Several Names Revealed for WWE South America Tryouts
WWE went shopping for new talent in South America, and the company didn’t just stick to wrestlers. Ringside News has learned several of the names who were brought into WWE’s recent tryouts in Chile and Colombia, and the group includes everyone from experienced wrestlers to a national-level fencer and a champion thrower.
William Beltrán of Superluchas.com sent word to Ringside News that WWE evaluated a huge mix of talent during the process, including professional wrestlers, athletes, influencers, television personalities and other prospects. More than 85 people were involved across the tryouts, with the overall number estimated at around 100.
One of the most interesting names was Ignacia Belén Cifuentes Guzmán, a Chilean fencer, model, television personality, medical student and former Miss Universe Chile contestant.
Cifuentes isn’t coming from the wrestling world either. She is part of Chile’s national fencing program and represented the country at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago. WWE reached out to her through its official recruiting account after noticing her television appearances, pageant background and athletic career. She eventually traveled to Bogotá, Colombia for the tryout, where WWE put prospects through promo work, in-ring drills, physical exercises and actual wrestling under William Regal and Matt Bloom.
Another name WWE looked at was Cipriano Riquelme, a Chilean athlete who is a four-time South American champion in the hammer throw and has also competed in shot put.
Then there’s Angélica Riadi, better known as Roma, who brings actual wrestling experience to the table. Roma has already worked with WWE Español and has trained in the United States alongside Natalya and Stephanie Vaquer. She has also wrestled in Brazil and the United States, giving WWE a much different prospect than some of the crossover athletes being evaluated.
WWE also brought in talent from Brazil and Ecuador, including wrestlers connected to the Brazilian Wrestling Federation and WAR Lucha Libre. Some prospects also entered the process through WWE’s own recruiting website.
Former NFL player Sammis Reyes was another big name WWE wanted involved. Reyes became the first Chilean player to reach the NFL and had already been invited to the WWE Performance Center back in 2023. He was invited to take part in the latest South American tryout process as well, but declined for personal reasons.
WWE also leaned on the local wrestling scene in Chile. Braulio Moreno, better known as Capitán Billy, was hired by DG Medios and WWE as an Associate Producer for the company’s Santiago house show and helped provide local wrestling talent for WWE’s activities and tryouts.
And WWE isn’t done looking. The company is also keeping an eye on athletes competing at the 2026 South American Games in Santa Fe, Argentina, opening the door for even more non-wrestling athletes to potentially get a look.
WWE is clearly casting a very wide net here. A fencer, a hammer throw champion, independent wrestlers and a former NFL player were all on the company’s radar, and any one of them could end up becoming a name WWE fans hear a lot more about down the road.
Which of these WWE tryout names stands out the most to you? Let us know what you think in the comments.
