The WWE women’s division is preparing for a much needed influx of talent. Triple H made waves last fall when he announced the signing of Kimber Lee, Heidi Lovelace, Andrea, and Julia Ho from the independent circuits. Lee, Andrea, and Lovelace have all made their names on the indies in companies like Shine, EVOLVE, and Chikara. Ho was a model, singer, and fought in a couple amateur MMA matches (2-0) before coming to the WWE.
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Here is the official release from the WWE:
“Independent standouts Kimberly Frankele, Dori Prange and MaryKate Duignan Glidewell, along with former mixed martial artist Julia Ho, reported for training this week in Orlando, Fla.
Frankele has competed for more than six years under the ring alias Kimber Lee. Trained by WWE Cruiserweight Drew Gulak, she came to sports-entertainment from the world of classical dancing, where she earned a degree in dance education and was a ballerina for much of her life. In addition to capturing titles throughout the independent scene, including in both Shine Wrestling and SHIMMER Women Athletes, Frankele was the only female to ever hold the Chikara Grand Championship. Frankele has also fought in NXT, coming up short recently against the undefeated Ember Moon.
Joining Frankele will be one of her most noted peers and rivals from the indies, Dori Prange, aka Heidi Lovelace. Nicknamed the “Punk Rock Ragdoll,” the outspoken Prange has competed not only in the U.S. indie scene but also in Japan, where she wrestled under the banner of World Wonder Ring Stardom.
“Pro Wrestling Illustrated” ranked Frankele and Prange at 17 and 20, respectively, in its 2016 list of the world’s top female grapplers.
Five-foot-eleven Glidewell, who has competed under the name Andréa, brings a powerful arsenal to the WWE Performance Center. A product of Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley’s wrestling academy, Glidewell is a 10-year veteran who has fought all over the globe, including matches teaming with and against the likes of Japanese legends Aja Kong and Kyoko Inoue.
Rounding out the newcomers is Julia Ho. A professional model and singer, Ho is looking to parlay her success in mixed martial arts — where she is undefeated — into the squared circle.”
Which of these ladies are you most excited to see in a WWE ring? As we’ve seen with the constant rematches between Charlotte and Sasha Banks or even Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch, a new batch of women wrestlers will be a welcome change for the women’s division in 2017.
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