WWE Performance Center
International professional wrestling school
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.[1]
Unit 30-31, Great Cambridge Industrial Estate, Lincoln Road, Enfield, London, England, U.K.
(Chief Content Officer)
Shawn Michaels
(SVP of Talent Development Creative)
Matt Bloom
(VP of Talent Development, Head Coach)
Sara Amato
(Assistant Head Coach)
Robbie Brookside, Steve Corino, Lince Dorado, Fit Finlay, Johnny Moss, Norman Smiley, Terry Taylor, Jazz
(Coaches)
| |
 The Performance Center in March 2025. | |
| Predecessor | Florida Championship Wrestling |
|---|---|
| Founded | July 11, 2013 |
| Headquarters | 5055 Forsyth Commerce Road, Suite 100, Orlando, Florida, U.S. Unit 30-31, Great Cambridge Industrial Estate, Lincoln Road, Enfield, London, England, U.K. |
Key people | Paul "Triple H" Levesque (Chief Content Officer) Shawn Michaels (SVP of Talent Development Creative) Matt Bloom (VP of Talent Development, Head Coach) Sara Amato (Assistant Head Coach) Robbie Brookside, Steve Corino, Lince Dorado, Fit Finlay, Johnny Moss, Norman Smiley, Terry Taylor, Jazz (Coaches) |
| Owner | TKO Group Holdings (Endeavor) |
| Parent | WWE |
| Website | Official website |
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 hall 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 26,000 square feet (2,400 m2) 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.[2][3] 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.[3][4][5]
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.[6] Other trainers have included Sara Amato, Robbie Brookside, Norman Smiley, Adam Pearce, Ace Steel, Scotty 2 Hotty,[7] and Sarah Stock.[8] Dusty Rhodes was responsible for developing the trainees' microphone skills and wrestling personas until his death in 2015.[9] The Performance Center occasionally invites guest trainers, notably Mike Quackenbush, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall.[10][11][12]
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.[13][14][15]
A second Britain-based Performance Center opened in Enfield, London, England on January 11, 2019.[16] In April 2019, WWE announced plans to open additional Performance Centers in India and China.[17]
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.[18] 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.[19] 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.[20]
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.[21][22][23][24][25]
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.[26][27][28][29]
For TakeOver: Stand & Deliver in April 2021, the plexiglass wall dividers were removed and live audience capacity was increased.[30] 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.[31] While Raw and SmackDown resumed a live touring schedule in mid-July,[25] 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.[32] 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.[33][34] 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.[35]
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.[36] On May 7, 2018, Montalvo was arrested for missing his court date with WWE.[37]
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.[4]
Wrestlers trained
2013
| Names | Notes |
|---|---|
| Alexis Kaufman | Currently competes as Alexa Bliss on the SmackDown brand. |
| Charles Betts | Currently competes as Chad Gable and El Grande Americano on the Raw brand. |
| Gary Gordon | Currently competes as Angelo Dawkins on the SmackDown brand. |
| Pamela Martinez | Currently competes as Bayley on the Raw brand. |
2014
| Names | Notes |
|---|---|
| Gionna Daddio | Currently competes as Liv Morgan on the Raw brand. |
| Savelina Fanene | Currently competes as Nia Jax on the SmackDown brand. |
2015
| Names | Notes |
|---|---|
| Chelsea Green | Currently competes on the SmackDown brand. |
| Christopher Girard | Competed as Oney Lorcan on the NXT brand. Currently works as a trainer on the Performance Center since 2022. |
| Kenneth Crawford | Currently competes as Montez Ford on the SmackDown brand. |
2016
| Names | Notes |
|---|---|
| Bianca Blair | Currently competes as Bianca Belair on the SmackDown brand. |
| Nikola Bogojevic | Currently competes as Otis on the Raw brand. |
| Victoria Gonzalez | Currently competes as Raquel Rodriguez on the Raw brand. |
2017
| Names | Notes |
|---|---|
| Candice LeRae Dawson | Competes as Candice LeRae on the SmackDown brand. |
| Demi Bennett | Competes as Rhea Ripley on the Raw brand. |
| Thea Trinidad | Currently competes as Zelina Vega on the SmackDown brand. |
2019
| Names | Notes |
|---|---|
| Briana Brandy | Currently competes as B-Fab on the SmackDown brand. |
| Karen Yu | Currently competes as Wendy Choo on the Evolve brand. |
| Dominik Óscar Gutiérrez | Currently competes as Dominik Mysterio on the Raw brand. |
2020
| Names | Notes |
|---|---|
| Anriel Howard | Currently competes as Lash Legend on the SmackDown brand. |
| Emily Andzulis | Currently competes as Ivy Nile on the Raw brand. |
| Jacob Kasper | Currently competes as Julius Creed on the Raw brand. |
| Taylor Grado | Currently competes as Jacy Jayne on the NXT brand. |
2021
| Names | Notes |
|---|---|
| Sean Tan Li Hao | Currently competes as Dante Chen on the Evolve brand. |
| Jessica Woynilko | Currently competes as Tiffany Stratton on the SmackDown brand. |
| Bronson Rechsteiner | Currently competes as Bron Breakker on the Raw brand. |
| Drew Kasper | Currently competes as Brutus Creed on the Raw brand. |
| Joseph Ariola | Currently competes as Tony D'Angelo on the NXT brand. |
| Natalie Holland | Competes as Tatum Paxley on the NXT brand. |
| Logan Paul | Currently competes on the Raw brand. |
2022
| Names | Notes |
|---|---|
| Tiana Lillian Marie Caffey | Currently competes as Jaida Parker on the NXT brand. |
| Madison Knisley | Currently competes as Thea Hail on the NXT brand. |
| Sydney Jeannine Zmrzel | Currently competes as Maxxine Dupri on the Raw brand. |
| Tracy Hancock | Currently training as Tavion Heights for the NXT brand. |
| Franki Carissa Strefling | Currently competes as Izzi Dame on the NXT brand. |
| Calyx Harmony Hampton | Currently competes as Sol Ruca on the NXT brand. |
| David Bostian III | Currently competes as Myles Borne on the NXT brand. |
| Monika Klisara | Currently competes as Karmen Petrovic on the Evolve brand. |
| Kennedy Cummins | Currently competes as Carlee Bright on the Evolve brand. |
2023
| Names | Notes |
|---|---|
| Anna Keefer | Currently competes as Adriana Rizzo on the NXT brand. |
| Issac Odugbesan | Currently competes as Oba Femi on the Raw and SmackDown brands. |
| Jade Cargill | Currently competes on the SmackDown brand. |
| Peyton Prussin | Currently competes as Kendal Grey on the NXT brand. |
| Lea Mitchell | Currently competes as Kelani Jordan on the NXT brand. |
| Roman Macek | Currently competes as Luca Crusifino on the NXT brand. |
| Valerie Loureda | Currently competes as Lola Vice on the NXT brand. |
| Chukwusom Enekwechi | Competed as Tyriek Igwe on for the NXT brand. |
| Rickssen Opont | Competed as Tyson Dupont on for the NXT brand. |
2024
| Names | Notes |
|---|---|
| Thunder Justice Keck | Currently training as Shiloh Hill for the NXT brand. |
| Skylor Clinton | Competed as Niko Vance on for the NXT brand. |
United Kingdom
The British branch is located at the Great Cambridge Industrial Estate in Enfield, London, England,[38] and was opened on January 11, 2019.[16] The center, which served as the headquarters of WWE's NXT UK brand, is 17,000 square feet and includes 2 rings.[39][40]
Wrestlers trained
2019
| Names | Notes |
|---|---|
| Marie Gabert | Competed as Jazzy Gabert on NXT UK. Released from WWE in 2020. |
2020
| Names | Notes |
|---|---|
| Amy Samardzija | Competed as Candy Floss on the NXT UK brand. Released from WWE in 2021. |
Events hosted
The following are the events that have been held at the Performance Center in Orlando:
| Weekly television shows | |
|---|---|
| Show | Dates |
| NXT (NXT 2.0 from September 2021 to September 2022) | March 11, 2020; October 4, 2020 – present |
| SmackDown | March 13, 2020 – August 14, 2020 |
| 205 Live | March 13, 2020 – August 14, 2020; October 9, 2020 – February 11, 2022 |
| Raw | March 16, 2020 – August 17, 2020 |
| Main Event | March 16, 2020 – August 17, 2020 (aired March 19, 2020 – August 20, 2020) |
| NXT Level Up | February 18, 2022 – December 27, 2024 |
| LFG | February 16, 2025 – present |
| Evolve | March 5, 2025 – present |
| Television specials | |
| Show | Date |
| NXT: Halloween Havoc | October 28, 2020 |
| NXT: A Very Gargano Christmas Special | December 23, 2020 |
| 2020 NXT Year-End Awards | December 30, 2020 |
| NXT: New Year's Evil | January 6, 2021 |
| NXT's move to Tuesday | April 13, 2021 |
| NXT: The Great American Bash | July 6, 2021 |
| NXT 2.0: Halloween Havoc | October 26, 2021 |
| NXT 2.0: New Year's Evil | January 4, 2022 |
| NXT 2.0: Vengeance Day | February 15, 2022 |
| NXT 2.0: Roadblock | March 8, 2022 |
| NXT 2.0: Spring Breakin' | May 3, 2022 |
| NXT 2.0: The Great American Bash | July 5, 2022 |
| NXT 2.0: Heatwave | August 16, 2022 |
| NXT: New Year's Evil | January 10, 2023 |
| NXT: Roadblock | March 7, 2023 |
| NXT: Spring Breakin' | April 25, 2023 |
| NXT: Gold Rush | June 20 and 27, 2023 |
| NXT: Heatwave | August 22, 2023 |
| NXT: Halloween Havoc | October 24 and 31, 2023 |
| NXT: New Year's Evil | January 2, 2024 |
| NXT: Roadblock | March 5, 2024 |
| NXT: Spring Breakin' | April 23 and 30, 2024 |
| NXT: The Great American Bash | July 30 and August 6, 2024 |
| NXT: ShoWdown | October 7, 2025 |
| NXT: New Year's Evil | January 6, 2026 |
| Premium Live Events | |
| Event | Dates |
| Halftime Heat | February 3, 2019 |
| WrestleMania 36 | March 25–26, 2020 (aired April 4–5, 2020) |
| Money in the Bank | May 10, 2020 |
| Backlash | June 14, 2020 |
| The Horror Show at Extreme Rules | July 19, 2020 |
| NXT TakeOver 31 | October 4, 2020 |
| NXT TakeOver: WarGames | December 6, 2020 |
| NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day | February 14, 2021 |
| NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver | April 7–8, 2021 |
| NXT TakeOver: In Your House | June 13, 2021 |
| NXT TakeOver 36 | August 22, 2021 |
| NXT WarGames | December 5, 2021 |
| NXT In Your House | June 4, 2022 |
| Worlds Collide | September 4, 2022 |
| NXT Halloween Havoc | October 22, 2022 |
| NXT Deadline | December 10, 2022 |