A new report from Fightful Select has revealed that All Elite Wrestling had discussions earlier this year about opening an official training facility in Asheville, North Carolina. The plan, which was ultimately decided against, would have utilized the wealth of veteran knowledge in the area by having top stars who reside there help train and develop the next generation of talent for the company. The report provides a fascinating look into the company’s long-term developmental strategy and the various options they have considered for building their future stars.
According to the report, the discussions centered around Asheville because it is the hometown of legendary performers Adam Copeland and his wife Beth Copeland, as well as the multi-time AEW World Tag Team Champions, FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler). The plan was reportedly for this decorated group to be involved in training talent at the new facility. However, sources within AEW indicated that the company ultimately chose not to move forward with the idea due to the significant costs associated with launching and maintaining such a facility. The report also notes that the tentative plans for the Asheville center were the reason that Steven Borden, the son of the legendary Sting, had gone to the area to train.
This is not the first time AEW has considered a more structured developmental system. Before his departure from the company in 2022, there were discussions about veteran coach and producer Ace Steel potentially leading a similar program. For now, AEW continues to use its current setup, which includes a warehouse with a ring that talent can access for training.
Credit Source: Fightful Select. Thanks for checking out this article. Make sure to follow Jeff Jarrett and all things GFE on Facebook.
