WCW Power Plant
Encyclopedia
The WCW Power Plant was a professional wrestling school located in Atlanta, Georgia and owned and operated by World Championship Wrestling
. The Power Plant, which was developed from a school operated by Jody Hamilton
, was in operation throughout the 1990s. It stopped holding tryouts in December 1999 and closed in March 2001 when WCW was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation
.
's training gym located in a warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia
. It was in operation as early as 1995. In February 1998, Paul Orndorff
began managing the Power Plant.
. Once a month, open tryouts were held for applicants between the ages of 18 and 29. If the applicants were suitably impressive, they would earn an invitation to join the school at a cost of $3,000 for six months training. Male applicants had to be at least tall and 180 lb (81.6 kg) in weight.
, who was forced to retire when a stiff kick from Power Plant graduate Bill Goldberg
tore a muscle in his neck and gave him post-concussion syndrome
, blamed the end of his career on the Power Plant training regime, saying "I don't think it was a priority to protect your opponent."
While researching professional wrestling for a BBC
documentary
, journalist
Louis Theroux
visited the Power Plant. He volunteered to take part in some training in an effort to show some respect for the business, but as he had asked Dwayne Bruce
some questions about kayfabe
, he was forced into very hard exercise. At one stage, Bruce encouraged the other trainees to call him a cockroach
while Theroux was struggling to regain his breath. Theroux was later shown vomiting on camera.
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
. The Power Plant, which was developed from a school operated by Jody Hamilton
Jody Hamilton
Joseph "Jody" Hamilton is an American retired professional wrestler and current wrestling promoter and trainer. In his active days Hamiltion was best known as known as one half of the tag team The Assassins where he was called "Assassin #1"...
, was in operation throughout the 1990s. It stopped holding tryouts in December 1999 and closed in March 2001 when WCW was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
.
Gym
The Power Plant was World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
's training gym located in a warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. It was in operation as early as 1995. In February 1998, Paul Orndorff
Paul Orndorff
Paul Parlette Orndorff, Jr. is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling as "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff...
began managing the Power Plant.
Criteria for entry
The Power Plant was advertised on WCW Monday NitroWCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
. Once a month, open tryouts were held for applicants between the ages of 18 and 29. If the applicants were suitably impressive, they would earn an invitation to join the school at a cost of $3,000 for six months training. Male applicants had to be at least tall and 180 lb (81.6 kg) in weight.
Training routine
To succeed at the Power Plant, a trainee was required to display a great deal of strength and stamina, with less focus on basic wrestling skills. Bret HartBret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
, who was forced to retire when a stiff kick from Power Plant graduate Bill Goldberg
Bill Goldberg
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
tore a muscle in his neck and gave him post-concussion syndrome
Post-concussion syndrome
Post-concussion syndrome, also known as postconcussive syndrome or PCS, and historically called shell shock, is a set of symptoms that a person may experience for weeks, months, or occasionally up to a year or more after a concussion – a mild form of traumatic brain injury . PCS may also...
, blamed the end of his career on the Power Plant training regime, saying "I don't think it was a priority to protect your opponent."
While researching professional wrestling for a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary
Television documentary
Documentary television is a genre of television programming that broadcasts documentaries.* Documentary television series, a television series which is made up of documentary episodes....
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Louis Theroux
Louis Theroux
Louis Sebastian Theroux is an English broadcaster best known for his Gonzo style journalism on the television series Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends and When Louis Met.... His career started off in journalism and bears influences of notable writers in his family such as his father, Paul Theroux and...
visited the Power Plant. He volunteered to take part in some training in an effort to show some respect for the business, but as he had asked Dwayne Bruce
Dwayne Bruce
Dwayne Bruce is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker. Bruce was a trainer at the WCW Power Plant wrestling school.-Professional wrestling career:...
some questions about kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
, he was forced into very hard exercise. At one stage, Bruce encouraged the other trainees to call him a cockroach
Cockroach
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
while Theroux was struggling to regain his breath. Theroux was later shown vomiting on camera.
Male trainers
- Director Jody HamiltonJody HamiltonJoseph "Jody" Hamilton is an American retired professional wrestler and current wrestling promoter and trainer. In his active days Hamiltion was best known as known as one half of the tag team The Assassins where he was called "Assassin #1"...
- Manager Paul OrndorffPaul OrndorffPaul Parlette Orndorff, Jr. is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling as "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff...
- Head Trainer Buddy Lee ParkerDwayne BruceDwayne Bruce is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker. Bruce was a trainer at the WCW Power Plant wrestling school.-Professional wrestling career:...
- Bobby EatonBobby EatonRobert Lee "Bobby" Eaton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with Dennis...
- Michael Haynes IIIMichael Haynes IIIMichael Hayner is a professional wrestler best known as Prince Iaukea in World Championship Wrestling. Haynes has also made a career performing and coordinating stunts for major motion pictures...
- Lash LeRoux
- Harrison Norris
- Buzz SternRay LloydRaymond M. Lloyd is an American martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s under the ring name Glacier.-Early life:...
- Big Ron StuddRon ReisRonald Allen "Ron" Reis is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s as The Yeti and Reese.-World Championship Wrestling :...
- Mike Wenner
- Pez WhatleyPez WhatleyPezavan Whatley was a professional wrestler in the 1980s and early 1990s who wrestled primarily under the ring name Pez Whatley.-Career:...