No Way Jose: NXT Is ‘Just Like College’

For No Way Jose, working at the WWE Performance Center is like higher education.

Jose made the comparison between NXT and college during an interview with ESPN Deportes, saying the following:

"This is what NXT does, you go there and work every single day. It's just like college. You have the professors, who are your coaches, the students, who are the recruits. Everybody goes in there and works hard every single day. You work hard in the ring, work hard outside the ring, you work hard in the gym. You do things, paying your dues. You look yourself in the mirror every single day. You try to get better and better, and make it to a place where you can be this larger-than-life persona that everyone tries to get into."

Signing a developmental contract with WWE in April of 2015, Jose — whose real name is Levis Valenzuela, Jr. — has witnessed the evolution of the Performance Center, which now includes former top Japanese talent like Shinsuke Nakamura, well-known independent stars such as Roderick Strong and Kassius Ohno, and international competitors like Jack Gallagher from the United Kingdom and Gran Metalik from Mexico.

"The Performance Center is very important," he said. "Everybody has their own style. We have the U.K. Championship now, [and] whether you're in the Caribbean, Japan, in the States, in Mexico, WWE sort of incorporates all of their things and they have their own way."

Jose told ESPN he seeks to follow in the footsteps of other NXT standouts such as Kevin Owens and Charlotte Flair, and carve out a prominent spot on the main roster.

"What's next? Keep going out there, just see my entrance, having fun and hopefully the energy translates to all these people, no matter where they are from, no matter what they're doing, what's important is for them to have fun," he said. "What's next? Hopefully the main roster. There's Raw, Smackdown, WrestleMania … who knows?"

Born in the Dominican Republic, Valenzuela grew up in New Jersey. He made his wrestling debut in 2013.