UPDATE: In an interview with The Post and Courier, ESPN producer Ben Houser spoke about the network’s upcoming WWE: Behind the Curtain special.
He said: “Our goal was to tell a story that hadn’t been told about the WWE and their talent development system, NXT. Who are the real-life people behind the characters? How does the WWE create characters? Evaluate performances? At our first behind-the-scenes NXT shoot in Orlando, Fla., at Full Sail University, we got resistance from some of the WWE television folks. No one had ever before been allowed to film rehearsals, backstage during an event, in the locker rooms, or interactions between agents and performers before and after matches. He [Triple H] even allowed some NXT stars to shoot on our hand-held E:60 mini cameras during practice and at home. In the end, we came away with something both unique and compelling, and of the highest quality. Something we’re very much looking forward to sharing with fans.“
ORIGINAL: ESPN’s WWE: Behind-The-Curtain special on the WWE’s NXT brand debuts tomorrow night at 8PM ET. The show is described as follows…
E:60 Pictures presents WWE: Behind-The-Curtain, a new one-hour documentary film featuring unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Vince McMahon’s billion-dollar global empire. The show will follow three amateur wrestlers on their grueling, high-stakes climb with dreams of making it to the big show, complemented by candid interviews with WWE President Vince McMahon, his Executive Vice President of Talent Development, Paul Levesque (or ‘Triple H’) as well as former WWE talents Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock – Dwayne Johnson, and Hulk Hogan. The result is an inside look into what is perhaps the greatest spectacle in sports entertainment – with its extravagant productions, flagrant drama, and sold-out arenas.
With flagship show Monday Night RAW drawing four million viewers per week, storied WWE owner and CEO Vince McMahon reveals the reason behind the brand’s success: “Talent is the only natural resource we have, without it we have nothing. There’s no product. There’s no shows. There’s no anything.”
For decades, McMahon and WWE have created some of the most iconic characters in pop culture — Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock and John Cena.
But before they become household names, WWE characters are carefully developed in a minor league system, NXT – led by WWE icon and current Executive Vice President of Talent Development, Paul Levesque, aka, “Triple H”. It is a backstage world no one has ever had access to – until now.
