WWE Performance Center

WWE Performance Center (WWE PC) is a group of professional wrestling schools owned by American company WWE. They serve as tryout and training facilities for WWE, and also contain sports science and medical facilities as well as live events and production studios. WWE currently operates two Performance Center locations, with the first opened in Orlando, Florida on July 11, 2013, replacing the training facility of WWE's former developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling. A second branch opened on January 11, 2019, in Enfield, London.

The Performance Center in Orlando temporarily became the home venue for WWE's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brands in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with its weekly television programs '' Monday Night Raw'', '' Friday Night Smackdown'', '' 205 Live'', and '' Main Event'', as well as pay-per-view events (including WrestleMania 36) being recorded in a studio at the Performance Center with no audience. In August 2020, WWE moved ''Raw'' and ''SmackDown''s closed productions to an arena setting dubbed the " ThunderDome" — which used a larger-scale production more in line with its touring shows, but with a virtual audience.

The NXT developmental brand was subsequently moved to the Performance Center in Orlando in October 2020, moving from its former home at Full Sail University. Following the move of the '' NXT'' program to the Performance Center, the school's main studio was reconfigured as the "Capitol Wrestling Center" (CWC) to suit the look and feel of ''NXT'' programming. Unlike the tenures of the Raw and SmackDown brands at the Performance Center, NXT's move was permanent, with the brand remaining at the Performance Center even as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in June 2021. The CWC name was dropped in September 2021 as part of a relaunch of ''NXT'', which saw a second reconfiguration of the studio.

In 2025, the Performance Center in Orlando became the home venue of WWE's ''LFG'' and '' Evolve'' programs.

History

Use as training facilities

The Orlando facility covers and includes seven training rings (including a special padded ring for high-flying moves), a strength and conditioning program, and editing and production facilities including an ultra-slow camera and a voice-over room that performers and on-air announcers can use to practice. The facility was opened in 2013 and replaced the training center at WWE's former developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling, which was based in Tampa and had been serving as WWE's developmental headquarters since 2008.

The WWE Performance Center trains around 65 to 70 wrestlers at any one time. Trainees have a variety of experience levels, from beginners with non-wrestling backgrounds to experienced wrestlers from the independent circuit. Wrestlers train to improve their in-ring performance, strength and conditioning, as well as working on their characters and personality. Aspiring referees, ring announcers, commentators, and backstage interviewers also train at the Performance Center. The trainees train full-time, while also performing at NXT house shows and appearing on the '' WWE NXT'' television program. In addition, established WWE main roster performers often use the facility for training and injury rehab, while mentoring new trainees.

The Performance Center uses former wrestlers as trainers. The inaugural head trainer was Bill DeMott, who departed the company in 2015 and was replaced by Matt Bloom. Other trainers have included Sara Amato, Robbie Brookside, Norman Smiley, Adam Pearce, Ace Steel, Scotty 2 Hotty, and Sarah Stock. Dusty Rhodes was responsible for developing the trainees' microphone skills and wrestling personas until his death in 2015. The Performance Center occasionally invites guest trainers, notably Mike Quackenbush, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall.

In addition to training contracted performers, the Performance Center is also regularly used for tryouts which operate on an invite-only basis and include athletes from a wide variety of backgrounds, including established domestic and international professional wrestlers, amateur wrestlers, NFL and NCAA football players, and individuals from a range of other sporting and non-sporting backgrounds.

A second Britain-based Performance Center opened in Enfield, London, England on January 11, 2019. In April 2019, WWE announced plans to open additional Performance Centers in India and China.

Use as a home arena

Use during the COVID-19 pandemic

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, WWE hosted their Halftime Heat event on February 3, 2019 at the Performance Center in Orlando. A year later on March 12, 2020, WWE announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic (which resulted in the suspension of many professional sports leagues), live episodes of '' Raw'' and '' SmackDown'' would air from the Performance Center without an audience until further notice, beginning with the following day's episode of ''SmackDown.'' The company had begun filming episodes of '' NXT'' without an audience at Full Sail University the previous day, although the March 11 episode was filmed at the Performance Center and was the last show produced with a live paying audience. On March 16, it was announced that WrestleMania 36, set to take place on April 5 and previously scheduled for Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, would instead be moved to the Performance Center, again without an audience and would expand to two nights taking place on Saturday April 4 and Sunday April 5. The two night format would later be adopted for all subsequent WrestleMania events.

The Performance Center continued to host episodes of ''Raw'', ''SmackDown'', '' Main Event'', as well as the pay-per-views Money in the Bank (which was also held at Titan Towers in Stamford, Connecticut), Backlash, and The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, before the shows and pay-per-views moved to the new, larger-scale " ThunderDome" staging (under similar restrictions, but with a virtual audience on ribbon displays) at Orlando's Amway Center, beginning with the August 21 ''SmackDown'' and that weekend's SummerSlam. In December, the ThunderDome relocated to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida before moving to Yuengling Center in Tampa in April 2021, and being discontinued entirely in July 2021 with the resumption of touring shows.

NXT moves to the Performance Center

In October 2020, beginning with NXT TakeOver 31, '' NXT'' and '' 205 Live'' moved to the Performance Center (from Full Sail University and the ThunderDome at Amway Center, respectively, as the 205 Live brand was being subsumed by NXT), using a reconfigured version of the facility's main arena branded as the "Capitol Wrestling Center"—an homage to WWE's precursor, the Capitol Wrestling Corporation. It was designed to reflect the look and feel of NXT programming, with a virtual audience similar to the WWE ThunderDome on an LED screen in the studio, and areas for limited outside spectators divided by plexiglass walls decorated with chain-link fencing.

For TakeOver: Stand & Deliver in April 2021, the plexiglass wall dividers were removed and live audience capacity was increased. TakeOver: In Your House in June lifted almost all COVID-19 protocols, expanding its seating capacity to around 300, and removing mask requirements and the virtual audience. While Raw and SmackDown resumed a live touring schedule in mid-July, NXT's move to the Performance Center was permanent. On September 14, 2021, the venue received a new set design as part of the "NXT 2.0" relaunch; the Capitol Wrestling Center name was dropped at this time. The venue later became the host of WWE's other developmental programs, '' NXT Level Up'', ''LFG'', and '' Evolve''.

2015 shooting incident

In August 2015, Orange County Sheriff's Office deputies shot 29-year-old Armando Alejandro Montalvo outside the Performance Center in Orlando after he threatened them and ignored commands. Montalvo was "obsessed" with female wrestler AJ Lee and made numerous attempts to trespass through the facility, despite an injunction against him by WWE. Days after the shooting, Montalvo claimed he was bipolar when he was questioned by detectives. He faced trial in February 2016 on charges of aggravated assault, resisting an officer with violence, and trespassing. A public defender representing Montalvo has entered a written plea of not guilty on his behalf.

On April 19, 2018, WWE filed an emergency restraining order against Montalvo after he returned to the Performance Center the previous month and harassed the employees. In addition, Montalvo posted a threatening message to WWE wrestlers and staff on his Instagram account. On May 7, 2018, Montalvo was arrested for missing his court date with WWE.

Locations

United States

The first WWE Performance Center facility was opened on July 11, 2013. The Performance Center replaced the training center of WWE's former developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), which was based in Tampa and had been serving as WWE's developmental headquarters since 2008.

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United Kingdom

The British branch is located at the Great Cambridge Industrial Estate in Enfield, London, England, and was opened on January 11, 2019. The center, which served as the headquarters of WWE's NXT UK brand, is 17,000 square feet and included 2 rings.

Wrestlers trained

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Events hosted

The following are the events that have been held at the Performance Center in Orlando:

See also

* Full Sail University
* WCW Power Plant
* UFC Performance Institute

References

External links

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{{WWE

Performance Center
Performance Center
Professional wrestling schools
Schools in Orlando, Florida
Schools in London
Professional wrestling in Orlando, Florida
Professional wrestling in England
2013 establishments in Florida
2019 establishments in England