Gov. Rick Scott formed a tag team with Paul Levesque, the executive vice president of talent and live events for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), on Thursday to open the WWEs Global Performance Center in Orlando. Levesque, best known by wrestling fans as Triple H is the son-in-law of WWE CEO Vince McMahon. The project will bring $2.3 million in capital investment and almost 100 jobs to Central Florida.
We are happy to be back here at WWEs Global Performance Center, officially opening this state-of-the-art training facility, Scott said. WWE is a big name in sports entertainment so its fitting that they have chosen to take a one-way ticket to Florida to grow their business. In only two and a half years, Florida has created 330,000 private-sector jobs and our unemployment rate has dropped well below the national average to 7.1 percent. Its working in Florida.
The WWE Performance Center represents the future of our company, providing the next generation of WWE superstars with a world-class facility to call their own, said Levesque. The venue offers our developmental talent a full training experience with real time feedback from WWE coaches, trainers and doctors, giving them the resources they need to develop their talent both athletically and creatively.
The new facility will serve to train wrestlers and develop the WWEs television and sports medicine crews. NXT Wrestling, a developmental league for the WWE, has been based in Orlando since 2012. The WWE has partnered with the Winter Park-based Full Sail University for it television production of NXT shows.
Wrestling has often generated major revenues for cities across the nation. For example, WrestleMania, the WWEs premier annual event, often generates tens of millions for local economies. South Florida hosted WrestleMania XXVIII in 2012 and the WWE estimated that it generated more than $100 million in revenue for the region. Back in 2008, WrestleMania XXIV was held in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. Officials estimated that the event brought more than $51 million into the local economy, more than double initial estimates. They also estimated more than 50,000 visitors came to Orlando for the WrestleMania festivities and around 75,000 attended the actual event in the Citrus Bowl.
The world of sports entertainment is big business around the globe and WWE stands tall above the competition, said Florida Secretary of Commerce Gray Swoope on Thursday. WWEs decision to build this new Global Performance Center in Florida demonstrates their confidence in our state to provide the resources they need to continue their incredible success. The business world takes notice when one of the most recognized brands in the world chooses to expand in your state."
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at 904-521-3722.
