10 Big Signings WWE Must Make In 2017

7. Candice LeRae

Okada Robe
Twitter, @CandiceLeRae

Candice LeRae joined 18 other female competitors in attending a WWE tryout at the end of September, but there’s no word on her signing yet. This comes as a surprise: WWE have already announced the signings of Heidi Lovelace and Kimber Lee, who also attended the tryout, and with a proposed women’s tournament on the horizon, you’d think the company would be out to stack the deck with as much talent as possible.

Candice’s husband, Johnny Gargano, has become an NXT standout this year, and if she were to follow him to Orlando, she’d be one of the brand’s top females from day one. She’s an incredibly hard worker who isn’t afraid of mixing it up with much larger male opponents, and while WWE have rightly eliminated intergender wrestling from their programming, Candice’s background proves her toughness and durability.

Despite this, LeRae isn’t a one-trick pony, and she’s just as adept when working against female competitors. With 14 years’ experience, she’d be an immediate asset to the Performance Center’s inexperienced women’s talent pool, and it’s baffling that WWE haven’t picked her up yet - maybe 2017 will finally be the year.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.