New WWE NXT Signings After Heatwave

WWE

WWE NXT Heatwave saw new champions crowned, setting a new direction for the weekly show and an opportunity to sign new stars.

The August 30 event saw Zaria unify the Women’s North American Championship and Women’s Speed Championship, retaining the former and claiming the latter from Wren Sinclair in a Triple Threat match that also featured Kali Armstrong.

The Vanity Project defeated Myles Borne & Tavion Heights, seeing Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes become two-time NXT Tag Team Champions. It was quite the night for The Vanity Project, with Jackson Drake defeating Myles Borne to take the North American Championship later that night.

Kendal Grey’s time as NXT Women’s Champion came to an end at the hands of Kelani Jordan, while the NXT Championship would be won by Grayson Waller, defeating Tony D’Angelo, Cruz Montana and Zilla Fatu.

With the titles now in new hands and the possibility of main roster call-ups, there’s a prime opportunity to add new talent to the NXT roster.

Here’s a handful of stars who could be heading to NXT on a regular basis.

It’s Gal

Signed to a WWE ID deal in November 2024, “The Real Life Action Figure” is yet to have his televised NXT debut, although did compete in a dark match, losing to Harlem Lewis in June of this year.

An entertaining character very much lost in his own persona, the star is more than happy to tell all that “mint condition means no competition”, while demonstrating just what makes him a legitimate men’s physique champion.

That’s not to say that the star is just a ‘body guy’, as was previously showcased in a recent WWE Evolve video, although there was still plenty of talk about what he looks like, while also discussing the lack of success thanks to, largely, others.

A regular on WWE Evolve and still present on the independent wrestling circuit, It’s Gal could be an entertaining addition to the men’s NXT roster.

Dorian Van Dux

The former Mike D Vecchio signed with WWE in September 2025, making his debut at Evolve in April of the following year with a victory over It’s Gal.

There’s little doubt that Dorian Van Dux has all the potential to succeed anywhere on the WWE roster, with NXT being the next natural step after Evolve.

He has been seen in action on NXT, with his most recent outing seeing the star team with Noam Dar, Romeo Moreno and Sean Legacy in a loss to BirthRight. Prior to that, Van Dux and Legacy challenged The Vanity Project in a losing effort for the NXT Tag Team Championship.

A regular on the NXT house show circuit, Van Dux hasn’t been seen on Evolve since July 22, perhaps indicating that his future lies outside of that Tubi-streamed show.

Sloane Jacobs

A second chance emerged for Sloane Jacobs when she would sign under the WWE ID program in February of this year, marking a return after her release in November 2022.

The WWE ID Women’s Championship has evaded the star, with her match at Nightmare Factory Presents ID Showcase against Laynie Luck back in June going to double countout.

She has also challenged for the WWE Evolve Women’s Championship, facing Wendy Choo in a losing effort, also in June of this year.

Jacobs would team with Nikkita Lyons on the May 27 episode of Evolve, with the latter defeating Choo to become Evolve Women’s Champion the following month.

With Lyons having teamed with Nattie and Karmen Petrovic, an opportunity could exist to add Jacobs to that faction, tapping into her Notorious Mimi past for good measure.

Laynie Luck

The current WWE ID Women’s Champion, Laynie Luck saw praise from Gabe Sapolsky, the company’s domestic talent scout and overseer of the Evolve brand, who complimented the star and her opponent, Allie Katch, following a match at WWR+ Tournament For Tomorrow in March.

A fixture on the independent wrestling scene, Luck is yet to appear on either NXT television or house shows, although it can only be a matter of time before she makes such a move, having been WWE ID Women’s Champion for 287 days.

It’s not difficult to picture the star fitting into the Women’s Championship picture in NXT, should such an 0pportunity arise.

Leon Slater

Now, here’s a wildcard, at the time of writing.

Leon Slater is no stranger to NXT and has even found his way into main roster competition, teaming with Je’Von Evans to take on Dragon Lee and AJ Styles at December’s Saturday Night’s Main Event. It’s all been quite an achievement for the Youngest In Charge, more so given that he’s a TNA Wrestling-signed talent.

A two-time X Division Champion, Slater cashed in the title for the Option C of a TNA World Championship opportunity, challenging Nic Nemeth for the title at Bound for Glory on October 11.

Signed to his first TNA Wrestling deal in October 2023, he’s been a prominent fixture of Impact and its associated pay-per-views since, along with maintaining a healthy schedule on the independent scene.

Speculation is mounting as to where Slater could end up, whether he remains with TNA Wrestling or pursues opportunities in WWE or AEW.

Just 21 years of age, at the time of writing, there’s arguments to be made that Slater would end up on the main WWE roster, although a short run in NXT wouldn’t be a downside for the excessively talented star.

So Many Entry Points, So Many Opportunities

Whether it’s through WWE ID or the regular tryouts, with Hawaii playing host to that process later this year, there are multiple ways to join the company. For WWE ID talent, they can continue to perform on the independent wrestling scene, while benefiting from mentorship and guidance. Tryouts typically see stars move through the Performance Center before, hopefully, making their way to one of the broadcast products, be it Evolve, NXT or A&E’s WWE LFG (Legends and Future Greats).

Then there’s the signing of stars from elsewhere, when contracts allow such negotiations to take place. There are a number of televised companies, large and small, who see talent exit, potentially seeking new opportunities, which has seen the likes of former New Japan Pro Wrestling star Hiromu Takahashi debut on the main roster, forming a team with Shinsuke Nakamura on SmackDown.

Looking at the broader landscape, for stars outside of WWE, they are not the only player in town, with Tony Khan having made it clear that he is always on the lookout for new talent. Then there’s TNA Wrestling, MLW, NJPW and other larger companies, all no doubt interested in the stars of the future.

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• wwe
• Signings
• Heatwave
• nxt

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