WWE NXT just keeps loading up on talent, and they announced Stokely Hathaway and Robbie E as their latest additions to the Performance Center.
Wrestling fans have come to love Stokely Hathaway as one of the best talkers in the business, and he quite clearly owns the best Twitter account in all the land. So it’s incredibly exciting to hear that he will join the WWE NXT Performance Center as part of their latest class, alongside Robbie E (Robbie Strauss) and Cal Bloom.
WWE made the announcements on their site here.
While Hathaway is the headliner here because of his quick wit, Robbie E and Bloom are also big-time additions for WWE. Robbie E is another good talker with an interesting, Jersey Shore-like character and is all about that fitness. He’s a former TNA Television and X-Division champ, but he mostly made his mark as a tag team wrestler as a two-time tag champ.
That means Robbie E could be an ideal fit to help bolster NXT’s Tag Team scene, though the 5’11”, 201-pounder could have a ceiling as a singles star, especially if he becomes a key part of 205 Live (which could use more bodies) in the future. He’s accomplished plenty in his wrestling career – and also appeared on The Rock’s “Titan Games” recently – so Robbie E is a name to watch; he even tried out for WWE last summer.
Bloom, meanwhile is the son of former WWE wrestler Beau Beverley, who was part of the “Beverly Brothers” tag team decades ago. He played tight end at UCF in college and brings plenty of size and strength (a 500 pound bench press at 6’5″, 255!!!) to the table. That’s always been in demand in WWE, and NXT could use some more big guys like Bloom, whose development will be intriguing to watch.
But it all goes back to Hathaway. Most fans expected the former MLW and EVOLVE star to make his way to WWE one day, because, well, he seems like the perfect fit for this company with his incredible understanding of the pro wrestling business. Hathaway has “IT”, and even last summer, CK Stewart was already thinking of possible clients for Hathaway to represent in NXT. Among them? Kona Reeves, Dominik Dijakovic, and future NXT Tag Team Champs the Street Profits.
It will be interesting to see Hathaway’s role in WWE, because he has immense potential as a wrestler and a manager. Though WWE generally seems reluctant to have wrestlers in a managerial role, Zelina Vega, who got her start in NXT as a manager, and Lio Rush have been so dang good that we can only imagine what Hathaway is capable of.
There’s plenty of time for speculation, though. For now, let’s celebrate these three additions to the WWE NXT Performance Center. Stokely Hathaway, Robbie E, and Cal Bloom all have a world of potential and bring very different skill-sets to the table, which is ultimately the name of the game for WWE.