Photo: Timothy Nwachukwu
World Wrestling Entertainment announced the signing of former All Elite Wrestling TBS champion Jade Cargill on Tuesday (September 26) via ESPN.
"WWE today announced it has signed Jade Cargill to a multi-year contract. The news was first reported by ESPN," the company wrote on its official website. "Cargill, a standout performer who has earned accolades as an industry-renowned talent, will begin training today at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando."
Cargill, 31, a fitness model and former collegiate basketball player, initially participated in a tryout with WWE's developmental program NXT in 2019 before instead signing with AEW and making her in-ring debut alongside Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal in a tag-team match against Cody Rhodes -- who has also since signed with WWE -- and Red Velvet in November 2020.
The Florida native went on to win a single-elimination tournament to become the inaugural AEW TBS Champion on October 6, 2021, a title she held until May 28, 2023, when she lost to a returning Kris Statlander, ending her 60-0 undefeated streak. Cargill made a brief return earlier this month to challenge Statlander for the TBS title, which resulted in a losing effort on Rampage amid speculation of WWE's interest following the conclusion of her contract.
Cargill is widely considered to be a rising star in the professional wrestling industry despite having only wrestled for two years. The former Jacksonville University basketball player has nearly 1 million Instagram followers and owns a Women's Professional Fastpitch (WPF) team, the Texas Smoke, alongside her life partner, former Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips.
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