WWE Hall of Famer JBL believes today’s WWE management is more patient with developing talent than the previous regime, but says the change has more to do with the industry’s evolution than Vince McMahon‘s leadership.
Speaking on Something to Wrestle, JBL responded to recent comments from CM Punk, who said WWE’s current leadership is far more forgiving of younger wrestlers than in the past, when talent could reportedly be released over mistakes as minor as poorly thrown punches.
JBL argued that wrestlers who arrived during Vince McMahon’s era typically had years of experience before joining WWE.
“By the time a guy got to Vince, they had had, like I’d had, several thousand matches, or a couple thousand matches in different territories. You expect the guy to be able to know how to work and be able to be pretty good at what he does.”
JBL Believes Current WWE Stars Need More Time To Develop Because They Start In NXT And Not On The Indies
He explained that most of today’s WWE stars come through NXT rather than spending years working around the world, meaning they require more time to develop after reaching the main roster.
“Now they’re coming up from NXT. They don’t have thousands of matches, or a thousand matches, in different territories around the world… So you have to have more patience.”
JBL also believes the current generation faces a more difficult path because they gain much of their experience within WWE rather than elsewhere.
Discussing WWE’s growing international reach, JBL suggested the company’s global streaming business has also changed how talent is viewed. He pointed to stars such as Penta, saying WWE is no longer as reliant on North American pay-per-view revenue as it once was, making it easier to feature performers whose first language is not English.
Ultimately, JBL argued the shift is the result of changes to WWE’s developmental system and business model rather than a difference between the current regime and Vince McMahon’s approach.
