Hidetora Hanada, a former amateur sumo wrestling Yokozuna and current college football player, has signed a WWE Next In Line (NIL) deal. Hanada, who was awarded a Colorado State Awards Football Scholarship in December 2023, is currently playing as a defensive lineman for the CSU Rams.

Now exploring a transition from sumo grand champion to professional wrestling, Hanada is taking part in WWE’s NIL program, designed to help elite athletes prepare for a career in the squared circle. He confirmed the news via Instagram, expressing his excitement about the opportunity and sharing his experience at WWE’s Royal Rumble event.

“I recently received an NIL offer from WWE, the world’s largest professional wrestling organization, and will be participating in an internship as part of my school classes this semester. *NIL is a system that allows student athletes to earn money by using their names and likenesses.

“Furthermore, I was invited to WWE’s biggest event of the year, the Royal Rumble, and watched it in Indianapolis! Every time a star player appears, the whole venue shakes with loud cheers.

“I experienced the overwhelming power and excitement unique to WWE, which is completely different from football or sumo. WWE manages not only the matches, but also the cameras, video staff, sound, props, etc. all in-house, creating an entertainment show. Furthermore, I was surprised to learn that WWE itself has become the center of the entertainment business, as it sells the content it produces to broadcast stations and distribution services, rather than providing programs to television stations.

“I’m really happy to be able to experience a completely unknown world and be involved with WWE, the pinnacle of entertainment. I hope to learn a lot from this valuable experience and utilize it in my future life!”

Standing at 1.85m and weighing 131kg, Hanada brings a unique athletic background to the WWE developmental pipeline. The NIL program, launched in 2021, has already seen success with Oba Femi becoming the first graduate to capture a championship in NXT. It now runs alongside WWE ID, a separate initiative launched in October 2024 to support independent wrestlers.

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