Long before the days of the WWE Performance Center, there were plenty of other ways performers were molded to make it big in the wrestling industry. Every company has its own dojos or farm companies that they work with to help talent get ready, and back in the day, WCW was absolutely no different.

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WCW had what some call the first performance center in wrestling, and it was known as the Power Plant. It served a similar function to what most people are aware of from WWE, but it was still vastly different. A lot of people don’t even know the Power Plant existed, so there’s a lot for fans of wrestling to learn.

10 It Was Started By Jody Hamilton

Jody Hamilton likely isn’t a name that sticks out to too many wrestling fans, but you’ll likely know him by his more famous name, Assassin 1. He was one half of the incredibly successful tag team, The Assassins, a team that were fairly dominant in the earlier days of wrestling.

Hamilton is widely known as a trainer, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that he is said to be the very man that founded the Power Plant. It’s possible that he had no idea what the center would eventually become, but WCW fans have him to thank for those that made use of the facility to improve.

9 NJPW Scouted Talent There

There isn’t a lot of information on whether or not they actually found any talent they thought would be worth offering a contract to, but it does still mean something that a company as illustrious as NJPW (home to Wrestle Kingdom) was willing to scout at the Power Plant.

The man scouting was Keiji Muto, or widely known as The Great Muta, and he showed up to take a look at the talent of the center back in 2000. Even being in Muto’s presence was likely a big honor for many of the people who were training there at the time.

8 It Was Open Long Before It Became 'The Power Plant'

There is a bit of a trend in the wrestling industry that many promotions and training schools start out as one thing, and over the years, shift and change into something entirely different. That very trend was no different for the Power Plant.

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Most people will know that it began its rise to prominence in the mid-90s, but it was actually open in its original form as early as 1989. The center likely served relatively the same function before it became the Power Plant, but maybe just a bit smaller in scale.

7 More Than A Few Legends Trained There

When a lot of WCW fans think of the Power Plant, they probably think of the mostly unimpressive wrestlers that eventually appeared who were marketed as Power Plant graduates. That fact is the reason why a lot of people may not know a lot of big stars trained there.

Some of the biggest names in WCW wrestling trained there, arguably most famously, Goldberg. Others like William Regal, Diamond Dallas Page, and even Bret Hart all trained in the building at different points of time, though not everyone loved the training.

6 Most People Didn’t Learn Much Wrestling

If there is one consistent critic of the Power Plant, it’s that most people who ended up training there really didn’t learn a lot of actual wrestling. More than a few people have described the training as some of the worst anyone could have received.

Even Kevin Nash admitted that much of his own training was mostly ring psychology aside from much else. Many of the Power Plant-grown stars were often considered to be notoriously bad in-ring workers, so the admittance makes sense in hindsight.

5 Major Figures Had Harsh Words For The School

Since the training that went on at the Power Plant has been a bit suspect to many, it’s only fair that a lot of stars that wound up there had some serious opinions to share. To be fair, William Regal has shared that he had no problem with the training.

Unfortunately, bigger names like Bret Hart and even Molly Holly shared serious critics of the training. Hart, who comes from wrestling royalty, took serious issue with the weak training that, to him, amounted to little more than creating dangerous wrestlers.

4 The Power Plant Worked With Smaller Promotions

Regardless of critics about the way the training was run, one thing that was undoubtedly good was the Power Plant's willingness to work with smaller wrestling promotions. Both the center and WCW as a whole were interested in ensuring the next generation was ready for tv.

One of the major developmental deals was with USWA, a deal that would allow the trainees to get some minor exposure to a smaller audience. It was likely something that helped those that weren’t getting the best training learn while doing instead.

3 Trainees Were Required To Work As Security

Anyone who regularly watches wrestling can think of more than a few times when wrestlers acted as security or other gimmicky roles before they hit it big. Things were no different in WCW, and much of the Power Plant trainees were expected to help out in other ways.

Related: 10 WCW Gimmick Changes That Saved Careers

Many of the trainees had to work security during WCW events, something that was likely beneficial as it would allow them to view the best in the world up close. A few lucky trainees were even the men that could be seen during Goldberg's creative and infamous walkouts.

2 The Power Plant Wasn’t Just For Trainees

As previously mentioned, legends of the wrestling industry made their way to the Power Plant at one point or another. The thing is, the Power Plant was for far more than just WCW hopefuls. In fact, many stars actually used the facility to rehab and come back quickly from an injury.

Outside of training for a comeback, a lot of wrestlers would head to the facility in order to practice any new moves they wanted to add to their repertoire, and even more would head there to actually practice major spots for big matches ahead of time.

1 It Wasn’t Easy For Black Trainees

One of the biggest controversies that the Power Plant has faced, and to some, the legacy continues to face to this day is the allegations of racial discrimination. A high-profile lawsuit was filed back in 2000, one that came with some shocking revelations.

Trainers were brutally honest about the fact that the black athletes at the facility had to work twice as hard to even hope to receive the same recognition as others. The entire suit was an embarrassment for WCW and the wrestling industry as a whole.

Next: 10 Most Shocking PPV Endings In WCW History