Elijah Holyfield, son of legendary boxer Evander Holyfield and a former University of Georgia running back, has signed a professional wrestling contract after successfully trying out for WWE NXT.
Holyfield, 26, acknowledged the move Friday on X.com after WWE NXT tweeted a photo of its newest signees. NXT is a developmental brand for the WWE where newly minted pros train and compete in weekly Tuesday night matches.
The announcement comes more than three months after the former UGA standout reportedly attended WWE Summerslam for the NXT tryouts, according to PWInsider.com.
Holyfield was recruited out of Atlanta’s Woodward Academy and played three seasons for the Bulldogs before forgoing his senior year to turn professional in 2019. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in his final season while splitting time in the backfield with D’Andre Swift.
Holyfield went undrafted in 2019 but was signed to the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad. He later signed on for stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals before suffering a knee injury ahead of the 2022 NFL season. He never received playing time in an NFL regular season game.
Elijah won’t be the first Holyfield to step into the WWE ring. His father was involved in a storyline at a Saturday Night Main Event in 2007. That night, Evander Holyfield boxed with rival WWE superstars MVP and Matt Hardy, eventually knocking out MVP and giving Matt Hardy the win.
This year, Elijah Holyfield has posted workout videos to social media showing his progress recovering from his 2022 knee injury. He has also stayed connected with UGA fans, participating in an autograph signing session with several other former Bulldogs running backs Saturday in Athens, including Sony Michel and Knowshon Moreno.
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