Backstage Update On WWE's Mandated Performance Center Training

Just how mandatory did mandatory prove to be?

by Andrew Pollard
Performance Center closed
WWE

With recent reports claiming that WWE was making it mandatory for all talent to head to the Performance Center for additional training ahead of the company's return to the road, there's now an update on said training.

Previously, WWE sought to get its performers into the PC to get them in prime condition as the promotion looked to leave the Thunderdome era in its rear-view mirror. The logic there, of course, was that these wrestlers have usually been working just one show per week in front of a energy-lacking crowd made up of virtual fans - as opposed to the energy of a live crowd and the busier schedule of getting back to non-televised events.

As per Fightful Select, while that extra training was indeed made mandatory for all talent, this order reportedly changed after just a few days. Instead, the roster was informed that they could miss this training if they had a personal reason that could be taken into account.

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Several wrestlers took WWE up on this offer, citing personal reasons and opting out of attending these Performance Center sessions. Fightful does also add that nearly all of the company's female talent took part in this training.

Of course, it was during one of these PC sessions that Bayley suffering the ACL injury that's expected to keep her out of action for at least nine months.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.