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Many people dream of becoming a WWE Superstar, but few of them successfully make it into the pro wrestling juggernaut. It takes years of training and hard work in wrestling schools to become a competent, safe worker who can compete in the squared circle.
While there are countless wrestling schools all over the world, aspirants must choose wisely. The best schools provide students with a mix of technical lessons and insight into the business itself.
Only people who have worked in the industry can truly offer the knowledge students need to succeed. Naturally, quite a few current and former WWE Superstars have chosen to impart their knowledge to the younger generation by opening their own wrestling schools.
With that being said, here's a look at five WWE Superstars who run their own wrestling schools. Do share your thoughts in the comments section.
#5 Booker T (WWE Hall of Famer)
Booker T is a six-time world champion, and he thrived in WWE. Now, he runs his own wrestling school in Houston, Texas. Called the "Reality of Wrestling", the school also functions as a wrestling promotion. It regularly conducts shows that are broadcast for a larger audience.
Booker T opened the school in 2005 along with his brother, Stevie Ray and his wife, Sharmell. For the most part, the school has flourished. It was on the verge of closing down in 2013, but some last-minute investments ensured its viability.
The school has two levels of training programs - Beginner's and Advanced. Booker T himself evaluates every performer, and he hand-picks the ones with the right amount of passion for the business.
Former WWE NXT Women's Champion Ember Moon and recently retired Impact Wrestling Superstar Kylie Rae are some notable examples of Booker T's former students.
Though Booker T retired in 2010, he occasionally laces up his boots for his wrestling promotion so he can give his students some hands-on training.
#4 Tyler Breeze (WWE Superstar)
Former WWE NXT Tag-Team Champion Tyler Breeze, along with former WWE and current AEW Superstar Shawn Spears, opened his own wrestling school in 2019. Flatbacks Wrestling School is located in Florida. Though it's a fairly new program, it has already gained prominence among prospective wrestlers.
The school provides a rigorous eight-week training course, in which the aspiring pro wrestlers learn the basics and fundamentals of the craft. After the completion of this course, the graduates can stay in touch with the trainers for feedback and evaluation. In a recent interview, Breeze explained why he felt compelled to open the school. He revealed that teaching has helped him admire wrestling again.
For a while, Breeze admitted that he had fallen out of love with wrestling. But seeing the excitement displayed by prospective wrestling students encouraged him to become a trainer.
Breeze also revealed that a few of his students were present during the WWE RAW Underground back in the summer. Though they didn't actively perform, they earned some practical exposure in a WWE setting.
#3 Finn Balor (WWE Superstar, current NXT Champion)
Former WWE Universal Champion and current NXT Champion Finn Balor once ran his own wrestling school and promotion in Ireland. After he toured the United Kingdom and its neighboring countries for the first few years of his career, Balor felt motivated to open the school due to the lack of proper wrestling institutes in his home country.
NWA Ireland, the school and promotion, soon merged with NWA UK Hammerlock. Though this venture was short-lived, Balor found some success as a trainer. He taught "The Man" Becky Lynch and WWE NXT UK Superstar Jordan Devlin.
In an interview in 2019, Lynch spoke at length about the beginning of her career. She reflected on Balor's school, and how it played an important part in her training.
"If you wanted to be a wrestler, you’d have to go off to England or America to train. It was only at Finn Balor’s school that I got the opportunity to learn. We wrestled for three months on just six blue mats on the floor in this tiny little hall at Saint Andrew’s national school. We’d go down there every Sunday and that’s how we learned, on the mats. We’d go across to England and do these summer camps where you’d train eight or nine hours a day in a gym," said Lynch.
Balor moved to Japan to build his own career, but he left behind quite a legacy as a trainer.
#2 Kane (WWE legend, former WWE Champion)
One of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time, Kane decided to give back to the pro wrestling business by opening own his wrestling school, The Jacobs - Prichard Wrestling Academy in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Kane teamed up with former pro wrestler, Tom Prichard to launch the school in 2018. While "The Big Red Machine" is mostly busy with his activities as the Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee, and sometimes as a performer in WWE, Prichard handles the duty of the head instructor of the academy.
The academy also joined hands with a wrestling promotion called Bandits Wrestling, where the students perform at the shows held by the promotion. In an interview in early 2019, Jacobs explained why he chose to open the school.
"For me, at this point this business has been very good to me. Sometimes I worry about the pipeline of talent, and anything I can do to help people get into it the right way, because a lot of people aren't going to be taking the right path, so anything that I can do to help people do it the right way I think it is beneficial to all of us, which I believe that is the reason why," said Kane.
Jacobs also wanted to provide provide Prichard with a fixed working space, as he used to travel across the country to train students. A veteran of the business, Prichard has trained WWE legends like Randy Orton, The Rock, and Kurt Angle.
#1 Seth Rollins (WWE Superstar, former WWE Universal Champion)
WWE Superstar Seth Rollins teamed up with his former tag team partner, Marek Brave to open a wrestling school, the Black and Brave Academy Academy in 2014. Considering Rollins' accomplishments in the business, several aspirants gravitate towards this school, making it one of the most prestigious wrestling academies in the United States.
Even though his wrestling schedule keeps him busy, Rollins ensures he attends the whole course and gives hands-on training and evaluation to every student. The students of the academy are also exposed to practical knowledge when they wrestle at various wrestling promotions. They are also allowed to use all of the equipment at the academy, even after they graduate.
The newest WWE signee, Ben Carter, one of Rollins' former students. He impressed the fans with his work in AEW, and this remarkable run earned him a WWE contract. He'll compete on NXT UK, and many fans expect him to become one of the brand's top stars.
