It’s that point of 12 months again where WWE introduces a brand new rookie class on the WWE Performance Center, and this latest one features someone “NXT” fans have quickly come to know. Taking to X on Wednesday evening, the “NXT” account announced the official signings of Mason Rook, Lacey Simon, Marcus Brown, and Nicole Martinez, higher often called Nikki Blackheart. S
Introducing the most recent Rookie Class on the WWE Performance Center! 🔥
Mason Rook
Lacey Simon
Nicole Martinez
Marcus Brown pic.twitter.com/kjxueNAokK— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) May 20, 2026
The announcement was a mere formality for Rook, who debuted in “NXT” nearly a month ago after having previously worked the UK independent scene and Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling NOAH under the name Will Kroos. In his short “NXT” tenure, Kroos has already established himself as an NXT Championship contender, laying out Tony D’Angelo on his first night. His in-ring debut occurred earlier this week, where he and Kam Hendrix defeated Tony D’Angelo and Myles Borne.
Though not as notable as Rook with the WWE audience, Blackheart’s inclusion in the category won’t come as a surprise, as WWE reportedly signed her back in March following a tryout. Trained by former WWE star Gangrel, Blackheart has wrestled on the indie scene for 2 years, including working US spot shows for the WWE owned AAA promotion in 2025. She worked a dark match prior to “NXT” under the name Martinez, defeating Skylar Rae.
Meanwhile Simons, who like Blackheart was reportedly signed by WWE in March, is the daughter of WCW/ECW/WWE star and current AEW producer Dean Malenko. Under the name Marie Malenko, Simons debuted in NOAH in February, and would work a handful of matches with Dream Star Marigold as well; it stays unclear if she’ll keep the Marie Malenko name in WWE. As for Brown, he’s the one considered one of the 4 signees with no pro wrestling experience, having as an alternative worked as a fitness influencer and bodybuilder in his native UK.