10 Step Investigation: Just How Successful Is WWE In 2017?
2. In-House Developmental Talent
The WWE Performance Center has been much-touted as a one stop shop for star creation, but how many homegrown success stories can WWE lay claim to?
Charlotte is one of WWE's best performers, irrespective of gender, and she learnt her trade under Sara Del Rey from scratch, essentially. Her fellow Four Horsewomen were more tenured, but were far from the prestigious fly-ins of, say, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. American Alpha cover the retooled developmental system in glory, but elsewhere, the list of real sports failures far outweighs the feel good success stories. Baron Corbin is the Lone wolf in both gimmick and reality; he remains the sole ex-football player, post-Roman Reigns, to orbit WWE's main event scene. His peers toil in NXT house show obscurity. The seven Chinese recruits signed up in September of last year still aren't deemed ready even for the forgiving NXT house show circuit.
The best and most popular NXT acts learnt their trade elsewhere, even if someone like Neville has grown as an all-round performer. It isn't quite a glorified independent - but it's more that than a successful developmental division.
The Performance Center operates best as a finishing school more than an expansive educational establishment. The money poured into it is insignificant, big picture wise, but you need look no further than who's getting pushed on television to measure its success.