By James Caldwell, PWTorch columnist

WWE sent a press release today that the company has ended its relationship with Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) as one of the two developmental schools for WWE talent. WWE stated that OVW will no longer be affiliated with WWE as an official territory, making Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) the official developmental promotion for WWE.

John Laurinaitis, senior VP of talent relations, was quoted in the press release thanking OVW for their partnership "through the years" and developing current WWE stars. Laurinaitis recently informed talent in OVW of the changes, and current developmental talent will be relocated to Florida. One of the reasons for the end of the relationship was WWE wanting the convenience of one official developmental program, with Florida being a more desirable location.

Also in the press release, WWE stated about the FCW program: "The facility has four wrestling rings and approximately 35 contracted athletes, with plans to increase that number to more than 70 in the near future. The facility is now fully operational, as WWE undertook large-scale renovations to FCW in order to accommodate its training needs.

"The finished training facility is more than 10,000 square feet, including an arena that will seat nearly 300 fans. The new training facility will also host a weekly show in front of a live audience, to be broadcast for regional television."

FCW is owned and operated by Steve Keirn, a former professional wrestler and producer for WWE. WWE trainer Tom Prichard oversees all talent training at the facility.

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