Skylor Clinton (born January 15, 1999) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, performing on the NXT brand under the ring name Niko Vance and is a member of The Culling stable.
Early life
Skylor Clinton was born on January 15, 1999, in Prescott, Arizona. He attended Prescott High School, where he excelled in football as a running back. During his senior year, Clinton rushed for 1,440 yards and 21 touchdowns on 188 carries and also threw four touchdown passes. His outstanding performance earned him All-Division III Honorable Mention and First Team All-Division III Section IV honors. Notably, he became the first player from Prescott to earn an FBS scholarship.[1]
University of Wyoming (2015)
Clinton joined the Wyoming Cowboys as a defensive end but did not record any playing time.[2]
Mesa Community College (2016)
Clinton would then transfer to Mesa Community College where he transitioned to wide receiver, catching 23 passes for 441 yards and four touchdowns. He notably had a three-catch, 100-yard game in the season finale, the Valley of the Sun Bowl against Lackawanna College.[3]
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) (2017–2019)
Clinton would then spend three seasons with the UAB Blazers football team, appearing in nine games across the 2018 and 2019 seasons.[4]
Northern Arizona University (2020)
Clinton would then play as a tight end for Northern Arizona University, appearing in five games during the season.[1]
Throughout his academic career, Clinton was recognised as a Golden Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award recipient in 2021.[5]
Professional wrestling career
WWE
Developmental territories (2023–2024)
Clinton signed a trainee deal with WWE in late 2022.[6] He made his in-ring debut at an NXT live event on May 13, 2023, teaming with Kale Dixon in a losing effort against Boa and Dante Chen.[7]
He made his televised debut on the September 5, 2024, episode of Main Event under his real name, facing Dante Chen in a losing effort.[8] Shortly after, he began appearing on NXT Level Up, debuting on the September 13, 2024, episode against Luca Crusifino.[9]
The Culling (2024–present)
On November 12, 2024, Vance made his debut on NXT aligning himself with Shawn Spears and Brooks Jensen, establishing himself as a heel in the process.[10]
Vance would have his first bout in NXT on January 21, 2025, teaming with Brooks Jensen to defeat The D'Angelo Family (Luca Crusifino and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo).[11]
References
- ^ a b "Skylor Clinton - Football". Northern Arizona University Athletics.
- ^ "Wyoming 2015 Quarterback Prospects". 247Sports.
- ^ "Aguirre grabs Valley of the Sun Bowl game-winner; Mesa defeats Lackawanna 48-42 in Double-Overtime". December 3, 2016 – via mesatbirdsports.com.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "Skylor Clinton - Football". UAB Athletics.
- ^ "Full List of 2020-21 Golden Eagle Scholar-Athletes". Northern Arizona University Athletics.
- ^ Dhakite, Akash (November 11, 2022). "WWE signs 15 new athletes following tryouts during SummerSlam". www.sportskeeda.com.
- ^ "WWE NXT Live Event Results from Sebring, FL (5/13/23)". May 13, 2023.
- ^ "WWE MAIN EVENT TV RESULTS (9/4): Dante Chen vs. Stylor Clinton ends with a dual chop to the chest, Malik Blade vs. Riley Osborne with acrobatics and flips".
- ^ "411MANIA". Leighty’s NXT Level Up Review 9.13.24.
- ^ Tessier, Colin (November 13, 2024). "Niko Vance Debuts On 11/12 WWE NXT".
- ^ "Niko Vance Competes In First Televised Match On WWE NXT | Fightful News". www.fightful.com.
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