Fourteen aspiring pro wrestlers have been signed to WWE through their NIL program, ranging from track and field athletes and soccer players to cheerleaders and gymnasts!
This year’s SummerSlam was also the home of the company’s latest set of tryouts. Conducted through the NIL program, a host of non-wrestling athletes – including NBA legend Dwight Howard – were put to the test in front of Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, Paul Heyman, and others.
Per ESPN, fourteen of those names were offered contracts and will report to the Performance Center in Orlando. The full list of signings is as follows:
- Alivia Ash
- Anna Keefer
- Beau Morris
- Breanna Ruggiero
- Chukwusom Enekwechi
- Franki Strefling
- Gabrielle Dunn
- Harleigh White
- Hayden Pittman
- Jade Gentile
- Kennedy Cummins
- Kevin Ventura-Cortes
- Lea Mitchell
- Rickssen Opont
14 people had their lives changed forever as they were offered a @WWE contract following the #SummerSlam Tryouts in Nashville. pic.twitter.com/HL7fcYg0O1
— WWE Recruit (@WWERecruit) August 10, 2022
These signings mark the third batch to be snapped up through the NIL program. Previous batches of talent were accepted into the WWE Performance Center in December and June, respectively.
The NIL (Next In Line) program replaces the company’s previous mentality when it came to signing talent, which used to see the company sign the top independent prospects. When it came time for mass releases, however, they were usually top of the list, leaving without having done much of anything.
Although only three batches of NIL signings have thus far been made, they’re hardly the first prospective WWE Superstars to come from outwith the pro wrestling world. The likes of Roman Reigns, Goldberg, and Brock Lesnar all came from fields outside of wrestling, yet all found huge success.