WWE Sign Keith Lee
Another indie star heading for NXT.
WWE have signed rising indie star Keith Lee to a developmental deal, according to PWTorch.
Lee, who has previously performed for Ring of Honor, EVOLVE and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, took his first steps in a Vince McMahon-owned ring last month, beating Kassius Ohno at a WrestleMania Axxess event. In a subsequent appearance in AAWPro, he then made what was interpreted as a "farewell speech", fuelling speculation that his time on the independent circuit was drawing to a close.
PWTorch reports that Lee will fulfil his remaining dates with PWG - the last of them being a show in Reseda, California on 25 May - before reporting to the NXT base in Orlando. There, he will join Ricochet and Christopher Dijak, with whom he shared acclaimed encounters at last year's Battle of Los Angeles.
Despite his growing reputation within the industry, the website cautions that officials were said to have greeted April's Axxess try-out with a "mixed" reception. The company is thought to be keen on tailoring his approach in the ring to something more in-keeping with the style their wrestlers typically practice.
None of that is out of the ordinary for a WWE recruit, however, and the success rate for independent stars trained at the NXT finishing school speaks for itself.