WWE has reportedly added another athlete with a collegiate sports background to its developmental pipeline, with former Michigan State track and field competitor Elly Finch said to have signed a deal following her latest company tryout.
Finch, 23, is a former shot put thrower for Michigan State’s track and field team. Her reported signing follows a return appearance at a WWE tryout held during SummerSlam weekend in Minnesota in 2026. That opportunity came after she initially attended a tryout at the WWE Performance Center in January, where a head injury prevented her from completing the full experience.
Despite that setback, Finch apparently made enough of an impression during the January evaluation to receive an invitation for an extended tryout around WWE’s summer premium live event. She is now expected to be part of an incoming NXT Performance Center class as WWE continues to recruit athletes from both traditional sports and the independent wrestling scene.
A Second Opportunity Led to a Reported WWE Deal
Finch’s path to WWE was not simply a matter of walking into one tryout and immediately earning a contract. Her January Performance Center visit included an obstacle that could have ended the process early. In an Instagram video posted that month, Finch explained that she suffered a concussion after hitting her head during the tryout and had to sit out for several days.
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“The second or third day, I hit my head and they said I had a concussion, so I had to sit out a couple days. But it’s fine,” Finch said. “I did my promos and everything, so I still had a blast. Anyway, my WWE recruiter called me the other day, and she said that, unfortunately, I didn’t get signed, but they want to invite me back for an extended tryout, which they often do if they like someone, but they kind of want to see a little more from them. So I was invited to the SummerSlam tryout they’re hosting in like six-ish months.”
That explanation offered a clear picture of how WWE’s talent-identification process can work. A first tryout does not always end with an immediate offer or a final rejection. In Finch’s case, WWE officials reportedly wanted another chance to assess her potential after an abbreviated first evaluation, and the SummerSlam-weekend session gave her that opportunity.
The reported deal also reflects the importance of a wrestler’s performance beyond physical drills. Finch specifically noted that she was still able to do promo work during her January visit. WWE tryouts commonly examine a broad range of skills and traits, including athletic ability, coachability, presence, personality, communication and how a prospective recruit responds to the demands of the environment. For someone entering from collegiate athletics rather than an established pro wrestling background, those areas can be especially important.
Michigan State Background Adds to WWE’s Athletic Recruiting Model
As a former shot put athlete, Finch arrives with a sports background that naturally aligns with several of the physical qualities WWE often seeks in developmental recruits. Throwing events require explosive strength, balance, body control, rotational power and an ability to perform under competitive pressure. Those attributes do not automatically translate to professional wrestling, but they can provide a foundation for the demanding training that awaits at the Performance Center.
WWE has long recruited athletes from a wide variety of disciplines, including football, track and field, gymnastics, combat sports, cheerleading and strength-based competition. The Performance Center system is designed to help recruits make the transition from their previous sports into the specific requirements of wrestling: learning to take falls safely, working with opponents, developing a character, speaking on camera and adapting to live television or streaming production.
Finch’s reported signing is therefore notable not because she is coming from a conventional wrestling route, but because it fits WWE’s continuing preference for identifying high-level athletes who may have considerable upside once they receive focused professional wrestling coaching. Her January experience also suggests persistence played a role in her eventual opportunity. After being forced to miss part of the initial tryout, she returned months later and reportedly did enough to secure developmental employment.
Expected Destination: The NXT Performance Center
Following the reported signing, Finch is expected to join WWE’s incoming NXT Performance Center class. The Performance Center remains the company’s primary developmental hub, with recruits training there before potentially appearing on NXT programming and eventually advancing further through WWE’s system.
Joining an incoming class can be an important early step, but it is only the beginning of the process. A developmental deal does not establish a wrestler’s eventual in-ring name, on-screen identity, brand assignment or timetable for a television debut. Those details can develop over time as recruits train, participate in internal sessions and demonstrate what works best for them as performers.
For Finch, the next phase will likely involve learning the fundamentals that were not part of her track and field career. The shift from shot put to WWE training is significant. In addition to conditioning and strength work, she will need to build familiarity with ring movement, timing, safety, match structure and the communication needed to work effectively with another performer. Her promo work at the January tryout indicates she has already had exposure to at least one part of WWE’s evaluation process, but the full developmental process is considerably more extensive.
The company’s most recently announced class, revealed last month, included several names from different talent backgrounds. Former WWE ID prospect Zoe Sager was among the group, along with Australian independent wrestling standouts Scott Green and The Tuckman. Aalyah Gutierrez, the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio, was also included.
That collection illustrates the multiple avenues through which WWE is presently building its roster. Some recruits arrive after competing on the independent circuit, others come through WWE’s ID initiative, and some enter with athletic or family connections that place them on the company’s radar. Finch’s route falls primarily into the athletic recruitment category, though her two-tryout journey also shows how WWE can keep tracking a prospect after an initial assessment.
SummerSlam Weekend Continues to Produce Talent Opportunities
WWE frequently uses major event weekends to host tryouts, giving the company an opportunity to evaluate prospective talent while its staff is assembled around one of the calendar’s biggest shows. The SummerSlam session in Minnesota was particularly meaningful for Finch because it represented the extended tryout she had been told to expect after January.
These events allow WWE to bring in athletes from different regions and sports backgrounds while maintaining a close look at how they handle a fast-paced, highly structured environment. For the participants, it is an opportunity to demonstrate not only physical capability but also adaptability. Finch entered the SummerSlam weekend with the knowledge that WWE wanted to see more from her than it had been able to see during her interrupted Performance Center visit. The reported contract indicates she successfully used that second chance.
WWE has continued to hold additional tryout experiences since SummerSlam. One was held in Colombia, while another took place in Hawaii last weekend. Those sessions underline the global scope of WWE’s recruiting strategy. The company is not limiting its search to one region, one athletic discipline or one level of wrestling experience as it seeks future developmental talent.
What Comes Next for Finch
There is no announced timetable for Finch’s first NXT appearance, nor are there details yet regarding a ring name or a potential character direction. Those matters remain uncertain, as is common for new developmental recruits. The immediate focus will be on her transition into WWE’s training system and the work required to turn a successful tryout performance into a sustainable wrestling career.
Her story already carries a straightforward theme: an athlete encountered an early setback, was asked to return, and reportedly earned a WWE deal after showing more in a second evaluation. The concussion that interrupted her January tryout did not close the door. Instead, WWE extended another invitation, and Finch appears set to take the next step at the NXT Performance Center.
For WWE, the reported addition of Finch provides another example of its ongoing investment in raw athletic talent. For Finch, it opens a new chapter well beyond the shot put circle at Michigan State. The performance standards will be different, the audience will be different, and the learning curve will be steep. But after receiving a second opportunity around SummerSlam weekend, she reportedly has the chance to begin that journey as part of WWE’s developmental system.
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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.