Report: WWE Hosting Tryouts Over SummerSlam 2026 Weekend

WWE will reportedly hold talent tryouts during SummerSlam weekend. A new class of aspiring wrestlers will get the opportunity to showcase their skills as the company heads to Minneapolis for its biggest event of the summer.

According to PWInsiderElite, the tryouts are scheduled to take place alongside SummerSlam 2026, continuing WWE’s long-running approach of pairing recruitment sessions with major Premium Live Events. SummerSlam will be held over two nights, August 1 and 2, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Two independent wrestlers have already been confirmed for the upcoming tryouts. Nigel Cawthon, who competes under the ring name Big Tito Lincoln, is set to attend. Based in Florida, he has wrestled for promotions including Coastal Championship Wrestling (CCW) and Battle Championship Wrestling (BRCW).

Before entering professional wrestling, Cawthon built an athletic background in multiple sports. He won the 2012 VISAA State Championship as a high school amateur wrestler, later played football at Hampton University, and also competed as an amateur boxer. He is currently advertised to team with former WWE Superstar AJ Francis against former WWE talents Bull James and Fulton in August.

Also confirmed for the tryouts is Nicky Mariano, a graduate of Seth Rollins’ Black & Brave Wrestling Academy. Mariano has appeared for promotions including TNA Wrestling, AAW, and Limitless Wrestling. Outside the ring, he also competed on the second season of Beast Games on Prime Video under the name Conan Lycan.

The SummerSlam sessions continue a recruitment strategy WWE has followed for several years, using major event weekends to evaluate prospects from the independent scene and other athletic backgrounds.

Several recent WWE signings have emerged from these tryouts. Lizzy Rain was one of the names to emerge from last year’s SummerSlam weekend evaluations, while Nikki Blackheart, who recently debuted on NXT as Reina Volcan, also earned a WWE contract after attending a company tryout.

Not every experience has gone as planned. Earlier this year, wrestler Sallie Grace said she withdrew from WWE’s January tryouts after suffering a concussion. She later claimed on social media that other participants also sustained concussions during the camp.

With SummerSlam weekend approaching, another group of prospects will have the chance to perform in front of WWE officials as the company continues to search for its next wave of talent.

Look at the talent pool in this WWE tryout holy sh*t pic.twitter.com/MBbeIa4Rvc

— Wrestling Pics & Clips (@WrestleClips) June 13, 2026