WWE Signs Former Impact World Champion, Appears at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day

WWE has signed former Impact World Champion Eli Drake to a contract, according to a report from [...]

By Connor Casey

WWE has signed former Impact World Champion Eli Drake to a contract, according to a report from PWInsider. Drake originally signed with WWE as a Performance Center trainee back in 2013 under the name Slate Randall, but was used primarily as a jobber until he was released from his contract in August 2014. He then developed a following in Impact Wrestling, working for the promotion from 2015-19 and holding Impact World, Impact World Tag Team and TNA King of the Mountain Championships once apiece.

He made the jump to the National Wrestling Alliance in 2019 and won the NWA World Tag Team Championships with James Storm in January 2020. The pair lost the titles in November and Drake was quietly released from the company.

According to Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp Drake was backstage at this week's episode of NXT. Video of him appearing at the Capitol Wrestling Center before the NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day kickoff show began quickly made its way online.

Based on his Twitter account, Drake is now going by LA Knight.

Screen Shot 2021-02-14 at 5.43.46 PM
(Photo: Twitter/@TheEliDrake)

The news of Drake's signing comes just hours after news of former Impact Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie signing with the company broke.

Check out the full lineup for NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day below:

  • NXT Championship: Finn Balor vs. Pete Dune
  • NXT Women's Championship: Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Martinez
  • NXT North American Championship: Johnny Gargano vs. Kushida
  • Men's Dusty Cup Finals: MSK vs. Grizzled Young Veterans
  • Women's Dusty Cup Finals: Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez vs. Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart
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