| Niko Vance | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Skylor Clinton |
| Born | January 15, 1999 Prescott, Arizona, United States |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Billed weight | 240 lb (110 kg) |
| Billed from | Prescott, Arizona |
| Trained by | WWE Performance Center |
| Debut | May 13, 2023 |
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.
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]
Clinton joined the Wyoming Cowboys as a defensive end but did not record any playing time. [2]
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]
Clinton would then spend three seasons with the UAB Blazers football team, appearing in nine games across the 2018 and 2019 seasons. [4]
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]
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]
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]
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