WWE announced new hires for the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. On this occasion, six new stars have joined: Mercedes Martinez, Jake Atlas, Sidney Bateman, Anthony Francis, Zechariah Smith, and Emily Andzulis.
Jazmin Benitez, known worldwide as Mercedes Martínez, is one of the most recognized independent stars in the business. He participated in the Mae Young Classic edition in 2017 and 2018. He also participated in some NXT programs.
Another independent star who joins the list is Kenny Marquez, known by his name in indies Jake Atlas. In 2018, he participated in the CBS Celebrity Undercover Boss program where he trained Stephanie McMahon disguised as a company employee. In that episode, Atlas said he wanted to become WWE's first openly gay champion and upon hearing his story, McMahon offered him a contract as "brand ambassador."
From the field of sports outside of wrestling, Anthony Francis, a former NFL player who participated in teams such as Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, and Washington Redskins, joined.
He also joined Zechariah Smith of Oklahoma, a prominent university basketball player at Morgan State University. He was a player of the Washington Generals, a team recognized as the rivals of the Harlem Globetrotters.
Emily Andzulis, a native of Powell, Tennessee, was the first woman to win the NBC Titan Games contest, created by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. For years he trained Taekwondo and is a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
And finally, Sidney Bateman is a 27-year-old acrobat from St. Louis, Missouri who participated in one of the Cirque du Soleil shows.
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