WWE has announced a new seven-person recruiting class for the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, bringing in a mix of independent wrestling experience, amateur athletics, reality television visibility and a familiar name from one of the company’s most recognizable families.
The class is headed by Aalyah Gutierrez, known to WWE audiences as Aalyah Mysterio. She is the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio and the sister of WWE star Dominik Mysterio. Also joining the Performance Center are former TNA referee Katie Reynolds, former WWE ID program talent Zoë Sager, Brazilian national track and field champion Ana da Silva, amateur wrestler Cara Brown, and Australian independent wrestling tag team partners Jackson Goonrey and Tyran Tuckey, collectively known as The Dropouts.
The new recruits will begin training at WWE’s Orlando facility, which serves as the company’s central developmental training hub. The Performance Center is designed to prepare prospects from varying athletic and entertainment backgrounds for the physical, technical and television demands of WWE competition. While some members of the class arrive with established wrestling backgrounds, others bring accomplishments from collegiate sports, international athletics and other high-pressure competitive environments.
Aalyah Gutierrez begins her own WWE journey
Gutierrez joins WWE with extensive familiarity with the company, though her Performance Center signing marks the start of a training path separate from her family’s on-screen history. Rey Mysterio’s career has spanned generations, with the masked legend becoming one of the most influential luchadores in WWE history and earning induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. Dominik Mysterio has meanwhile developed into one of WWE’s most prominent younger stars.
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Aalyah has appeared on WWE programming on several occasions, including during storylines involving her father and brother. Her most recent noted appearance came at WrestleMania 39, where she was seated at ringside for Rey Mysterio’s match against Dominik. That match was a major chapter in the Mysterio family conflict, making Aalyah a recognizable face to viewers even before her formal arrival as a Performance Center recruit.
Her inclusion in the class does not define what her eventual on-screen role or wrestling style will be. However, the family connection will naturally create considerable interest around her development. WWE has a long history of second- and third-generation talent entering its system with familiar surnames, and Gutierrez now has the opportunity to build her own foundation under the company’s developmental structure.
Independent experience joins the class
Reynolds comes to the Performance Center with experience inside wrestling rings, although she previously worked in a different capacity. Under the name Alice Lane, Reynolds was a referee for TNA. Officiating provides a distinct perspective on match structure, ring positioning and the pace of live wrestling events, and Reynolds will now transition into training as an in-ring prospect.
Sager enters the system after previously being signed to the WWE ID program. A former rugby player and amateur wrestler in high school, Sager already has a background in physically demanding sports that require toughness and body control. She has competed for the WWE Women’s ID Championship and has also wrestled in NXT dark matches, giving her some exposure to the WWE environment before officially beginning Performance Center training.
That prior experience could help ease Sager’s adjustment to the daily demands of developmental training. The move also illustrates a potential progression within WWE’s broader talent identification system, with an athlete previously connected to WWE ID now taking the next step into the company’s full-time training setup.
Brown brings an amateur wrestling background from Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. During her time at the school, she also worked as a manager for the football team. The combination of amateur mat experience and time spent around a team-sport environment gives Brown a foundation that WWE can look to develop for the professional ring.
Amateur wrestling has long been one of the clearest pipelines into professional wrestling training because of its emphasis on balance, conditioning, leverage and grappling fundamentals. Success in amateur competition does not automatically translate to sports entertainment, where character work and performance are equally important, but it can provide an important base as a recruit learns WWE’s style.
Ana da Silva arrives with international athletic credentials
Da Silva joins WWE after a decorated career in track and field. A former University of Georgia athlete who specialized in shot put, da Silva represented Brazil in national competition and became a three-time national champion in her home country. She also competed at the 2016 World U20 Championships.
Her résumé adds another international athlete to WWE’s developmental system. Throwing events require explosive power, technical discipline and repeated training over long periods, all traits that can be valuable in adapting to professional wrestling. Da Silva’s championship experience also means she has competed in environments where individual preparation and performance under pressure are central.
WWE’s recruitment approach has increasingly looked beyond traditional wrestling backgrounds, seeking high-level athletes from sports that produce strength, agility and competitive resilience. Da Silva’s history as a national champion and international competitor makes her a notable example of that model. Her transition will now involve learning the unique elements of wrestling, from ring mechanics to live television presentation.
The Dropouts bring Australian tag team chemistry
Goonrey and Tuckey arrive with an established partnership from the Australian independent scene. Wrestling as The Dropouts, the pair will enter the Performance Center with pre-existing tag team chemistry, a valuable asset in a system where most new recruits are initially developing individual identities and ring familiarity.
Goonrey previously wrestled under the name Scott Green and teamed with Tuckey as one half of The Dropouts. Beyond wrestling, he competed on Australian Survivor: Redemption, lasting 45 days and finishing as the runner-up among 24 contestants. That reality television experience gives Goonrey a background in performing in a competitive, personality-driven format under sustained pressure.
Tuckey, who has also wrestled as The Tuckman, left college to pursue a professional wrestling career. His decision drew media attention in Australia, and he went on to become a highly in-demand wrestler on the country’s independent circuit. Alongside Goonrey, he has already built a recognizable team identity through The Dropouts.
It remains to be seen whether WWE will immediately present Goonrey and Tuckey as a unit once they progress through training. Still, their shared independent experience offers the company an intriguing starting point. Tag team wrestling requires timing, trust and an understanding of how to construct matches around two performers working toward the same objective. The Dropouts do not need to build that relationship from scratch.
Their signing also continues WWE’s recruitment of talent from the Australian scene. International scouting has become a meaningful component of the company’s developmental strategy, and the additions of Goonrey and Tuckey offer two wrestlers who have already developed in front of live crowds outside North America.
What the new class represents for WWE development
This recruiting class reflects the broad range of backgrounds WWE is willing to consider when identifying future talent. There are athletes with amateur wrestling and rugby experience, a national champion shot put competitor, a former referee, established independent wrestlers, a former WWE ID talent and a prospect with a high-profile WWE family connection.
Each recruit now faces the same central challenge: converting prior experience into the complete skill set required for WWE. That process includes safely executing in-ring offense and defense, learning match psychology, developing a character, becoming comfortable on camera and adapting to the schedule and expectations of a global wrestling company.
The Performance Center has produced numerous WWE stars over the years, but a place in the training program is only the beginning. Some recruits may eventually appear on NXT television, while others could take different routes as WWE evaluates their progress. The timing of any potential debut, ring name changes, character direction or roster assignment has not been announced.
For Gutierrez, the opportunity places another member of the Mysterio family inside WWE’s developmental pipeline. For Reynolds, Sager, Brown, da Silva, Goonrey and Tuckey, it represents a chance to translate achievements from different corners of sports and wrestling into an opportunity on WWE’s largest stage.
With seven new recruits now set to train in Orlando, WWE has added another diverse group of prospects to the Performance Center system. Their backgrounds may differ dramatically, but their next task is the same: developing into performers capable of making an impact in WWE.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.