Summary

Zoe Hines was part of the latest WWE Performance Center rookie class announced on Wednesday, adding another new prospect to the company's developmental system. Hines previously played college softball at Boston College and took part in the SummerSlam 2025 tryouts before landing her WWE opportunity.

Her signing also drew outside attention because she is the niece of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who publicly responded after WWE confirmed the new class.

Social media reaction

After WWE announced the class, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged Hines joining the company with a post on X.

Quote from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy had also previously discussed Hines signing with WWE while speaking alongside Linda McMahon.

"I now welcome my friend and my colleague, Linda McMahon. Linda’s become a very, very close friend and my niece, Zoe Hines, recently signed a contract with WWE, which Linda has a lot to do with, to become a wrestler and I’m really looking forward to knowing so many good doctors who could treat her after,"

What Zoe Hines joining WWE could mean next

Hines entering the Performance Center puts her in WWE's current developmental pipeline at a time when the company continues to recruit athletes from outside traditional wrestling backgrounds. Because she already reached the SummerSlam 2025 tryouts, this move looks more like the next step in an existing evaluation process than a sudden one-off signing.

The other notable piece is the visibility around Hines before she has even wrestled a match in WWE. That kind of attention can put extra focus on how quickly she develops once training begins.

Sources

RFK Jr via X