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Working to become a WWE Superstar is not an easy road.
Not only do you have to deal with the constant risk of injury, but even just being able to make it to WWE is a very rare thing. Most people who aim to one day make it to WWE, sadly won't get anywhere near the Sports Entertainment juggernaut.
But for those who do, there is the company's Performance Center, a relatively new facility that aims to hone the skills of rookies before they make it to WWE TV.
The Center has been the host for countless rookies and whilst some never emerged to much, others have gone on to become some of the biggest Superstars in WWE today.
Here are five things you (probably) didn't know about the WWE Performance Center.
#5 There are special rings for highflyers
The WWE Performance Center may exist to create the next generation of Superstars, but this new roster comes in various shapes and sizes.
And for the next generation of high flying stars, the Performance Center comes equipped with a special ring for aerial assault.
Appropriately called the Aerial ring, the mat is a specially designed dense crash mat, similar to those used in movies.
This special ring allows young rookies to practice diving off the top rope and crashing onto their opponent without the risk of injury.
Speaking to WWE.com, Kofi Kingston was quick to give the ring special praise after trying out the facilities in 2013, describing the Aerial ring as "a highflier’s dream."
You know you've done well when you get praised by the reigning, defending WWE Champion.
#4 There have been some controversial figures
For young rookies trying to make it in WWE, it must be great to be taught by former Superstars with decades of experience.
However, there have been some people associated with the Performance Center who haven't been up to standard, often leading to termination.
When Billy Gunn tested positive for a steroid-like substance at a powerlifting competition, the company was swift to fire him, which must have been tough for COO and close friend of Gunn, Triple H.
A much better-known controversial figure is Bill DeMott, who worked as the head trainer of the facility, despite various accusations of homophobia, sexism and bullying.
The final straw for DeMott came when it was alleged that he was making rookies perform dangerous drills, and though the former trainer has always declared his innocence, WWE let him go.
#3 The Ring Bell
The world of professional wrestling is steeped in tradition, and the WWE Performance Center is no exception.
As every young tryout who enters the PC hopes to one day make it as a WWE Superstar and possibly make it to WrestleMania, there is an iconic piece of memorabilia from the Showcase Of Immortals.
Above the PC locker-room, hangs the ring bell used for the very first WrestleMania, which was rung all those years ago in 1985.
Not just a piece of WWE history, the placement of the ring bell is very significant, as it is the last thing a young rookie sees after training, and is able to give them a goal to aspire towards.
Though the company has changed significantly since then, it's cool to know that WWE respects its own history.
#2 It trains more than wrestlers
Most people will assume that the WWE Peformance Center exists just to train the next generation of WWE Superstars, but that isn't true.
Whilst the majority of rookies who enter the PC do go into wrestling, the center also trains people for less physically-demanding jobs in the Sports Entertainment juggernaut.
Various roles, from commentators to backstage interviewers to ring announcers are trained at the Performance Center, which makes sense when you consider that if things go how the rookies want, these people will be spending a lot of time together in WWE over the next few years.
WWE even grows it's own roster of referees at the Performance Center, though so far have been unable to stamp out that pesky habit of always looking the wrong way when a heel is cheating.
#1 There was a shooting
The right to bear arms in the United States is always a hot topic for debate, and in 2015, an exuberant fan arrived at the WWE Performance Center packing heat.
In August of that year, a man named Armando Montalvo trespassed on the Center's property in search of a female trainee with whom he had developed an unhealthy obsession with, and he did so while carrying a loaded gun.
When those at the PC saw what was happening, they quickly contacted police, who detained Montalvo without anyone at the Center getting hurt.
WWE tried to not make a big deal about the incident, but it made news anyway, and Montalvo was eventually convicted of trespassing, resisting arrest, and aggravated assault.
This wouldn't be the last appearance of Montalvo, as years later he would wipe his own feces on the PC walls.
