Gabe Sapolsky is looking for independent wrestlers who can do a lot more than just put on a good match. When WWE ID asked what catches his attention as a talent scout, Sapolsky made it clear that being a great wrestler only gets someone through the door.
WWE ID took to Twitter and uploaded a video featuring Sapolsky discussing exactly what he looks for while scouting talent. Sapolsky currently works as a WWE talent scout across North America while also being involved with EVOLVE and WWE ID. For Sapolsky, it starts with something that can be difficult to teach: the “it” factor.
“What stands out to me are unique qualities. I’m looking for the ‘it’ factor, but also strong fundamentals. I look for strikes that I still believe. When I see a good strike, I still react to it. Then I look at a hold, and if I cringe, I’ll be like a fan. When I’m buying it like that, I know the superiors will also buy it, and the fans will buy it.”
But believable wrestling is only part of what gets his attention. Sapolsky wants to see wrestlers bring character, personality and something uniquely theirs to what they’re doing. Simply being technically great isn’t enough when WWE is ultimately looking for people who can become Superstars.
“So I’m looking for those qualities and looking for people who add character to it, uniqueness, and personality. We’re not in the good wrestler business. Being a great wrestler gets you in the door, but we’re in the Superstar business. What really matters is what makes you one of one after you accomplish all that.”
And once someone has those qualities, Sapolsky is looking at how they work when the cameras aren’t necessarily the focus. He wants people who will outwork everyone around them, take coaching and actually learn from what WWE’s coaches are trying to teach them.
“At the end of the day, I wanna put qualities in front of the coaches at the PC. People who outwork everyone else, and people who are coachable and listen and learn.”
That pretty much lays out the checklist for anyone hoping WWE ID becomes their road into the company. Great wrestling can get Sapolsky watching, but if there isn’t personality, individuality and something that makes a wrestler impossible to confuse with everybody else, that apparently isn’t enough anymore.
What do you think matters most when WWE is scouting independent wrestlers—the in-ring work or that harder-to-define “it” factor? Let us know in the comments.
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