WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque has revealed the company is in the process of building a new Performance Center.
Levesque announced the news during an appearance on the Nightcap YouTube show with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, confirming the new facility will be located in Orlando, Florida, home of the current center.
Discussing WWE’s developmental system, Levesque stated, “We’re in the process of building a new one now in Orlando. It’ll be even bigger and better”. The current Performance Center opened in 2013 and serves as the training hub for all WWE talent, including those in its NXT brand.
He did not offer any further details, such as a timeline for its completion or its exact location.
The interview took place in Las Vegas on Friday, ahead of the announcement that WrestleMania 43 would take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Levesque explained that creating a clear path for aspiring talent was a primary motivation behind the developmental system, something that did not exist when he entered the business in the early 1990s.
“We’ve tried to make the pathway,” Levesque said. “So we recruit heavily in colleges, we have an NIL program, we call it Next In Line”.
Throughout the interview, Levesque emphasized his philosophy that on-screen presence is the most crucial attribute for a WWE performer, even more so than pure athletic ability. He cited Hulk Hogan and Dusty Rhodes as examples of legendary figures whose charisma and ability to connect with a crowd made them iconic.
“Charisma is king in our business,” he stated.
He further stated that storytelling is the key to WWE’s longevity, comparing the product to a movie rather than a traditional sport. He argued that is why fans still watch events like WrestleMania 3 decades later, whereas few people re-watch a Super Bowl from five years ago.
