The WWE Performance Center

[The Butcher]

Yesterday, WWE announced that they will be opening a new, "state-of-the-art" training facility in Orlando, Florida this summer. According to Triple H, the center will be the equal of any similar facility in the United States. Here's the official release:

ORLANDO, Fla. — Standing alongside Florida Gov. Rick Scott and a host of NXT Superstars, WWE COO Triple H announced the establishment of a state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center on Thursday. The 26,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to open in Orlando this summer, will provide a new home for WWE’s developmental system, NXT, and further increases the company’s presence in the Sunshine State, while also creating more than 100 high-wage jobs.

The top-line facility will house seven wrestling rings, a world-class gym, and high-tech production and edit suites that will help evolve WWE’s partnership with Full Sail University, whose students exclusively edit and produce weekly, internationally-broadcast installments of WWE NXT at the university’s Full Sail Live facility. The center will also offer a best-in-class sports medicine program that effectively turns the performance center into a home base of sorts for both active and developmental WWE talent to receive care.

So what does everyone think this means for WWE developmental? I must say that WWE's continuing commitment and growth of their developmental system is encouraging and impressive, but I'm not wildly excited. WWE has had its fair share of homegrown talent, to be sure, but the best all-around entertainers have almost always been products of working numerous promotions and gaining a lot of varied experience. I worry that WWE's developmental expansion will only further what I've seen as a problem with Superstars being too "cookie cutter."

 

[THTRobtaylor]

I read about this and the first thing that stuck in my mind is - it's a waste if only they ever use it. Now I'm sure they ain't gonna let TNA in there, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility that they could "hire out" the facilities to other smaller promotions like ROH for try-outs etc or even make it a new federation to be based in that area.

It's always an issue that learning only one way will stunt the growth of performers, we see it now in that most of the hires incoming are from outside the US most notably the UK and Ireland. Here we still have wrestling promotions, albiet small-time ones rather than any form of sports entertainment. Sure, they will become WWE style guys but as D-Bry recently said, they are seperate animals.

I could also see some with wrestling schools, like Booker T hiring out the facilities and using them to help "pay its way" and thus avoid the "only one way to learn" situation. One thing that has worked well in recent years is WWE talent bringing new guys to the table through their schools. I could easily see those trainers being put onto commissions for any talents they bring up to the roster.

It's a massive investment on WWE's part and one thatis very good, but the important thing now is that they don't just focus on Sports Entertainment, but use them to prolong the business as a whole, wrestling AND SE otherwise it could quickly become a white elephant.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Based on what I've read, now that WWE has this training facility, Triple H is looking to bring in a lot more talent from the indy scene. For instance, allegedly, Sami Callihan is undergoing the various medical tests & check ups. If true, then he's probably extremely close to signing with WWE. Several indy wrestlers, including Adam Cole, had a tryout with the company earlier this year, so it wouldn't surprise me if Cole and some others were offered deals.

As Triple H seems to be someone who is far more concerned with pro wrestling than the "sports entertainment" aspect of things, I'd say that this will be a huge boon to WWE's developmental system.

 

[#MrScissorsKick]

This is a good move. I think NXT will be held there as well if i'm not mistaken. But overall HHH has done a lot of good already for the WWE. He got Bruno into the HOF, developed this new performance center, cut the brand extension to make all superstars available to be on any show now which increased the amount of house shows but i think 120 or so and hopefully he will do more to the company and head into the right direction. However, this is good news, now HHH has to come up with a site for the HOF. Hopefully HHH is gaining more power and control in the company.

 

[CripplerBenoitFan]

Yesterday, WWE announced that they will be opening a new, "state-of-the-art" training facility in Orlando, Florida this summer. According to Triple H, the center will be the equal of any similar facility in the United States. Here's the official release:



So what does everyone think this means for WWE developmental? I must say that WWE's continuing commitment and growth of their developmental system is encouraging and impressive, but I'm not wildly excited. WWE has had its fair share of homegrown talent, to be sure, but the best all-around entertainers have almost always been products of working numerous promotions and gaining a lot of varied experience. I worry that WWE's developmental expansion will only further what I've seen as a problem with Superstars being too "cookie cutter."

I understand your concerns on a cookie cutter style of superstar. It's plausible, but it doesn't concern me as much where I see it as a red flag. I am incredibly excited with as you put it nicely, "WWE's continuing commitment and growth of their developmental system".

This is huge. And as an aside, I didn't realize the students at Full Sail actually do all the editing of the program. Those kids are good!! Give them jobs on the tour doing stuff for Raw and Smackdown when they graduate.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

I think that is WWE's plan, I wouldn't be shocked to see them starting some kind of "wrestling writers" degree of their own as well, they are always complaining that people can't "write the WWE way" so it makes sense to actually teach people their way from day one.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

If true, then he's probably extremely close to signing with WWE. Several indy wrestlers, including Adam Cole, had a tryout with the company earlier this year, so it wouldn't surprise me if Cole and some others were offered deals.

It was announced during the last ROH TV tapings Adam Cole had signed on through 2013, as has Mike Bennett apparently but that was never confirmed.

The training facility was the next step forward. Triple H is taking development very seriously as he should, if they don't learn what WWE are looking for them too before appearing on television then its not all the talents fault, it's also WWE's. This gives them every opportunity imaginable to improve in whatever way necessary; the editing/production rooms could be utilized for several different things such as shooting new background stuff for titantrons etc.

 

[bww277]

I don't really care for the idea of a developmental place like NXT, and I especially don't like this idea. I think this is the reason for the decline in this business. We no longer have wrestlers coming from all over, with diverse styles, now we just have your cookie cutter jobbers, mid carders, and top stars. The more they try to "develop" their own talent, the further down the hole the business is going to go.

 

[CripplerBenoitFan]

I don't really care for the idea of a developmental place like NXT, and I especially don't like this idea. I think this is the reason for the decline in this business. We no longer have wrestlers coming from all over, with diverse styles, now we just have your cookie cutter jobbers, mid carders, and top stars. The more they try to "develop" their own talent, the further down the hole the business is going to go.

I'm not sure what you would ask them to do other than this. This isn't the 1970's/80's anymore. Without a territorial system, you need something serious like this to bring the talent up. You have guys like Dean Malenko, Ricky Steamboat, and Dusty Rhodes there teaching these guys the ropes. I understand how the territories were great in developing varied talents, but I don't see this as some sort of death knell for that. It's going to allow talent to flourish, and with the guidance of the greatest wrestlers of the past 20-30 years there to show them the ropes.

The only place the business is going is up and up. WWE is not going anywhere down any holes any time soon... unless that hole is a hole where they make billions of dollars worldwide and have an audience of millions. Then sure, WWE is going right down the hole.