Independent wrestling standout Nikki Blackheart, real name Nicole Ripoll Martinez, has reportedly signed with WWE, according to Bodyslam.net. The 29-year-old recently attended a tryout at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando and is now expected to begin training full-time in the coming weeks before potentially becoming part of NXT. This signing continues WWE’s focus on recruiting rising female stars from the indie scene to bolster its women’s division roster.
Blackheart burst onto the indie scene in 2024 after training under Gangrel at Coastal Championship Wrestling. Debuting June 21, 2024, she quickly became a force, capturing the CCW Women’s Championship and holding it for over 268 days. She also won the MPX Women’s Championship by defeating Abadon in February. Still, last weekend she dropped the belt to Priscilla Kelly (video below), likely because her WWE signing prevented future appearances.
