WWE is widening its reach as it pertains to where it is searching for its next breakout Superstar.
Recently, WWE has focused its talent scouting on collegiate athletes, even spawning a “Campus Rush” program focused specifically on trying to recruit college athletes to WWE. Now, as first reported by Sports Illustrated, WWE will be holding a two-day event at a top athletic prep school IMG Academy.
WWE will be holding tryouts over the course of two days, Wednesday, November 30, and Thursday, December 1, 2022. Per the report, there will be approximately 35 athletes at the tryout, which will be taking place on campus in Bradenton, Florida.
“There are countless examples of top talent that came into the business via college sports, but there hasn’t always been a system built out,” said WWE’s head of talent operations and strategy James Kimball. “That’s what we’re trying to create here, a true talent development pathway into WWE for college athletes.”
RELATED: WWE Announces ‘Campus Rush’ Collegiate Athlete Recruitment Tour
Big E will be joining Kimball at the tryouts and Kimball says the former WWE Champion is a major part of this recruitment strategy as he himself was a collegiate athlete recruited to WWE.
“E is such a critical part of what we’re doing,” says Kimball. “This recruitment strategy is really hitting home for him, and it’s something we should have had when he was a collegiate student-athlete at Iowa. He’s such a great ambassador, and he can relate to these athletes. He’s presenting with shared experience—that goes a long way.”
WrestleZone will continue to report any and all updates that come out of the tryouts and provide information on any of the names that may be signed.
