiving a call about a trespasser.

– The trespasser is 29 year old Hispanic male who had been showing up to the Performance Center multiple times is “fixated” on an unnamed female NXT performer who was not present on the day of the incident. The suspect was arrested most recently on 8/24. He has a criminal record involving violence and robbery.

– WWE has had police officers at the facility in recent weeks but did not have anybody there today prior to the incident.

– WWE called the police this afternoon to inform them that the man had returned again and was “acting deranged” and was holding what appeared to be a knife. Two plain-clothes detectives responded. The suspect charged one of the detectives, Officer Steve Wahl, and assaulted him. The deputy backed up 75-100 feet and the suspect followed. When he did not follow instructions to stop, he was shot once. The shooting took place in the parking lot outside of the Performance Center.

– The suspect is currently in surgery with “life-threatening” injuries. He is not being identified due to his family not yet being notified of the incident. His official status is critical but stable.

– Today was the third time authorities had dealt with the suspect. WWE had taken out an injunction to prevent him from coming onto their property but he had not been served with it at the time of the incident.

– The suspect was not involved with WWE and had no relationship with anyone who trains at the Performance Center.

• WWE Issues Statement Regarding The Performance Center Shooting

WWE COO Triple H has issued the following statement regarding the shooting that took place at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando on Monday afternoon that sent one person to the hospital with a gunshot wound.

Unfortunately a deranged individual with no WWE affiliation, who had a court order prohibiting him from being on WWE property…(1/3)

— Triple H (@TripleH) August 31, 2015

was involved in an incident with an Orange County Sherriff’s deputy in the parking lot of the WWE Performance Center… (2/3)

— Triple H (@TripleH) August 31, 2015

We defer to the Orange County Sherriff’s department for further comment and information. (3/3)

— Triple H (@TripleH) August 31, 2015

A shooting took place outside the WWE Performance Center in Orlando on Monday afternoon that sent one person to the hospital with a gunshot wound.

Medics were called to the scene at 5055 Forsyth Commerce Road, the address for the WWE Performance Center, around 1:45 p.m.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to the facility for a trespassing call. Investigators said and there was some sort of altercation, and the deputy felt he needed to draw his weapon and fire.

The victim was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center.

• Update: Triple H Issues A Statement Regarding The Performance Center Shooting

Former TNA Knockout Sarita (Sarah Stock) announced today that she’s leaving Mexico’s CMLL promotion and will be wrestling her final date for them at their September 18th Anniversary event.

She noted that she’s leaving to explore other opportunities and there’s speculation that she could be headed to WWE. She’s worked as a guest coach at the WWE Performance Center a several times over the past year.

Back in June, she was there teaching the NXT Divas how to wrestle the lucha libre style.