WWE SVP Details Developmental Recruitment And Release Protocols

Reports have surfaced the past few months regarding how WWE handles fresh talent on the "NXT" brand, including the fact that if a set of talent weren't meeting the company's expectations within six months, WWE would pull the plug on their contracts. Now, WWE SVP James Kimball has detailed the process of recruitment and talent releases during an interview with Graham Matthews for "WrestleRant."

"It literally is six-month intervals, two-year mark, you're up or out," Kimball said. "Obviously, there's constant evaluation down the Performance Center in Orlando. Coaching staff, our staff, on-site, all the time constantly evaluating, but formal, deliberate evaluations occur in six-month periods. At that time, and again these all kind of flow in and around the same kind of entry points, we'll do a tryout and then we'll do a set of releases."

Kimball also said that WWE hopefuls who have made it to the two-year mark, but still aren't ready for "NXT," are sent out the door.

"I would say that it was incorporated around the same time that this entire new strategy was put in place about a year ago," Kimball said. "That all kind of dovetails with our NIL program, heavy emphasis on collegiate athletics, heavy emphasis on putting a real system in place that replenishes and drives itself to where we already know where we're going six months, 12 months from now already."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "WrestleRant" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.