How to Become a WWE Star

How to Become a WWE Star

This article relates to The Emperor of Gladness

BJ, one of the characters in Ocean Vuong's The Emperor of Gladness, aspires to become a professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment — more commonly known as the WWE.

Merriam-Webster defines professional wrestling as "a form of athletic theater where performers engage in staged mock combat, emphasizing entertainment and storytelling over genuine competition." Although the matches are scripted and outcomes predetermined, professional wrestlers commit to maintaining kayfabe — the pretense that the events happening in the ring are real. Pro wrestling has become an immensely popular spectator sport worldwide; in the United States alone, 90 million people claimed to be fans in a poll conducted in 2022. The WWE's WrestleMania event drew nearly 125,000 attendees over its two-night production in Las Vegas in 2025, and was watched on television by several million viewers.

Professional wrestling isn't an easy career. As one might expect, the job requires athletic prowess, but because the WWE's primary goal is entertainment, athletes must also be able to hold an audience's attention. And even though a match's outcome may be preordained, it's still an intensely physical pursuit and injuries are common.

An aspiring athlete's journey to the WWE often begins with attending a professional wrestling school, of which there are over 500 around the world. There, they will be taught not only the basic and advanced moves needed to perform in the ring, but also how to create a unique, marketable character they can "sell" to audiences and promoters.

Next, they may start "working the indie circuit" — performing at small, regional events that pay little or nothing. These might be held at fairgrounds, campuses, or even local bars (as is the case in The Emperor of Gladness). Often these venues host matches frequently enough that a wrestler can build a fanbase, and potentially attract a recruiter from an organization. As the wrestler plays larger crowds, they gain performance experience and become more fully immersed in the character they've developed — vital elements for progressing in the business.

Once a person feels they're at the top of their game, they may apply to the WWE's Performance Center in Orlando, Florida — a sort of "graduate school" for potential wrestlers. The facility covers 26,000 square feet and boasts seven performance rings as well as production and voice-over practice rooms. Former professional wrestlers are employed as trainers.

Admission to the Performance Center is very competitive; of the thousands who apply annually, only about 1% are awarded a tryout and only around 100 wrestlers are enrolled at any given time. Applicants are pitted against athletes who've been directly recruited by WWE staff from such fields as collegiate athletics, the military, bodybuilding, and gymnastics.

If selected, the wrestler is required to move to Orlando and attend classes full-time, focusing on elements the WWE feels are important to success. Tuition is free, but athletes are responsible for their own room, board, and transportation. In addition to daily physical training, the Performance Center helps athletes develop their ring personae; they also stress injury prevention. Additionally, the WWE is dedicated to helping their students learn life skills, such as financial management, and provides tuition reimbursement for those wishing to pursue education beyond the ring.

The amount of time potential stars stay at the Performance Center can vary widely. For some, it becomes evident early on that they won't make the grade, so they leave after just a few weeks. Others may stay for years, depending on their level of talent. The chosen few eventually advance to the WWE's professional roster. Because the facility hosts top-notch sports medicine talent, it's also used by WWE stars to rehab injuries.

The WWE has expanded over its decades as an organization, and now includes multiple brands (Raw, Smackdown, NXT, etc.), each with its own cast. In the 1980s the WWE employed around 50 wrestlers, but today it boasts 276 personalities split between the various divisions, with 15% being women. Career lengths are variable, depending on talent, crowd appeal, and the ability to stay uninjured. Generally, it's felt a WWE star can continue wrestling at the professional level for 5-10 years, although some have had much longer tenures (such as superstar Hulk Hogan, who wrestled a whopping 35 years).

The WWE Performance Center in Orlando, photo by Abhiramakella CC BY-SA 4.0

Filed under Cultural Curiosities

This article relates to The Emperor of Gladness. It first ran in the May 7, 2025 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.