WWE Performance Center Legitimizes Their Superstars As Athletes
By David Joseph
The WWE Performance Center is a state of the art facility designed to develop new superstars. Furthermore, this method has given former athletes from other sports a direct path to learn the wrestling business. The system is proving to be a success thus far.
Most recently, Triple H typically gets most of the credit for any positive trends in WWE. Indeed he has contributed a lot to finding great talent. Nevertheless, Vincent Kennedy McMahon has the final say on every outcome in WWE. So when anything positive happens, it is only logical to praise Mr. McMahon. Vince McMahon has done a phenomenal job of using the performance center to create talent for the future.
For the most part, the professional wrestling industry does not contain any direct paths towards being a wrestler. The business is an underground, traveling circus that is almost like its own world. However, the performance center gives athletes a more direct passage towards sports entertainment.
ESPN and many other mainstream outlets have become more willing to embrace WWE. It is no secret that scripted violence always has a stigma attached to it. Still, there is always a portion of naysayers that do not fully respect the sport. A variety of former NFL players and UFC fighters train in the performance center and vouch for the toughness of wrestling. It being pre determined does not equate to the profession being soft.
Just recently former UFC Champion Cain Velasquez was busting his behind learning the craft.
In a WWE YouTube interview Velasquez talks about the toughness of being a sports entertainer. He said “It’s tough on the body. It’s tough mentally but it’s fun. It’s what I like to do”.
Being able to recruit a real lethal fighter to the PC just proves its allure. Guys from the sports that are unscripted seem to know how taxing being in the ring is.
Beasts like Goldberg and Ron Simmons paved the way for NFL competitors to make a transition to the squared circle. Constable’ Baron Corbin is a former NFL player and Golden Gloves Boxing Champion. He is clearly no stranger to competition. Initially, the big man thought that grasping everything would be easy.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Corbin stated, “I didn’t realize how much detail went into it all and it was a rude awakening for me and it was humbling.”
The Lone Wolf is currently one of the best true heels in the company. He does not seek to be a crowd pleaser ever. Corbin is a product of the performance center and NXT. It reinforces the fact that pro wrestling does have real dangerous combat athletes.
Credit: WWE.Com
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Between NXT and The performance center, WWE has been able to groom talent well. There has been criticism that this system causes superstars to sound too similar. In actuality this is one of the most diverse rosters in a long time. This trend should continue. It will not be a surprise if a Gronk or Connor McGregor makes the leap next.