Notes on WWE Tryout Session for SummerSlam Week, Daga in Attendance

– The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has details on a major tryout session WWE held this week in conjunction with WWE SummerSlam 2025. It’s said that 55 prospective talents attended the session. The biggest name in attendance at the WWE tryout session was Daga (aka Miguel Angel Olivo Castro).

At 37, it appears WWE is opening up their tryouts to older wrestlers than they have in the past. Daga is currently under contract with Pro Wrestling NOAH until January. Jeremy Borash was reportedly interested in Daga for a potential return to AAA, but Daga is said to be more interested in signing with WWE and working in the U.S. Daga reportedly thinks that at his age, working in the U.S. is where he needs to be right now, even if it means going to NXT.

Speaking to Super Luchas, Daga is quoted as saying, “I think the style of pro wrestling in Mexico is still far from what WWE is today. I’d much rather go the WWE route, because I’ve worked really hard, I believe I have the experience, and I feel like I’m in my prime—at the exact moment where I can take the next step.” He continued, “I’m in great shape right now with NOAH, but you need to grow and move forward. You can’t go back to places you’ve already been or to wrestling styles you’ve already done. That’s why I’d really like to go to WWE.”

Daga also speaks fluent English. Besides AAA and Pro Wrestling NOAH, Daga has also done stints in DDT Pro, TNA (formerly Impact Wrestling), and Lucha Underground.

Additionally, other athletes who have little or no wrestling experience who attended the WWE tryout session included: Aeden Begue, a former heavyweight wrestler at Long Island University; Brandon Bastain, a former XFL player; Tyler Reyna, a hammer thrower and discus thrower at the University of Indiana; Ariana Wright, 2023 Miss Maryland International beauty pageant winner and a track athlete at the University of Maryland; Joe Wachs, an online physical trainer; Syd Langston, an Instagram model who appeared on Ex On The Beach; Zoey Hines, a softball player at Boston College; and Maliq Carr, a 6-foot-6, 265 college football player at Michigan State.

Other notable indie talents who attended the session include LJ Cleary (the fiancé of Valkyria), Ben Bishop, Mike Cunningham, Goldenboy Santos, Zoe Sager, Jha’Quan McNair, CBL, Rayne Leverkusen, Anita Vaughan, Ariana MIlan, Eli Knight, Will Kroos, Ellen Akesson, Eduardo Godinho, Vincent King, Zoe Hines, and CJ Felder. Meghan Walker, who competed in track at field at the University of Nebraska and signed to the WWE NIL program, was also there.