WWE’s next wave of Performance Center talent is reportedly taking shape, with Gabriela Martinez Asensi, Silvia Likki, Elly Finch and Tayleigh Robertson said to have signed developmental agreements with the company.
The four recruits come from notably different athletic backgrounds, continuing WWE’s long-running approach of identifying prospects from outside traditional professional wrestling systems. Tennis, CrossFit, track and field, amateur wrestling, bodybuilding and collegiate athletics are all represented among the reported additions.
While the signings have not yet been formally announced by WWE, the expectation is that the company will confirm the group as part of its next recruitment class. Each of the reported recruits previously participated in WWE tryouts, providing the company with an opportunity to evaluate their athletic ability, presence and potential before offering developmental deals.
A varied group of athletic prospects
Martinez Asensi arrives with a background in tennis and fitness. Originally from Spain, she played tennis at the University of Missouri and has also worked as a fitness coach. Her experience in competitive athletics and training gives her a foundation that WWE frequently values in Performance Center recruits, particularly when evaluating candidates who may not have extensive prior wrestling experience.
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Tennis requires movement, balance, conditioning, coordination and the ability to perform under individual competitive pressure. Those qualities do not automatically translate into the wrestling ring, but they are traits that can be developed within WWE’s training environment. Martinez Asensi’s fitness-coaching experience may also reflect a familiarity with structured training and the physical demands associated with high-level athletic preparation.
Likki is another reported recruit from Spain. She is known as a CrossFit athlete, bringing a strength-and-conditioning background to the developmental system. CrossFit competition can demand broad physical versatility, including endurance, power, agility and body control. WWE has regularly looked to athletes with that kind of training profile when building its developmental roster.
The Performance Center’s system is designed to teach the specific elements of professional wrestling—from ring fundamentals and match structure to character development and television presentation—while giving recruits access to coaching, strength training and other resources. For athletes entering from sports such as CrossFit, the transition involves learning an entirely new performance discipline, but the athletic base can be a significant starting point.
Elly Finch adds collegiate throwing credentials
Finch is reported to have signed after a collegiate career as a shot putter at the University of Michigan. News of Finch’s WWE deal had emerged earlier in the week, and she is now listed among the reported new developmental recruits expected to be officially presented in the next class announcement.
Shot put is a power-focused event that also places a premium on technical precision, footwork and explosive movement. WWE has historically recruited athletes from track and field backgrounds, with the company often viewing collegiate experience as evidence that a prospect has competed within a demanding, structured environment.
As with the other reported recruits, Finch’s next major step would be adapting those athletic tools to professional wrestling. That process encompasses much more than executing moves. New developmental talent must learn how to protect themselves and opponents, work within the timing of a live match, perform for cameras and develop an identity that can connect with an audience.
The Performance Center has become WWE’s central hub for that development. Recruits can enter with impressive credentials from another sport, but professional wrestling requires its own technical language and performance instincts. Finch’s collegiate background gives WWE another athlete with high-level competitive experience as she begins that learning process.
Tayleigh Robertson was SummerSlam tryout MVP
Robertson’s reported signing follows a particularly notable showing at a WWE tryout. She was named the MVP of the SummerSlam tryouts, an acknowledgment that placed additional attention on her as a potential future recruit.
Robertson has a background in amateur wrestling and bodybuilding. She attended Snow College and Utah Tech, and her amateur wrestling experience could provide her with some familiarity in areas that are useful to a professional wrestling transition, including grappling, leverage, conditioning and physical engagement. Professional wrestling and amateur wrestling are fundamentally different disciplines, but amateur wrestling has often been a valuable base for performers who move into the industry.
Her bodybuilding background also fits the profile WWE often seeks in prospects who are expected to develop as on-screen performers. Physical conditioning is only one part of the equation, but it can be particularly important as recruits prepare for the training demands and visual expectations of WWE programming.
Being selected as the MVP of a tryout does not guarantee a particular role or pace of advancement once a recruit enters developmental. Still, it indicates that Robertson made a strong impression during the evaluation process. With her amateur wrestling and bodybuilding credentials, she enters the reported class with a background that appears especially compatible with WWE’s developmental model.
Tryouts remain a key part of WWE’s recruiting strategy
All four reported signees took part in previous WWE tryouts. Those sessions have remained a major part of the company’s talent-identification process, allowing WWE to assess prospective recruits before deciding whether to bring them into the Performance Center.
Tryouts can feature athletes from a wide range of sports and entertainment backgrounds. The goal is not simply to find people who are already polished wrestlers. WWE also evaluates raw athleticism, coachability, confidence, communication, durability, personality and the ability to absorb instruction. A prospect’s potential for television presentation is another key consideration.
The reported additions of Martinez Asensi, Likki, Finch and Robertson underline that approach. None of the four is identified through a traditional independent-wrestling résumé. Instead, WWE appears to be adding athletes with distinct competitive experiences and giving them the opportunity to learn within its developmental structure.
That does not mean their paths will necessarily look the same. Developmental progression can vary considerably from recruit to recruit. Some performers may adapt quickly to ring training or character work, while others require more time to build the complete skill set needed for regular television. The Performance Center is intended to provide room for that process.
What comes next for the reported class
WWE has not yet publicly announced the four signings. The expectation is that their arrivals will become official when the company unveils its next recruitment class. Until that announcement is made, details such as their exact Performance Center start dates and potential first appearances remain unconfirmed.
For now, the central takeaway is the range of backgrounds represented in the reported group. Martinez Asensi brings collegiate tennis and fitness-coaching experience. Likki comes from CrossFit. Finch competed in shot put at Michigan. Robertson adds amateur wrestling, bodybuilding and recognition as the MVP of the SummerSlam tryouts.
It is a collection that reflects WWE’s continued investment in athletic prospects who can be developed from the ground up. The company’s recruiting philosophy has repeatedly emphasized finding people with high-level competitive experience and then teaching them the skills required for professional wrestling’s unique mix of athletic performance, storytelling and live entertainment.
If and when WWE formally introduces the class, the four recruits will begin the next phase of that journey. Their previous accomplishments have helped earn them reported places in the system, but their futures will be shaped by how they adapt to the demands of Performance Center training and professional wrestling itself.
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.