What’s the story?
William Regal, head scout of WWE talent development will be in Dubai as part of the promotion’s ongoing global expansion to seek out more recruits for its next generation of Superstars.
The promotion is set to hold a four-day talent tryout this week. The event is scheduled to take place at the Dubai Opera House from April 26 to 29 and will see 40 men and women from the Middle East and India trying to showcase their potential.
The most promising hopefuls will be signed and sent to the WWE's Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
In case you didn’t know...
The 40-person tryout will include athletes and performers across the spectrum of sports, including powerlifters, bodybuilders, martial artists and fitness experts.
The heart of the matter
In an interview with ESPN, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WWE executive vice president, said:
"WWE is dedicated to finding the most talented athletes and entertainers from around the world. Not only are the Middle East and India important markets to grow our business and reach new fans, but they are also key regions from which to recruit premier athletes who want to pursue the dream of becoming a WWE superstar”
The Dubai try-out is the latest endeavour of WWE's global talent recruiting efforts. WWE has also scouted rugby and soccer players from Europe, Kabaddi and Kushti athletes from India and martial artists and boxers from China.
The WWE's talent tryout in Shanghai resulted in major success with eight Chinese recruits, including Tian Bing, the company's first-ever Chinese Superstar. With such fruitful results the last time out, the hope is that the coming week in Dubai will uncover a similarly rich pool of talent as was found in Shanghai.
When asked what exactly he was looking for, Regal had this to say:
"I've been doing this long enough that once I spend a day with somebody, I can say, 'Well, this person will be good at this as long as, obviously, no injuries and everything goes right, but it may take two years. This person could be getting good at this after six months,'" said William Regal, head scout, WWE talent development. "But if you were to ask me to actually describe what that is, it's more of an eye for looking at things or looking at people than actually being able to write down the formula of it.
What’s next?
The most promising wrestlers will embark on their potential journeys to a WrestleMania in the future although it will be a lengthy one, with its own unique challenges. However, if they succeed in catching the eyes of Levesque, Regal, and others among the WWE's team of scouts, they'll be in good hands to help fulfil their dreams.
Author’s take
WWE has received a major response in their talent search in Asia. And the company’s expanding popularity has been the prime reason for the promotion investing in the Middle East and other Asian countries.
WWE even signed Ho Ho Lun for the CWC last year. Thus, the initiative creates a possibility of bringing in a higher number of competitors from the Asian countries and it would certainly be a refreshing and intriguing contest for the fans to witness.
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