WWE has officially signed former Lucha Underground and New Japan Pro Wrestling star Ricochet.
The company announced the signing on their website Tuesday morning and indicated that he's reported to the WWE Performance Center in Florida.
If GIFs of indescribably creative wrestling moves have ever flooded your social feeds, there’s a good chance it was new WWE Performance Center signee Trevor Mann that you were watching.
Better known by the ring name Ricochet, Mann, 29, of Paducah, Ky., officially reported today to the WWE PC in Orlando, Fla.
The decorated high-flyer has captured countless titles over his 14-year career, including championships on three separate continents. Among his many accolades, Mann has twice won Pro Wrestling Guerrilla’s annual Battle of Los Angeles tournament, and he is only the second American in history to win New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament. (The first was WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero.)
Standing 5-foot-9 and weighing 188 pounds, Mann brings an astonishing assortment of aerial moves to the ring. He first earned notoriety in Japan for an eye-popping double-moonsault, and his 630° senton remains one of the most potent weapons in his arsenal. Mann, who credits Guerrero, Rey Mysterio and The Rock as three of his in-ring influences, was inspired to pursue sports-entertainment after watching The Great One and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin do battle at WrestleMania XV.
Ricochet hadn't actually filmed anything for Lucha Underground in well over a year -- since 2016. However, his contract kept him unable to sign with another company in the United States until 90 days after the last episode of season 3 of the show aired.
At 29 years old, the Kentucky native dropped the PWG World Championship just last week, and is a two-time winner of Battle Of Los Angeles. He's also a former 3-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion and NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champion in NJPW, and a two-time Lucha Underground Champion.
He appeared on day two of NJPW's Long Beach tour in July 2017, and noted that Lucha Underground were being "pricks" and not allowing him to appear on American television for anyone else.
You can see a Fightful news video on the signing above.
