WWE is always on the lookout for new talent. Over the years during the era known to pro-wrestling lifers as the “territory days” people were discovered sometimes for no other reason than being in the right place at the right time. A bouncer with huge arms may meet a local promoter who says “hey can you throw people around in a ring?” As they worked around the country for the numerous promotions they learned skills in and out of the ring that made them bigger attractions. Once Vince McMahon became focused on building a national brand he simply paid the talent that had developed elsewhere to join his at the time New York based promotion.
The landscape is very different these days. As pro wrestling has become centered around the WWE and other national brands like AEW and TNA there are not dozens of places where people can hone their skills under the radar. On top of that the promotions have also pushed for a higher quality of athlete to replace the old beer belly good ole boy stars like Dusty Rhodes, Stan Hanson and Cowboy Bob Orton. A good place to find top athletes is college sports.
Former WWE and TNA champion and Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle, who entered the WWE after a gold medal-winning performance in the 1996 Olympics, told the Streaming Advisor that feels the WWE’s name image and likeness program and recruitment of college athletes would grow as a pipeline for future talent. According to Angle, WWE looks closely at “football players who are at a high level but not quite NFL level or basketball Players who are not at an NBA level.” Angle also feels that there will be more amateur Olympic-level wrestlers who make the transition from pure sports to sports entertainment sharing praise for former Olympian Chad Gable who he said (in a panel at Galaxycon Raleigh with AEW Star MJF) has developed from a Kurt Angle rehash to his own fully fleshed character.
It is logical as to why the promotion would be looking at this kind of athlete. They have been working on their physical fitness for years and already have the size and strength needed to look the part in the ring. They are also coachable. However, the truth is that it takes more than those two things to be successful as a WWE performer. That’s why often new talent, even performers who have previous pro-wrestling experience find their way to the developmental brand NXT.
As professional wrestling has grown more mainstream and regulated it is becoming a more viable option for young athletes and even aspiring TV or movie personalities to find a break that allows them to develop their personal brands.
