Published: May 20, 2026 by Jamie Toolan | Last Updated: May 20, 2026 by Jamie Toolan
Jamie has been covering the world of wrestling for four years and currently holds the position of Assistant Editor of WrestleTalk.com. During his time working for WrestleTalk.com he has written and published over 4,000 news and feature articles covering events and happenings from WWE, AEW, TNA and a variety of international and independent wrestling promotions.
@nikkiblackheart
After making her WWE debut ahead of last night’s episode of NXT, it is being reported that Nikki Blackheart, along with three other names have now signed with the company.
As caught on camera by a fan attending the event at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, independent wrestler Nikki Blackheart made her WWE debut ahead of Tuesday’s NXT, albeit under the new name of: ‘Martinez.’
With WWE not unveiling Blackheart as an official new signee as of yet, the Wrestling Observer’s Bryan Alvarez has now provided an update to his subscribers on Twitter.
Alvarez confirmed that Blackheart is now under a WWE PC/NXT contract – which is typically three years in length – and arrives in the company one year after first ending up on WWE’s radar following WrestleMania 41.
Alvarez also noted that Blackheart came with a recommendation from Bayley, with the new signee being one of several independent talents who attended her first Lodestone training camp last year.
Alvarez wrote (via F4WOnline):
“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.“
In a follow up, Alvarez also revealed that three other names have also signed with WWE but have yet to be announced by the company:
“There are also three other names besides Nikki that have been signed but haven’t been announced by WWE yet.”
It is not yet known who any of the other three potential signees are at this time, but we will provide further updates when news becomes available, as well as when Blackheart or any other new WWE arrivals are confirmed.
Nikki Blackheart Yet Another Exciting WWE NXT Arrival
With Sol Ruca, Fatal Influence, Blake Monroe, Ricky Saints, Ethan Page and Joe Hendry departing WWE NXT after WrestleMania 42, it seemed like an uphill battle for the brand to rebuild and establish or elevate stars to replace them.
In just a month’s time however, we have seen Mason Rook, Naraku and Lizzy Rain all make an immediate impact, while names such as Kam Hendrix, Tristan Angels and Tate Wilder have moved up the WWE system to join NXT’s roster.
While it’s unclear whether these names, as well as the new signings mentioned in the story above, will rise to the same heights as those who have departed, it’s clear that there is still plenty for fans of NXT to be excited about in 2026.
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