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What's the story?
The WWE recently announced that forty bright young talents would be making their way to the Performance Center for a shot to become WWE Superstars. The long list of possible signees includes a former champion from Lucha Underground.
In case you didn't know...
Ivelisse Velez was once a member of the NXT roster back in 2012. After appearing on the revived Tough Enough, she competed in both Florida Championship Wrestling and NXT under the name Sofia Cortez.
In Lucha Underground, now known as Ivelisse, she was a former Lucha Underground Trios Champion, teaming with Son of Havoc and Angelico in the first two years of the promotion. However, she made a big splash in the pro wrestling world when she went toe-to-toe with then Lucha Underground Champion Mil Muertes, taking the big man to his limits and continuing to prove that she's good enough to take on anyone in the world, man or woman.
Back in January, with the fourth season of Lucha Underground finished and no word on a new season, Ivelisse took to Twitter, stating that she was being held hostage by the company.
She, along with several other stars, stated that they wanted to leave before season 4, but were talked into sticking around until it wrapped up. Their goodwill apparently taken advantage of, they were left in limbo with no hope of escape.
That is until last month when Lucha Underground released several superstars, including Ivelisse, from their contracts. Now free to explore other options and take advantage of a wrestling world that seems to have entered a new golden age, Ivelisse opted to take a shot at the #1 wrestling company in the world.
The heart of the matter
Yesterday, the WWE announced on Twitter that they were bringing in forty athletes to the Performance Center this week. Among the names of WWE and NXT hopefuls were former NFL running back James Wilder, third-generation superstar Lance Anoa'i, and the recently freed Ivelisse Velez. You can check out the full list of superstars below.
What's next?
With NXT more than likely losing several seasoned female stars to the main roster soon, it'll be good to reload with both veterans and fresh talent. If a company is trying to bring in a top female competitor, it's hard to think of many who are as worthy of the opportunity as Ivelisse Velez.
Looking at the rest of the list, it's hard not to be impressed with her competition. If the WWE even brings in a tenth of these athletes, it'll mean good things for the company's future.
