"You have to put your time in" - William Regal comments on WWE Performance Center
AEW personality and Blackpool Combat Club manager William Regal has commentated on WWE's Performance Center in Orlando, FL.
As Director of Talent Development and Head of Global Recruiting for WWE, William Regal oversaw many young talents coming in and out of the Performance Center. The 54 year-old veteran also acted as NXT's on-screen General Manager from 2014 until his release in January this year.
On a recent episode of The Sessions with Renee Paquette, Regal discussed the changes NXT has seen in the past year, from its branding to its recruitment approach. He also discussed why some of WWE's trainees are unable to fully benefit from the world class training provided at the Peformance Center:
"The PC works if you put your time in. If you come in there, turn up and do your class once a day and you go home, it's not going to work unless you are the one, the magic one, that can do everything. You have to put your time in. I know this personally, sometimes the talent that are getting paid, that aren't doing well, perhaps they need to look themselves in the mirror and realize, instead of spending time on their phone, perhaps they should be in the ring trying to get better." (H/T: Fightful)
William Regal Supported NXT 2.0 Changes, Says WWE PC Works If Talent Is Willing To Work dlvr.it/SQXWDD
Regal's work as NXT's on-screen GM alongside his hand in developing young stars for WWE has been lauded by both colleagues and fans. The 54-year-old is currently serving as the figurehead for The Blackpool Combat Club in AEW, but is also said to be helping out backstage.
William Regal once put his job on the line for a WWE Superstar
“I put my job on the line once for Sasha Banks. She was somebody I went, because I knew her, and my first thing on the job was to hire this lady.
And I said, ‘If it doesn’t work out, you can fire me.’”
- William Regal
(via The Sessions) https://t.co/V1C05kkUD1
In the same interview, William Regal revealed that he encouraged WWE to sign Sasha Banks, even stating that he asked the company to fire him if she "didn't work out."
Alongside his on-screen duties, Regal was an essential talent scout and recruiter for the company. Recalling the time Banks came for a tryout in the company and the ultimatum he gave regarding her, he said:
“I put my job on the line once for Sasha Banks, she was someone who I went with because I knew her – my first thing on the job was hire this lady. I said If she doesn’t work out then you can fire me.” said William Regal. (H/T: SEScoops)
Suffice it to say, William Regal was right in his assessment of the young Sasha Banks. She is now a six-time world champion, two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion, former NXT Women's Champion, and the first woman to win Sports Illustrated's Wrestler of the Year in 2020.
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