The latest class of recruits has reported for training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. The group brings a wide array of experience to the WWE PC, including independent and international wrestling experience as well as in professional sports.
Deveon Everheart Aiken, better known to fans as Dezmond Xavier, brings a dazzling array of aerial offence to the PC. Aiken, a nine-year-veteran of the squared circle, has competed for promotions including Combat Zone Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Impact Wrestling.
Zachary Green, aka Zachary Wentz, is a frequent tag team partner of Aiken’s. The 26-year-old Ohio native is also a former MMA fighter.
Alex Brandenburg competed under the name Alex Zayne on the independent scene. The Kentucky native has made a name for himself in promotions like Game Changer Wrestling, Black Label Pro and Ring of Honor during his 15-year career.
Sojiru “Ikemen” Higuchi is a 26-year-old wrestler from Japan who was trained by the former United States and WWE Tag Team Champion Tajiri, and he has competed for Wrestle-1 and All-Japan Pro Wrestling.
Twenty-three-year-old Georgia native Anriel Howard played college basketball at Mississippi State and Texas A&M. She was selected in the 2019 WNBA Draft, and played professionally for the Seattle Storm.
Russ Taylor of Phelan, Calif. brings plenty of global experience to the WWE PC. Taylor has competed for wXw in Germany, as well as in Japan and across the United States.
If Anriel Howard, 23, was a professional basketball player and has everything to learn, the five other recruits are bringing years of experience in the Performance Center. Russ Taylor, f.k.a Rust Taylor, is a 16-year veteran and has wrestled for a number of major promotions all over the world, including wXw in Germany and PCW in the UK. Most recently, he had a stint on NJPW Strong and competed in the Ring Of Honor Pure Championship tournament. He also spent time in WWE affiliate Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw).
Sojiru “Ikemen” Higuchi, f.k.a Jiro Kuroshio, is a very charismatic performer whose home for some time was the now-defunct Wrestle-1 promotion. He also worked for DDT, AJPW, BJW and Pro Wrestling NOAH. He has performed all over Japan, winning a number of championships in his almost nine-year career.
If you’re a fan of deathmatch wrestling and an avid reader of the GCW reviews, you know who Alex Zayne is. Just in 2020, he has worked for GCW, ROH, NJPW, BLP, VxS, NJPW Strong, just to name a few. Zayne is said to most definitely be one of the top wrestlers working the indies. His high-flying abilities are awe-inspiring. He has reached success as both a singles and tag team competitor, most frequently pairing with Blake Christian.
Talking about Dezmond Xavier means also talking about Zachary Wentz as their careers are so intertwined. The Ohio-born high-flyers made their debut in 2013 and 2014. They started to team up in 2015 as members of Scarlet and Graves faction. If Dezmond Xavier first got involved with Impact Wrestling in 2017, he was signed in 2018 alongside Wentz and their fellow Rascalz partner, Trey Miguel. Whether on TV or in the indies they have never left, they brought something fresh and innovative to wrestling. But if you are an avid reader of IMPACT reviews, you already know that.
Pics courtesy of WWE