It’s been nearly two years since WWE announced that boxing legend Evander Holyfield’s son Elijah would be part of one of their Performance Center classes, the November 2024 one to be precise.
The company had him on their A&E reality show LFG less than a month later, and he “won” a contract and was moved to Evolve. Holyfield didn’t debut on that NXT feeder brand until just a couple months, which was due to a biceps tear he talked about on LFG at about the same time was because of a biceps tear he suffered
in July, 2025.
On the latest episode of LFG that premiered last night (Aug. 9), Holyfield learned he’s moving to an even more high profile show than Evolve. In fact, it’s the hottest brand in WWE right now — and it means a reunion with the coach who awarded him that Evolve contract back in LFG’s first season.
NXT head honcho Shawn Michaels gave Elijah and current coach Apollo Crews the news:
“I think, coming in the door, you were a very valued prospect to us. I’m sure, maybe from your perspective, it has been a while. Maybe you’ve had some setbacks with the injury, but an opportunity has arose for for us to get you into the game. You are going to have the opportunity to go down to AAA and show the world who Elijah Holyfield truly is.
“You will be meeting up with your old trainer, the Undertaker. The possibilities down there are going to be unlimited for you. Congratulations, and thank you very much for always giving it your best.”
From what we’ve seen of Holyfield, he’s raw but shows a lot of promise. Injuries may be his biggest concern; a severe knee injury ended the Georgia Bulldog’s NFL dreams, and now a serious arm injury’s delayed 28-year-old’s progress in pro wrestling.
He’ll be an interesting fit for AAA, but there’s no reason he can’t find success there — and use it as a launching pad for even bigger things on Raw or SmackDown.
I’m looking forward to following Elijah Holyfield’s journey. Are you? Chat about it below.
