FORMER PWG WORLD CHAMPION RICOCHET, FORMER ROH AND IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS WAR MACHINE AND FORMER PWG TAG TEAM CHAMPION CANDICE LERAE HAVE OFFICIALLY SIGNED WITH WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT AND JOINED THE PERFORMANCE CENTER.
WWE.com confirmed earlier today that Ricochet, real name Trevor Mann, reported for his first day at the Performance Center.
In the WWE.com, it stated:
If GIFs of indescribably creative wrestling moves have ever flooded your social feeds, there’s a good chance it was new WWE Performance Center signee Trevor Mann that you were watching.
Better known by the ring name Ricochet, Mann, 29, of Paducah, Ky., officially reported today to the WWE PC in Orlando, Fla.
The decorated high-flyer has captured countless titles over his 14-year career, including championships on three separate continents. Among his many accolades, Mann has twice won Pro Wrestling Guerrilla’s annual Battle of Los Angeles tournament, and he is only the second American in history to win New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament. (The first was WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero.)
Standing 5-foot-9 and weighing 188 pounds, Mann brings an astonishing assortment of aerial moves to the ring. He first earned notoriety in Japan for an eye-popping double-moonsault, and his 630° senton remains one of the most potent weapons in his arsenal. Mann, who credits Guerrero, Rey Mysterio and The Rock as three of his in-ring influences, was inspired to pursue sports-entertainment after watching The Great One and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin do battle at WrestleMania XV.
Before joining WWE, Ricochet’s biggest claim to fame was under a mask as Prince Puma, as the face of Lucha Underground on the El Rey Network. Alongside a duo of Lucha Underground Titles and a Trios Title, Ricochet is also a former two time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion and a PWG World Heavyweight Champion. He has also won the Battle Of Los Angeles twice and New Japan’s ‘Best of The Super Juniors’.
A few hours later, WWE confirmed the signing of one of the most physically imposing tag teams in the industry today, as War Machine (Hanson and Raymond Rowe) arrived to join the Performance Center.
WWE.com said about the monsterous duo:
New signees Todd “War Beard Hanson” Smith & Raymond Rowe, collectively known as War Machine, have terrorized teams around the world since forming an alliance in 2014. Together, they have won championships in the United States, England and Japan, including the prestigious IWGP Tag Team Titles, the same championship held by the likes of Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson and The Steiner Brothers.
Weighing more than 550 pounds combined, the burly brawlers are every bit as tough as their War Machine moniker suggests. Smith & Rowe have made smash-mouth collisions their stock in trade, yet they’re more than just thunderous power; deceptively agile and expertly skilled, the pair has perfected an array of double-team moves, helping them achieve success wherever they go. With a gruff exterior that would look right at home beyond the wall in “Game of Thrones,” Smith & Rowe’s appearance alone is enough to strike fear in the hearts of opponents.
Both men were also celebrated singles competitors prior to forming a team. Smith, of Lynn, Mass., first learned the ropes under WWE Hall of Famer Killer Kowalski and began competing in 2001, and he soon emerged as one of New England’s hardest-hitting competitors. Rowe, a Cleveland native who made his in-ring debut in 2003, collected singles titles throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas before focusing on tag ranks.
War Machine are former Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions, two-time IWGP Tag Team Champions and former WCPW Tag Team Champions. One half of this team already has a WWE connection, with Raymond Rowe being married to SmackDown Live roster member Sarah Logan.
Finally, completing the trio Mae Young Classic competitor and intergender wrestling sensation Candice LeRae was confirmed as the newest member of the WWE Performance Center roster.
In WWE’s press release on LeRae’s arrival, they said:
LeRae is regarded as one of the top female wrestlers on the independent scene. She’s no stranger to the WWE Universe, either, as she made it all the way to the Quarterfinal Round in the inaugural Mae Young Classic last year. LeRae left her mark on WWE while competing in the groundbreaking women’s tournament, reigning supreme in her First and Second Round clashes with high-energy performances. She also vied for an NXT Women’s Title opportunity last October as part of an over-the-top-rope Battle Royal and is married to current NXT Superstar Johnny Gargano.
Standing at just 5-foot-2, LeRae is known for not backing down from anyone, no matter how much bigger they may be. The spunky Superstar has even battled heavyweights like Kevin Owens and Cesaro. LeRae’s tenacity and ability to endure punishment was on full display in the Mae Young Classic and will make her a competitor to watch at the WWE Performance Center.
Candice LeRae broke gender boundaries on the indies with her various inter-gender matches against Human Tornado, Joey Ryan and The Young Bucks. She has held the PWG World Tag Team Title once with Joey Ryan as ‘The Worlds Cutest Tag Team’.
