WWE Reportedly Eyeing Former AEW Star For Referee Audition

A former AEW star could be making her way to WWE, but not as a wrestler.
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WWE is reportedly looking to add to it's referee lineup and has shown interest in bringing in a former AEW star for an audition.

Leyla Hirsch has kept up with her in-ring career since departing All Elite Wrestling back in February, mostly recently competing for Beyond Wrestling. But another avenue may have presented itself for her to continue her journey in the business.

The Moscow native could potentially now be making her way to WWE, with Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp reporting that Hirsch has been contacted for a tryout. Just not the kind of tryout that some folks may have expected.

"Sources within WWE tell Fightful that they reached out to Leyla Hirch about a potential tryout with the company as a referee," Ross Sapp reported Tuesday. "We’re told that some in WWE had heard bout the communication in mid-June, but we haven’t learned if it was accepted or if the tryout has already happened."

Ross Sapp noted that coming in as a referee could just be a 'foot in the door' type of situation for Hirsch. While not a frequent occurrence, some independent talents who have been signed on to referee have been able to continue competing in-ring in some capacity.

Jessika Carr is the latest example. She began wrestling again earlier this year as Kalyx on EVOLVE.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com