NXT Contract Changes and New Names, Jeff Hardy Injury Update in WWE Roundup

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

WWE Reportedly Offering Longer NXT Contracts

WWE has reportedly made some changes to the contracts that it offers Superstars who are signing with the NXT brand.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc.), WWE now signs incoming talent to five-year deals after previously signing them to three-year contracts.

Meltzer noted that the change is meant to prevent wrestlers from testing the waters as free agents after just three years under contract.

The alteration may have something to do with the emergence of All Elite Wrestling, which has the makings of becoming WWE's closest competitor since WCW in the late 1990s and early 2000s. AEW's first pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, was a success last month, and it is set to begin airing a weekly show on TNT later this year.

Former WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose (now Jon Moxley) made his AEW debut at Double or Nothing, and WWE may be looking to prevent similar situations from arising in the future.

Five-year deals also give WWE more time to develop talent that may not enter the company with much wrestling experience. While WWE has signed many of the top independent wrestlers in the world in recent years, it also focuses on signing and developing athletes from other sports.

With five years rather than three, the success rate of Superstars at the Performance Center may increase.

Jeff Hardy Set for Follow-Up Exams

Jeff Hardy is reportedly set to undergo some follow-up examinations over the next week after having knee surgery last month.

According to PWInsider's Mike Johnson, there is still no timetable for Hardy's return.

WWE announced last month that Hardy underwent successful surgery on his right knee. WWE pointed to Lars Sullivan as the culprit, but Hardy suffered the injury at a WWE live event.

As a result of Hardy's injury, he and his brother, Matt Hardy, had to surrender the SmackDown Tag Team Championships shortly after beating The Usos for them. Daniel Bryan and Rowan then beat The Usos to win the vacant SmackDown tag team titles.

Last month, Hardy said in a YouTube video that he was expecting to be out for six to nine months, although WWE has yet to make an official statement regarding a timeline for his return.

If the timetable Hardy provided is accurate, he could be a strong candidate to come back as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble match in January, if not sooner.

New NXT Signees Receive Names

A pair of recent WWE NXT signees debuted with new names at an NXT live event in Largo, Florida, on Thursday night.

According to Middleton, Shane Strickland debuted as Isaiah Scott, and DJZ went by the name Joaquin Wilde.

Strickland teamed with Brennan Williams to beat Jonah Rock and Elliot Sexton, while DJZ beat Kona Reeves in a singles match.

Prior to signing with WWE, Strickland was one of the hottest commodities on the independent scene. He was the world heavyweight champion for a number of promotions, including Evolve, CZW and MLW. He also held the Trios Championships twice in Lucha Underground as Killshot.

DJZ is best known for his success in Impact Wrestling as both DJZ and Zema Ion. In Impact, DJZ was a two-time X-Division and one-time tag team champion.

Both Strickland and DJZ could be major assets for NXT in the near future because of their mix of athleticism and charisma.

They could also be candidates to appear on 205 Live, but given their all-around talent, it is easy to envision them being championship contenders on the yellow brand as well.

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