A former WWE champion made his surprise debut for TNA Wrestling at TNA Slammiversary on Sunday night, appearing under a familiar name from earlier in his career.
Apollo Crews made his first appearance for the promotion under his pre-WWE ring name, Uhaa Nation, serving as one of two mystery challengers for Mustafa Ali‘s TNA International Championship at Slammiversary in the Agganis Arena in Boston.
Nation joined Rich Swann in challenging Ali in a Triple Threat Match for the title. However, the champion retained after members of Order 4 buried Nation beneath the steel ring steps at ringside before Ali pinned Swann with a bridging suplex.
TNA Confirmed Uhaa Nation Has Officially Joined The Roster
Following the match, the company aired a backstage segment in which Moose welcomed Nation to the company, signalling that the former WWE star is now officially part of the promotion’s roster.
Reports earlier in the week suggested TNA had interest in signing the 38-year-old, although it was unclear whether he remained under a 90-day non-compete clause following his WWE departure.
Crews was among WWE’s roster cuts announced on April 24. During his time with the company, he captured both the Intercontinental Championship and the United States Championship before becoming a free agent.
