Scouting Report for Top Prospects from WWE's New Class of NXT Recruits

Bodybuilders, indy stars and a ballroom dancer comprise the newest stream of incoming WWE talent, a class of NXT rookies diverse in both background and nationality. 

Of the 11 new faces, just four hail from the United States. WWE announced on its official website that prospects "from seven countries have begun training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida."

Dragon Gate standout Uhaa Nation is the biggest name of that group, a blue-chip athlete with a build out of comic books. Jasmin Areebi of Canada, Axel Tischer of Germany and Australian Jessica McKay join him at WWE's developmental system.

These rookies' journeys promise to be of varying lengths. Some are entering the wrestling world with little to no experience, while others have been sharpening their skills in rings around the globe for years. 

The following is a look at some of the tangibles and intangibles that make five of these new recruits stand out, along with some notes on the rest of the new class of WWE hopefuls.

All wrestler stats courtesy of CageMatch.net unless otherwise noted.

Other Prospects

Kenneth Crawford

Crawford served four years as a marine, as noted by Jim Varsallone of the Miami Herald. That experience speaks to his toughness. His success as a track and field competitor speaks to his athleticism. 

It took Crawford two tries to get signed. In between the tryouts, he was clearly busy in the gym.

WWE.com's Ryan Murphy and John Clapp write that Crawford "put on about 40 pounds of muscle since his first visit a year earlier."

Peter Howard

The former rugby player and discus champion has quite the learning curve ahead of him. The Exeter, England, native enters the WWE system with an background in athletics, but not one in wrestling.

Howard is one recruit who is truly a rookie. 

Cassie McIntosh

Lance Storm's contributions to NXT continue. The former WWE star trained Emma before working with McIntosh. Like Emma, McIntosh heads to Full Sail University via Australia.

While ahead of wrestling newbies in this class in terms of know-how, McIntosh has just a few years of experience. She worked with Pro Wrestling Alliance in her home country before signing with WWE.  

Radomir Petkovic

One glance at Petkovic, and it's clear why WWE was interested in him. He's a large man with an impressive build. This isn't a case of the company just bringing in a guy with a nice looks.

His background is in amateur wrestling. WWE.com notes that the Serbian won two bronze medals at the "2009 Mediterranean Games in Greco-Roman and Freestyle."

Levis Valenzuela Jr

Fandango might have some competition coming: Valenzuela is an award-winning ballroom dancer. 

He has previously trained with CWF Mid-Atlantic, so while not coming in with a wealth of experience, he won't be carrying a completely blank slate either.

Valenzuela believes his mic skills helped get him in the door. He told Scott Fishman of the Miami Herald that he thinks he impressed during that portion of the tryout, adding, "I knew I had charisma, and I knew I wanted to showcase that to WWE."

Oscar Vasquez 

From Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Vasquez brings a lucha libre background with him to NXT. He has previously trained with CWF Mid-Atlantic.

Jasmine Areebi

• Height, Weight: 5'2'', 112 lbs
• Pro Debut: 2013
• Promotions Worked for: Absolute Intense Wrestling, Pure Wrestling Association (Canada), Alpha-1 Wrestling (Canada)

Jasmin Areebi (real name: Nhooph Al-Areebi) is a spark plug of the squared circle.

She's just a hair taller than Alexa Bliss, but makes up for her size with energy and athleticism. Areebi will be one of the quicker Divas in the developmental system. She works well in a fast-paced bout and hits a number of impressive high-flying moves.

Her kicks are excellent. While some Divas aren't nearly aggressive enough in that department, Areebi has shown herself to be skilled at wielding a wrestling boot.

Being able to speak Arabic is a welcome bonus as WWE continues to expand its global reach. 

Thomas Kingdon

• Height, Weight: 6'3'', 247 lbs
• Pro Debut: N/A
• Promotions Worked for: N/A

Being massive and muscular will certainly help talent move up the WWE ladder. The company has long coveted the look Thomas Kingdon sports.

In addition to being a bodybuilder, Kingdon also played high school football as defensive end, per the Varsallone. 

He comes to NXT inexperienced and raw, but with quite the physical foundation to build upon.

As for the rest of the wrestler package, the charisma may come, but it's not guaranteed. In an article about a WWE tryout, Ryan Murphy and John Clapp noted on WWE.com that Kingdon struggled with the interview portion at first, "only to loosen up the second coaches eased him into conversation."

Kingdon's stats courtesy of PetoskyNews.com.

Jessica McKay

• Height, Weight: 5'10", 132 lbs
• Pro Debut: 2007
• Promotions Worked for: Professional Wrestling Alliance (Australia), Wrestle Rampage (Australia), SHIMMER Women Athletes 

Known as "Everyone's Favorite Girlfriend," Jessica McKay has created considerable buzz on the independent circuit.

Charisma and showmanship are among her biggest strengths. She plays to the crowd well and clearly knows how to infuse her gimmick into her matches.

That will allow her to advance quickly at NXT.

In the ring, there are certainly things to work on, but plenty for NXT officials to work with. McKay has decent speed and is a good athlete. Her technical skills are solid, but she needs improvement in terms of making transitions between moves smoother.

Her most impressive weapon as of now is the big boot, for which she lifts her leg to an eye-catching height.

Uhaa Nation

• Height, Weight: 6'1'', 264 lbs
• Pro Debut: 2009
• Promotions Worked for: Dragon Gate, EVOLVE, Westside Extreme Wrestling (Germany), Preston City Wrestling (England)

The clear star of this group of recruits is Uhaa Nation (real name: Sesugh Uhaa).

He blends power and agility into an attention-grabbing package. His natural athleticism is off the charts. Everything he does in the ring, be it power moves or dropkicks, forces fans to take notice.

There is an electricity to his offense that has made him a rising star on the indy circuit. He comes in with good experience, having worked in a variety of countries and against notable names like Matt Sydal (formerly Evan Bourne), Austin Aries, Michael Elgin and BXB Hulk.

He hasn't been as great on the mic but shows promise. He comes off as likable, and his promos generally sound natural. Amplifying his personality will be key to his success.    

Axel Tischer

• Height, Weight: 6'2'', 231 lbs
• Pro Debut: 2004
• Promotions Worked for: Westside Xtreme Wrestling (Germany), Big Japan Pro Wrestling, German Stampede Wrestling 

Not well known in the U.S., Axel Tischer has spent the majority of his career in his home country of Germany.

He's a well-rounded performer who doesn't have an A-plus attribute to boast. Tischer is quick, but not impressively so. His high-flying is solid, as his brawling. His footwork is above average.

He moves well in the ring and has a clear understanding of in-ring psychology.

Will that all be enough to make a mark at NXT, with all the dynamos and powerhouses he has to compete with? Finding the right gimmick will certainly help. Otherwise, it will be a major challenge to struggle to climb the NXT ladder with men like Uhaa Nation soaring at Full Sail University.