WWE knows it has a problem coming, and Nick Khan isn’t hiding from it.
While speaking at the Sports Business Journal World Congress of Sports, the WWE President revealed that company leadership has spent the last year discussing how to speed up the development of new stars as some of WWE’s biggest attractions move deeper into their careers.
Khan explained that he, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and other top executives recognized that many of the company’s most established names won’t be around forever. While discussing those conversations, Khan pointed directly to several of WWE’s biggest stars.
“A year ago, we got together. Triple H, LeGentil, myself, a guy named Shawn Michaels who runs our developmental system, Hall of Fame wrestler, and we said, ‘Hey, look, we have John Cena on his retirement tour. Rock came back and now he’s going to be filming Jumanji and Smashing Machine at the time. Our other big stars, CM Punk’s 46. We got a number of men who are 40 years or older and they’re performing at a high level. We got to accelerate the next generation of talent.’”
Rather than waiting for the transition to happen naturally, Khan said WWE immediately began looking for ways to fast-track younger performers. According to Khan, Shawn Michaels believed one of the biggest keys was getting developing talent in front of live crowds more often so WWE could measure genuine fan reactions.
“So, what do we need to do to accelerate it? Shawn Michaels said we need to take them on the road so they get the crowd response of a live crowd. Right? That’s part of what makes wrestling unique. If you’re getting cheered, great. If you’re getting booed, great. If there’s no response, terrible.”
Khan said WWE followed through on that plan and has already seen results from the investment. One of the names he singled out was Oba Femi, who has quickly become one of the company’s most talked-about rising stars.
“So, we made the investment in that. And if you look at the acceleration of stars, even the opening match on Sunday night, a guy named Oba Femi, former shot putter at the University of Alabama against Brock Lesnar, it’s probably the most talked-about match on ESPN 1 and ESPN Unlimited Sunday.”
Khan then pointed out just how quickly Oba Femi has climbed the ladder.
“That guy’s only been Oba on our main roster for 6 months.”
With names like Oba Femi receiving increased attention and opportunities, WWE appears determined to avoid finding itself without a new generation of headliners when today’s top stars eventually step away.
Do you think WWE is doing enough to build its next generation of main event talent? Which younger star do you believe has the best chance to become the face of the company in the years ahead? Let us know in the comments and share your thoughts.
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