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WWE Reportedly Signs Third Generation Wrestler Following Recent Tryout

Another third generation wrestler has reportedly signed a contract with WWE following her tryout last month.
Rick Ucchino|
WWE
WWE | WWE

Wrestling has more than one royal family.

Anoa'i, Rhodes, Orton, Hart, Flair, Guerrero - the list of families with multi-generational stars in professional wrestling is long and distinguished, and the WWE talent relations department is adding to it with their latest signing.

WWE held a tryout last month in Orlando, Florida, with independent talent such as Notorious Mimi, Zoe Sager, Stevie and Tome Filip, Valentina Rossi, Fallyn Grey, Nikki Blackheart, Airica Demia and Miranda Alize in attendance.

It was reported last week by multiple outlets that Nikki Blackheart had been signed to a new deal, and now the folks over at BodySlam have heard of one more young woman who earned herself a contract.

Dean Malenko's daughter has reportedly signed with WWE

Sources indicate to BodySlam that Marie Malenko has signed with WWE. The apple must not have fallen far from the tree, as the third-generation star just made her professional wrestling debut last month for Pro Wrestling NOAH in Tokyo, Japan.

Marie is the daughter of legendary cruiserweight Dean Malenko, who captured the WCW Cruiserweight Championship on four occasions in his career, as well as the retired WWE Light Heavyweight Championship twice. He served as a road agent for WWE for nearly two decades before moving on to take a senior producer role with rival All Elite Wrestling.

Dean's father, Boris Malenko, made a name for himself across the state of Florida in the 1960s and 1970s, portraying a now-classic Russian heel character.

Given her lack of experience, Marie Malenko is likely to spend some time training at the WWE Performance Center before making her debut on NXT programming. Depending on how quickly she can get up to speed, Marie would fit perfectly in Lexis King's new stable.

Lexis King
Lexis King | The CW Network

The Birthright is a multi-generational stable mentored by WWE legends William Regal and Fit Finlay. Their sons, Charlie Dempsey and Uriah Connors (Brogan Finlay) are key members, alongside King (Brian Pillman Jr), Arianna Grace (Santino Marella's daughter) and her fiancé Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo.

While Marie Malenko has the family connection, Nikki Blackheart has a bit more experience with nearly 40 career matches under her belt and multiple championship wins for independent promotions. WWE Grand Slam Champion Bayley recently put over Blackheart's talent during an interview with Fox News.

"She would obviously fit in great," Bayley said. "I’m biased though, because I had her at my Lodestone seminar. If she shows up, I’ll be happy to show her around."

If word surfaces on any other names that have been signed to WWE, we'll keep you updated here on The Takedown on SI.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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