Manuel Oropeza: Everything You Need to Know About Newest Member of WWE NXT

November 19 was a big day for the NXT brand.

It brought not only the latest round of television tapings but also the announcement from Triple H and World Wrestling Entertainment that one of the elite international stars had put pen to paper and signed on with the company.

Manuel Oropeza, known to millions in Mexico and Japan as La Sombra, became the latest international sensation to migrate to NXT, further establishing the brand as the hottest in the industry.

"

Manuel Alfonso Andrade Oropeza (formerly La Sombra of CMLL) joins @WWE Performance Center https://t.co/j16yqlu4LQ pic.twitter.com/Vn3PW8N0P3

— Joey Styles (@JoeyStyles) November 19, 2015"

But fans in the United States may not be all that familiar with the dynamic and exciting young newcomer. He's competed in other countries for all 12 of his years inside the squared circle, and mostly under a mask, making his work hard to come by unless one knows exactly where to look.

As the 26 year-old embarks on the latest chapter of his career in front of the most passionate fans in wrestling at NXT, enjoy this look at everything you need to know about the newest member of the NXT roster and why he may be the missing ingredient WWE has been so desperately searching for to truly expand and succeed south of the border.

1. He has wrestling in his blood

As is common with most great Mexican competitors, Oropeza is the product of a wrestling family.

As reported by Dan Madigan in the 2007 publication Mondo Lucha A Go-Go: The Bizarre & Honorable World of Wild Mexican Wrestling, his father competed as Brillante, but he is far from the only connection Oropeza has in the industry. His uncle, Jesus Andrade Salas, has portrayed the legendary Pentagon character while also competing under the name of Espanto Jr.

Overall, he has four uncles who have mastered the mat game, paving the way for him to succeed in the industry. None of them have made it to WWE to sign a contract, but all have enjoyed their own success in their native land.

His cousin (real name withheld) picked up the Espanto Jr. persona and carried on the tradition in honor of his father.

There is no denying that WWE loves talent with rich family bloodlines. How many times has it repeatedly informed the audience about The Rock's heritage or Randy Orton's status as a third-generation competitor?

Expect much to be made of Oropeza's family and what they did to help prepare him for the bright lights and high-profile situations that await him in Vince McMahon's company.

2. He has formerly competed as the masked La Sombra

In lucha libre, few things are treated with such respect and dignity as a wrestler's mask. It is, for all intents and purposes, part of his mythology. It is the face under which a luchador becomes recognizable, and to lose it means great degradation and humiliation.

For years, Oropeza wowed audiences as La Sombra, or "The Shadow," in both Mexico and Japan. Under that mask, he accumulated 21 different championships and honors while becoming one of the most decorated and celebrated champions of his generation.

As La Sombra, he won three Mask vs. Mask matches, dishonoring his opponents while strengthening his resume.

This past September, however, he endured his own shame when he was defeated by Atlantis and forced to remove his mask.

While the Mexican people gasped at his embarrassment, it was a necessary step on his journey to WWE.

After all, the company found out just how much meaning a mask holds when it had Rey Mysterio put his back on despite losing it honorably in a 1998 match involving Kevin Nash, thus angering its Mexican fanbase.

In this case, the best way to avoid outrage and controversy in regard to the mask was to not bother with it at all, allowing the young star to arrive in Orlando, Florida, under his real name. 

3. At 26, he has a wealth of experience

Most 26-year-old men are still trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives. Oropeza has already starred internationally and is now heading to WWE, where he will reach a much larger audience than he ever did before, both via WWE Network and NXT, as well as part of the main-roster programming seen in 100 different countries.

While some of his peers may be unfamiliar with his work and mistake him for a green rookie, Oropeza has accomplished a great deal in his 12 years in professional wrestling, as revealed at Gerweck.net.

He has feuded with legendary, future Hall of Famer Jushin "Thunder" Liger in a program that stretched from Mexico to Japan. He even scored significant victories over the masked icon, proving his worth to even the most skeptical of fans.

Under the guise of La Sombra, Oropeza has also captured victories in several tournaments and competitions, including the 2013 Reyes del Aire, a signature win at the time.

Like Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Neville and Asuka before him, Oropeza is a well-traveled and polished competitor. He simply needs to gain an understanding for the WWE style of working—which he should pick up quickly, if he follows the examples of the above-mentioned performers—before moving on to accomplish great feats in the company's developmental brand.

4. He can work both as a babyface and heel

One of the most important attributes any performer can have is diversity. Those who have not had experience playing both hero and villain often find themselves forever pigeonholed on one side of the fence. They find it difficult to step out of their comfort zones and become something else, which ultimately dooms them to mediocrity.

That is not a problem for Oropeza, as seen above and reported on by Kris Zellner in his Lucha Report piece for PWInsider.com, where he discussed the masked luchadore working a more rudo style for the first time.

Despite gaining fame as a babyface and being one of the most popular stars in Mexico, he most recently competed as a villain, or "rudo." As one-third of Los Ingobernables, he and cohorts Rush and La Masacara relished in the opportunity to perform as villains. That is, even though they referred to themselves as an alternative take on classic babyfaces, or "tecnicos." 

That ability to switch things up, to work in two different roles and thus two different styles, will only serve to benefit him at WWE, where talent is expected to switch sides when necessary to further stories or angles.