WWE Rumors on New Sumo Wrestler's Signing, Stephanie Vaquer's Absence and Bruce Prichard's Future

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

WWE Reportedly Signs Former Sumo Wrestler, Football Player

WWE has reportedly landed an intriguing prospect in the form of former sumo wrestler and college football player Hidetora Hanada.

According to PWInsider.com (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), WWE officially signed Hanada to a developmental NXT contract after previously signing him to an NIL deal last year.

Born in Japan, the 24-year-old Hanada competed in sumo at a high level during his teenage years.

He won gold in the openweight division at the 2018 and 2019 Junior World Sumo Championships before winning gold as a heavyweight at the 2022 World Games.

Hamada began playing football in 2022, and in 2023, he joined Colorado State and played defensive line for the Rams.

He appeared in two games during the 2023 season for CSU and recorded three tackles.

Now, Hamada is set to transition back to something a bit more familiar, as pro wrestling resides somewhere in the world of combat sports, much like sumo.

There are many intricacies Hamada must learn in order to thrive in WWE like he did in sumo, but from a physicality perspective, he possesses the types of traits WWE typically looks for in a prospective Superstar.

Vaquer Reportedly Out with an Illness

Stephanie Vaquer's surprising absence from Monday night's episode of Raw was reportedly related to an illness she is dealing with.

PWInsider.com (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News) first reported the news, adding that a timetable for her return to WWE programming isn't yet known.

False Finish confirmed the report regarding Vaquer having an illness, and noted that she will be out "indefinitely."

At Money in the Bank earlier this month, Vaquer lost the Women's World Championship in a Triple Threat won by Liv Morgan.

Vaquer was seen on crutches on the ensuing episode of Raw, and Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlePurists) reported that she was dealing with a legitimate ankle injury, although it was not expected to keep her out for long.

WWE seemed to confirm as much last week when Vaquer and Becky Lynch agreed to face each other in a No. 1 contender's match this week on Raw.

However, Raw general manager Adam Pearce announced this week that Vaquer was not medically cleared to compete, so Lynch challenged Morgan for the women's world title instead.

Lynch won the match by disqualification when The Judgment Day interfered, allowing Morgan to retain the title.

Prichard Reportedly Preparing to Move Into New WWE Role

WWE Executive Director of Creative Writing and Talent Bruce Prichard reportedly may be transitioning into a new role within the company in the near future.

According to PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson, Prichard is expected to step down from his full-time role after WrestleMania 43 in April, allowing him to work as a consultant, which won't require him to be located in Stamford, Connecticut.

Fightful Select (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News) followed up by reporting that Prichard needs to undergo a "serious" surgery, and stepping down from his current position will allow him to work from home in a revised role.

The 63-year-old Prichard was a hugely influential voice behind the scenes in WWE from the late 1980s until his departure in 2008.

Prichard returned to the company in 2018, and he has served in a high-ranking position ever since, working closely with WWE head of creative Triple H.

On top of his work as an executive, Prichard is known by wrestling fans as Brother Love, which was a villainous, on-screen character he portrayed in WWE, primarily from the late 1980s to early 1990s.

He had his own talk show segment and was the first manager The Undertaker ever had before Paul Bearer took over.

Prichard's time in the wrestling business far predates his time in WWE, as he began working for Houston Wrestling in the 1970s.

With that level of experience, Prichard brings invaluable knowledge to the table, so retaining him in even a different or reduced role still figures to be a positive for WWE.