WCW Power Plant
The WCW Power Plant is a former professional wrestling school located at 1030 Carrol Drive in Atlanta, Georgia. It was owned and operated by World Championship Wrestling. The Power Plant was in operation throughout the 1990s. It stopped holding contests in December 1999 and closed in March 2001 when WCW's assets were sold to the World Wrestling Federation. It was used for training wrestlers.
Contents
Gym
The Power Plant was World Championship Wrestling's training gym located in a warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia.[1] It was in operation as early as 1995.[2] In February 1998, Paul Orndorff began managing the Power Plant.[3]
Criteria for entry
The Power Plant was advertised on WCW Monday Nitro. Once a month, open tryouts were held for applicants between the ages of 18 and 29.[1] If the applicants were suitably impressive, they would earn an invitation to join the school at a cost of $3,000 for six months training. Male applicants had to be at least 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) tall and 180 lb (82 kg) in weight.
Training routine
To succeed at the Power Plant, a trainee was required to display a great deal of strength and stamina, with less focus on basic wrestling skills. Bret Hart, who was forced to retire when a stiff kick from Power Plant graduate Bill Goldberg tore a muscle in his neck and gave him post-concussion syndrome, blamed the end of his career on the Power Plant training regime, saying "I don't think it was a priority to protect your opponent."[4]
While researching professional wrestling for a BBC documentary, journalist Louis Theroux visited the Power Plant. He volunteered to take part in some training in an effort to show some respect for the business, but as he had asked DeWayne Bruce some questions about kayfabe, he was forced into very hard exercise. At one stage, Bruce encouraged the other trainees to call him a cockroach while Theroux was struggling to regain his breath. Theroux was later shown vomiting on camera.[5]
Trainers
Male trainers
- Director Jody Hamilton
- Manager Paul Orndorff[3]
- Head Trainer DeWayne Bruce
- Bobby Eaton
- Mike Hayner
- Lash LeRoux
- Harrison Norris
- Ray Lloyd
- Ron Reis
- Mike Wenner[1]
- Pez Whatley[1]
Female trainers
Graduates
Male graduates
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- Keith Cole
- Kent Cole
- Bryant Anderson
- Chad Brock
- C. W. Anderson
- David Flair
- Kwee Wee[6]
- The Giant[2]
- Goldberg[7]
- Sean O'Haire
- Shane Helms
- Giant Gonzales
- Horshu
- Mark Jindrak
- Chris Kanyon
- The Demon
- Kid Romeo
- Lash LeRoux
- Lodi
- Steve McMichael
- Viktor Krüger
- Ernest Miller[8]
- Shannon Moore
- Kevin Nash[9]
- Diamond Dallas Page
- Chuck Palumbo
- The Renegade
- Reno
- Mike Sanders[3]
- Shark Boy
- Sonny Siaki[10]
- Sick Boy
- Elix Skipper[6]
- Bob Sapp
- Johnny The Bull
- The Wall
- Alex Wright
- Yun Yang
Female graduates
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See also
References
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