WWE has gained new talent from China.
The company announced Thursday that they had signed seven Chinese wrestlers to developmental contracts. WWE signed Big Boa, Gu Guangming, Gao Lei, Zhao Xia, Wang Xiaolong, Yifeng and Cheng Yuxiang. According to the release, the new talent were all discovered earlier this year during a four-day tryout held in Shanghai. The new recruits will begin training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando in January 2017.
“WWE is dedicated to finding the most talented athletes and entertainers from around the world,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. “The seven athletes identified at WWE’s first-ever tryout in China will be given the opportunity to train at the WWE Performance Center, in the hopes of becoming the next big WWE Superstar, while also helping to inspire future WWE Superstars and continue the global success of WWE.”
WWE has been building rapport with China recently. At a press event a few months ago, John Cena spoke in Mandarin Chinese and the company announced a new deal that would bring WWE programming there.
“The signing of these new recruits further cements WWE’s long-term commitment in China. In June, WWE announced an exclusive multi-year content distribution agreement with PPTV to deliver its flagship shows Raw and SmackDown LIVE in Mandarin, and Bin Wang as the first Chinese talent signed to a developmental contract,” WWE said in the release.
The new WWE wrestlers will all attend WWE Live China today at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, Shanghai, where Bin Wang will makes his WWE debut against Bo Dallas.
