How Many Athletes Were Signed From WWE's SummerSlam Tryouts?

Of all the memorable moments and surprises from WWE SummerSlam weekend, one of the major takeaways came from the WWE tryouts held just before the event, involving over 50 collegiate athletes and including NBA star Dwight Howard. The former Los Angeles Laker cut a memorable promo during the tryout, referring to himself as "Sho'nuff" in a reference from the movie "The Last Dragon." The tryouts became even more newsworthy when WWE talent Paul Heyman appeared, wishing the tryouts good luck and sitting in on their performances with Triple H.

According to ESPN, WWE officially signed 14 of the 50 collegiate athletes who delivered promos and worked in the ring with hopes of landing their own WWE contract. These stars would be the first contracts signed under new WWE management, with the last star signed under Vince McMahon being YouTube star Logan Paul. All the attendees were a part of the WWE's Next In Line (NIL) program, providing a pathway for collegiate athletes to get to the WWE.

As of right now, it's unclear which of the 50 tryouts received a contract, but it wouldn't be any surprise to see former NBA Champion Howard get his chance in the WWE. The current unrestricted free agent stated that he'd like to continue his NBA career, but is ready to make the jump to WWE if no team signs him.

It isn't all positive on the recruiting side for WWE, however. as one NIL signee, A.J. Ferrari, was charged with sexual battery on August 3 with a bond set at $25,000. The 21-year-old was signed by the WWE in December as a member of the inaugural class as a wrestler from Oklahoma State University.

SummerSlam itself, taking place at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, TN, saw Roman Reigns finally fend off Brock Lesnar in a Last Man Standing match to retain his Unified WWE Championship, while also playing host to several major returns, including Edge, Dakota Kai, and the former Io Shirai, now known as IYO SKY.