Booker T Discusses Upcoming Changes To WWE Performance Center

WWE announced a flurry of new TV deals in 2024, with "WWE Raw" moving to Netflix, "WWE SmackDown" moving to USA Network, and "WWE NXT" making its network TV debut on the CW starting October 1. 

Now, with "NXT" figured to have more eyeballs on it than ever before, WWE's Performance Center — the company's incubator for new talent and home to "NXT"'s tapings — may be getting a makeover for its CW closeup. Booker T hinted at the changes coming to the Orlando, Florida-based facility during an episode of his "Hall of Fame" podcast. 

"We're going to be out of the PC for a couple of weeks now, actually three weeks before we get back in there," Booker said. "I heard that they have just totally tore it down. I heard a construction crew came in and totally just took everything out. So when we get back in there, it's supposed to look totally– boom! Off the chain. Totally different. I'm excited. I want to see exactly what they're doing." Booker then joked that if WWE wanted to part ways with any spare LED boards, he would gladly take them off their hands.

WWE opened the Performance Center in 2013 as a way of replacing Florida Championship Wrestling, which had previously served as the company's developmental system. The Performance Center played an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the nationwide shutdown of public gatherings forced WrestleMania 36 to be relocated there, where it could be more closely controlled. WWE opened a second Performance Center in London for its UK trainees in 2019. 

Before "WWE NXT" heads home to Orlando for tapings, however, the Allstate Arena in Chicago will host its live debut on the CW Network.