March 9 is the first official day of training since Bill DeMott resigned as head trainer of NXT developmental.
DeMott stepped down from his position on March 6 amidst allegations of being overly abusive to students, both physically and verbally.
According to PWInsider.com, there were reportedly several smiles amongst the developmental team in a post-DeMott world, although it was business as usual in terms of the work.
Those who didn’t like DeMott remained relatively quiet, especially during training.
Nothing was relayed to the coaches or training staff about DeMott.
Morale is said to be extremely high coming out of the live events at the Arnold Classic over the weekend. For those who were unable to attend the festivities, several stories were told about the experience at the Performance Center.
World Wrestling Entertainment investigated the allegations made about DeMott prior to his resignation, specifically those from former student Austin Matelson. Nothing was ever found, though:
“WWE took the accusations made two years ago by Austin Matelson very seriously, conducted a full investigation and was unable to validate the claims. Regardless, WWE continues to reinforce policies and procedures to ensure a positive training environment.”
Matt “Jason Albert” Bloom is the interim head trainer until a permanent hire is made.
Editor’s Note
Regardless if the allegations were true or not, DeMott was still a hard ass who likely changed the mood in training. I’m sure things are a tad more enjoyable since his absence, I can imagine.