In recent shoot interviews with RF Video, both Shane Helms and Konnan shared interesting comments on the developmental structure currently used by the WWE. I have been making similar claims for quite some time, and feel that the continued growth of WWE’s farm systems Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) and NXT bring these issues to light again.

In one interview, Shane Helms argues that WWE newcomers who rise through the FCW system would really benefit from playing to different audiences than they do currently. Helms suggests that they travel to different countries (or at the very least different areas of the US) to learn new and different styles as they continue to develop, rather than play to the same Florida crowds over and over again.

I agree completely; though all of these wrestlers work extremely hard, seeing so many of them work the exact same style despite their vastly different body types and personalities gets extremely boring.

I mean no disrespect by that comment, and I’m sure Helms meant no disrespect in his suggestion either. However, there is a quality that is very often lacking in recent callups to the WWE. This problem is even exemplified in their finishers. How many stars use variations of D’Lo Brown’s “Sky High”, the Reverse STO, or the Ura-Nage as their finisher? Why do Michael McGillicutty, David Otunga, and Heath Slater work such similar styles despite having extremely different body types, personalities, and opponents?

I would argue that a shift in WWE’s developmental strategy, preferably along the lines of what Shane Helms suggested, would address these issues and help new stars better connect with the crowd. This would help younger wrestlers really hone their craft, and also set themselves apart from their contemporaries. Altogether, the quality of their matches would improve greatly as well.

Of course, developmental structures are not inherently bad; I just feel that variation is the key to their success. Konnan’s thoughts on Sin Cara encapsulate this argument. He feels that Sin Cara is someone who would have benefitted greatly from some time in FCW in order to be “deprogrammed” from the Lucha Libre style he excelled in during his time in Mexico.

I agree: until just a few months ago, it was clear that Sin Cara’s style did not mesh well with other wrestlers on the roster.

Konnan reminds listeners that Lucha Libre has an entirely different pacing, a different way of selling, and, again, a different way of connecting with the crowd. Sin Cara did not make these adjustments at first, and struggled greatly as a result. Indeed, the first few months of Sin Cara’s time in the WWE felt much like watching CMLL matches on Spanish television; his old Tilt-A-Whirl Armbar finisher didn’t help matters much either.

Though these seem like oppositional points at first glance, they are not. My argument is not that developmental structures negatively impact wrestling, but that wrestlers who have been wrestling a certain style for so long need to know when to switch things up, and how to incorporate new experiences into their repertoire. Wrestling for as many promotions and areas as possible is a great way to do that.

On the “Breaking the Code: Behind the Walls of Chris Jericho” DVD, Jericho credits his time in Mexico, Japan, Canada, and the US to his successful wrestling career. He states that this varied experience taught him how to play to different crowds, while working in Germany for the same crowd every night taught him what to do to keep those same folks interested day in and day out. In my opinion, this sensitivity and awareness on Jericho’s part plays a huge role in the high quality of his matches with the WWE.

One can only hope that the current state of WWE’s developmental system doesn’t turn Chris Jericho’s approach into a lost art.