Tag: Nikki Blackheart

New NXT name rumored for “summer reshuffle” on the TV show

Posted on by Jake Skudder

A newly signed NXT name is reportedly set to debut in the next few months. According to a rumor from Rope Break, the former Patreon for PWN and formerly affiliated with BodySlam, Nikki Blackheart is expected to be debuting on NXT television at some point in the summer as part of the brand’s “reshuffle”:

Nikki Blackheart (who recently had a dark match in NXT under the ring name “Martinez”) is set to debut and be a part of the reshuffle for NXT this summer.

The “reshuffle” hasn’t been confirmed elsewhere, although it would make sense for some call ups to take place around SummerSlam, leaving gaps to be filled on the NXT roster.

Nikki Blackheart WWE Signing

Blackheart made her WWE debut in a dark match taped at the WWE Performance Center recently, and our own Bryan Alvarez confirmed that she was now signed to the company ahead of the official announcement:

Update on Nikki Blackheart and WWE: She is no longer an indie wrestler. She is a former cheerleader for the NHL Florida Panthers who trained under Gangrel. Right after Mania 2025 she ended up HEAVILY on WWE’s radar, said to be top five. She was heavily praised by Bayley, so her tryout was basically a guarantee. That was this past February. She very recently moved to Orlando and is one of the few that have still yet to be officially announced by WWE, but all are officially in Orlando and under the typical starting PC/NXT contracts which are usually about three years.

Nikki Blackheart WWE NXT

We’re working to try and get more on this, however for the the time being, we will be treating it as a rumor until we can get something more concrete.

The Rope Break Patreon and affiliated entities (such as BodySlam) have previously broken legitimate news in the past, but recent changes over there have meant that the Patreon is now listed under “Rope Break.” While we believe that it is still the same main group of people reporting this information, we will not be posting anything they break as news, only rumors, until we’re able to verify it ourselves going forward.

Dean Malenko’s daughter part of new group of WWE NXT signees

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Marie Malenko, the daughter of Four Horsemen member Dean Malenko, has officially joined the WWE Performance Center.

WWE unveiled its latest round of Performance Center recruits today. It’s a four-person class consisting of Mason Rook, Nicole Martinez, Marie Malenko, and Marcus Brown. In the announcement tweet, WWE identified Malenko under the ring name “Lacey Simon.”

Malenko attended a WWE tryout earlier this year and, in her young career, has already gotten experience in Japan for Pro Wrestling NOAH. Her father Dean holds a behind-the-scenes job in AEW.

The announcement of Rook’s signing was just a formality, given that he’s already made his mark on NXT and is coming off a successful TV in-ring debut where he teamed with Kam Hendrix to defeat NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo & North American Champion Myles Borne. Rook then laid out his tag partner following the match after Hendrix stole the pin on Borne.

A heavyweight from the United Kingdom who also has competed for NOAH, Rook can count John Cena among his supporters. Cena has sent out multiple tweets reacting to Rook’s segments on NXT.

Nicole Martinez is indie wrestler Nikki Blackheart, who worked a dark match at last night’s NXT. She is said to have been heavily on WWE’s radar prior to her tryout and subsequent signing.

Brown is entering pro wrestling after having been a bodybuilder. He had a WWE tryout in 2025.

Update on WWE signing Nikki Blackheart | Exclusive

Posted on by Ian Carey

An update is available on WWE’s signing of Nikki Blackheart.

Blackheart made her WWE debut in a dark match taped at the WWE Performance Center on Tuesday.

Our own Bryan Alvarez wrote to his subscribers on X that Blackheart ended up heavily on WWE’s radar after WrestleMania in 2025 and came heavily recommended by Bayley.

Alvarez wrote:

“Update on Nikki Blackheart and WWE: She is no longer an indie wrestler. She is a former cheerleader for the NHL Florida Panthers who trained under Gangrel. Right after Mania 2025 she ended up HEAVILY on WWE’s radar, said to be top five. She was heavily praised by Bayley, so her tryout was basically a guarantee. That was this past February. She very recently moved to Orlando and is one of the few that have still yet to be officially announced by WWE, but all are officially in Orlando and under the typical starting PC/NXT contracts which are usually about three years.“

Alvarez also wrote that three other wrestlers besides Blackheart have been signed but have not yet been announced by WWE.

Alvarez wrote:

“There are also three other names besides Nikki that have been signed but haven’t been announced by WWE yet.”

Indie wrestler makes WWE debut in NXT dark match under new ring name

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Nikki Blackheart made her WWE debut in a dark match on NXT. 

She competed under a new ring name ‘Martinez’ and squared off against Skylar Raye, co-winner of LFG Season Two. And Blackheart got the victory in the bout. 

In March, Blackheart talked about her WWE tryout and how Bayley’s Lodestone Wrestling Seminar helped prepare her for the career-altering move. 

Blackheart commenced her wrestling career in 2024 and was associated with CCW (Coastal Championship Wrestling) and MPX (Metroplex Wrestling). She is a former Women’s Champion in both promotions. WWE veteran Gangrel trained and mentored her to be in-ring ready at the CCW Training Center. 

She is signed to the Performance Center but the details and nature of her contract remain unknown.