Bea Priestley signs with WWE, joins NXT UK

Bea Priestley has officially joined NXT UK.

Following a teaser that aired on last week’s show, it was confirmed on this Thursday’s NXT UK episode that Priestley has signed with WWE. She’s now using “Blair Davenport” as her in-ring name.

Last week’s teaser showed a woman named Blair Davenport signing an NXT UK contract, but her face wasn’t revealed until today’s show. Priestley said in a video that aired on today’s NXT UK:

I have wrestled all around the world. I have sacrificed everything to get to where I am today. I have given up friends, I have given up family, to master what I do. Did you really think that I wouldn’t end up a part of the greatest women’s division on earth? Blair Davenport has arrived in NXT UK.

Priestley had her final match for Stardom this April, unsuccessfully challenging Utami Hayashishita for the World of Stardom Championship.

Priestley was also formerly part of the United Empire with Will Ospreay, The Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb in NJPW. Priestley was written out of NJPW in an angle where she was given an OsCutter by Ospreay following his New Japan Cup finals win against Shingo Takagi this March.

In August 2020, Priestley was released by AEW. She hadn’t been able to wrestle for the promotion since March of that year due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.