WWE Holding Tryouts in Las Vegas During ‘SummerSlam’ Week

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, WWE will be able to hold a large-scale tryout.

WWE is coming to Las Vegas in August for SummerSlam, and the company is extending its stay for a multiday tryout to find future stars.

SummerSlam will take place on Saturday, Aug. 21, at Allegiant Stadium, with the WWE tryouts scheduled to take place earlier that week. Those selected from the tryouts will have the opportunity to train at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla.

“Talent is the lifeblood of our industry,” WWE’s executive vice president of global talent, strategy and development Paul “Triple H” Levesque said in a statement. “These tryouts, coupled with SummerSlam, one of our premier events, will help us discover world-class athletes that will serve as the next wave of WWE superstars.”

The current WWE roster features a plethora of stars who established themselves on the indie circuit, as well as talent that arrived from outside the wrestling realm. Performers like Sasha Banks, Drew McIntyre, Bayley, Pete Dunne and Finn Bálor built their reputations through their wrestling outside WWE. There are also plenty of emerging stars who came from other sectors of sports and entertainment, like A.J. Francis, who played in the NFL; Reginald, who dazzled in Cirque du Soleil; and Xia Li, who arrived at the Performance Center following a tryout in China.

“Xia came from a village where she didn’t even know what WWE was,” said Levesque, who also spoke with members of the media following Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: In Your House. “She was this incredible athlete, and her personality was huge. When she came in for the tryout, I remember watching her fall in love with it.

“This is all about opportunity, and it’s a big part of what we do. We haven’t been able to do it for a year and a half due to COVID, so this is creating our future and getting back to business.”