Former Champion Repackaged On WWE NXT 2.0

This major NXT 2.0 was given a significant WWE shake-up last night.

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WWE

Fabian Aichner formally became Giovanni Vinci on last night's episode of WWE NXT 2.0.

The transformation was completed in the latest Vinci vignette, a series of which had been airing on Tuesday nights for several weeks. Focused heavily on the Italian's nationality, this was the first time one of the videos had shown who was behind the new guise, with Vinci boasting of his class, style, and athleticism. Towards the end, the former Aichner was shown pulling off a pair of sunglasses to reveal his identity.

Check out the vignette below.

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Aichner had been revealed as the man behind the Vinci vignettes last week, when Fightful Select reported on the matter. Now, it is official.

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Vinci has been signed to WWE since June 2017, though he debuted for the promotion in the previous year's Cruiserweight Classic tournament. An Imperium member for the bulk of his tenure, the 31-year-old hit his first major WWE peak in May 2020, when he and Marcel Barthel were crowned NXT Tag Team Champions for the first time. A second reign followed in 2021, before Vinci was left behind in NXT when stablemates Barthel and WALTER transitioned to the main roster.

The Italian is the third and final Imperium member to be repackaged recently, with WALTER becoming Gunther and Barthel becoming Ludwig Kaiser on SmackDown.

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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.