WWE apparently had a real reason for acting like Nikki Blackheart was the mystery woman everyone should know, but nobody on commentary was allowed to name.
Blackheart made her televised NXT debut on the June 30 episode, closing the show by attacking Tatum Paxley after the main event. Kelani Jordan had just defeated Paxley, but the night ended with Blackheart storming out, laying Paxley out, and trapping the former NXT Women’s North American Champion in a torture rack while the broadcast faded out.
The weird part was commentary. Vic Joseph clearly knew fans recognized her, but he never actually said her name. Instead, he danced around it by telling viewers that “we all know who that is” and calling her “one of the most talked about women in the industry today.”
Now there seems to be an explanation. According to Bryan Alvarez, WWE has not fully finalized the trademark side of Blackheart’s ring name yet, so the company avoided identifying her during the show.
“Apparently some trademark things involving Nikki Blackheart aren’t finalized, which is why she had no name whatsoever in her NXT debut last night. But she’ll likely have a name by this time next week.”
That makes the whole debut feel a little less mysterious and a lot more corporate. WWE still wanted the surprise ending, but without the trademark situation wrapped up, they apparently had to introduce her in the strangest way possible: by having commentary basically say, “You know who this is,” without actually saying who this is.
Still, the debut itself did its job. Blackheart closed NXT standing tall, Paxley got taken out in dramatic fashion, and WWE now has a new name in the women’s division with an identity reveal likely coming very soon.
What do you think about WWE holding back Nikki Blackheart’s name during her NXT debut? Did it make the moment more interesting, or did it just feel awkward? Let us know in the comments below.
