What’s the story?
Independent wrestling star Candice LeRae made her NXT debut in this week’s episode, where she was simply referred to as ‘Candice’. She was part of the 15-woman Battle Royal and was eliminated by Billie Kay.
In case you didn't know
Those who are familiar with independent wrestling know of Candice LeRae, wife of NXT superstar Johnny Gargano, from his work in the independents. She’s been an integral part of many inter-gender matches and had memorable runs with PWG and CZW. She is best known for teaming up with Joey Ryan in the tag team known as ‘The World’s Cutest Tag Team’. LeRae and Ryan are former PWG Tag Team Champions too. She has worked with many of the current WWE roster, including Johnny Gargano, Rich Swann, Cesaro and Drew Gulak.
The heart of the matter
Last week on NXT, General Manager William Regal had determined that there would be a Number 1 Contender’s match to pick NXT Women's Champion Asuka’s next challenger. The match was a 15-woman over the top rope battle royal, featuring talents from NXT and independent stars. Candice LeRae wasn't one of the featured attractions, but just one of the wrestlers in the ring (whose entrance wasn’t shown on TV). The crowd was chanting for her through the duration of the match, and even booed when she was eliminated by Billie Kay. The match eventually ended in a ‘no contest’, when Asuka interfered and took out the final three contenders.
What’s next?
We’re not sure if this was a one-off deal for Candice but rumors on the internet indicate that she may be a part of the upcoming women’s tournament that WWE has planned.
Author's take
Candice LeRae is one of the best wrestlers in the world, and can definitely bolster the NXT women’s division with her incredible array of extraordinary skills. We hope to see a lot more of her on NXT, and possibly the main roster as well.
