WWE sign Mexican talent, #1 contenders update and more

Manuel Alfonso Andrade Oropeza is the latest Mexican talent to join WWE

- The latest WWE talent to be signed off Mexico’s long production line of talented wrestlers is none other than the highly skilled CMLL and New Japan Pro Wrestling star – Manuel Alfonso Andrade Oropeza.

WWE executive vice president, Triple H took to social networking site Instagram to welcome his company’s newest capture, saying: Some have this business in their blood…but all have to prove they belong. It is my pleasure to welcome Manuel Alfonso Andrade Oropeza to @wwenxt. #GetReady

Previously known by the name “La Sombra”, Oropeza has wrestling in his blood, with his grandfather, father, uncles and cousins all previously wrestlers in his homeland. Oropeza first penned a deal with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in 2007 at the tender age 17, where he trained under El Satanico.

Titles lifted by Oropeza at the CMLL include the CMLL Trio and Tag Team titles and the NWA Welterweight and Middleweight titles.

The wrestler, who was on WWE’s radar for a long time, made it known to his employers, the CMLL, that he wished to quit in favour of the American franchise back in August.

The five-foot-nine-inch wrestler is already tipped as a great catch by sources inside the WWE as he is known for his work ethic. Oropeza is known to hold his profession in the highest regard and could be the next big Latin star of WWE, which has already seen some superb Latino talent.

What’s more is that Manuel has a good command over the English language, which could make him a potential crowd pleaser.

As stated before, Mexico isn’t the only place that Oropeza has plied his trade, with the wrestler also appearing in New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he won the franchises’ Intercontinental Championship back in 2013.

- Elsewhere, WWE has released a series of exciting updates including Dolph Ziggler vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Tyler Breeze in a #1 contenders Triple Threat for this Thursday’s Thanksgiving SmackDown.

From the results that came in from this week’s Smackdown, Dean Ambrose is the new #1 contender to Kevin Owens’ IC title after he defeated Tyler Breeze and Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler and Breeze are set to continue their feud as we are en route to TLC.

The franchise has also caused excitement ahead of Black Friday by releasing a video of Dean Ambrose as Jon Moxley vs. Austin Aries from EVOLVE 7 on April 19th, 2011.