Former Impact Wrestling World Champion EC3 was spotted at ringside during tonight’s NXT Takeover: Philadelphia live special, confirming his return to WWE.
EC3 (billed as ‘EC 3’ on screen) formerly worked for the company as Derrick Bateman between 2009-13 and appeared on the fourth and fifth seasons of NXT before it was considered a developmental territory for WWE.
Related: Major Update On EC3 & WWE
You never know WHO you'll run into at #NXTTakeOver. Nice to see you, @therealec3! pic.twitter.com/6QsBQ14DZG
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 28, 2018
WWE.com also posted the following, hyping EC 3’s appearance:
PHILADELPHIA – While the red-hot action inside the ring at TakeOver: Philadelphia kept NXT fans on the edge of their seats, the surprise cameo of NXT’s newest blockbuster signing has the entire sports-entertainment world buzzing.
EC 3, a familiar face to many longtime WWE fans, made an unannounced appearance Saturday night, sitting among the NXT Universe inside the jam-packed Wells Fargo Center. A ring veteran of more than 15 years, EC 3 posed for WWE Network cameras as Mauro Ranallo confirmed that the brawny Superstar is NXT’s newest signee.
Stay with WWE.com for more coverage of this story as it develops.
Additionally, new signees Ricochet and War Machine were shown during the special. There had been some speculation that all three might undergo name changes due to the way they were referred to by WWE.com articles, but they all were referred to by their previous ring names on the on-air Takeover graphics:
The high-flying @KingRicochet is here in Philadelphia, ringside for #NXTTakeOver! pic.twitter.com/hUgSDiR6Wj
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 28, 2018
Welcome to #NXTTakeOver, @WarBeardHanson and @RAYMONDxROWE! #WarMachine pic.twitter.com/rX6AkslYWp
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 28, 2018
