Shawn Michaels has claimed that what WWE accomplished in NXT over the last 12 months has been nothing short of a miracle.
In September 2021 NXT underwent it’s biggest upheaval in almost a decade. The beloved “Black and Gold Era” was brought to an end, with the show rebranded as NXT 2.0 with a new logo, set, presentation and hugely revamped roster.
As the show relaunched it did so with a number of brand new performers in prominent positions, with names such as Bron Breakker and Grayson Waller quickly rising to the top of the card.
Speaking to My San Antonio, NXT boss Shawn Michaels reflected on this seismic shift, and opened up about the challenges of introducing so many inexperienced wrestlers onto television at once.
“Unfortunately there are times to where the world is a little desensitized to what actually happened here in the last 12 months. We had 75 percent of the roster who had just graduated college the year before and had never stepped foot inside wrestling ring. These are young men and women who had to learn on live television for the last 12 months and that is unheard of in any generation.
They all stepped up the challenge and took a lot of hits on the way. A lot of us did. But I am proud of the Bron Breakkers, the Tony D’Angleos, the Tiffany Strattons, and so many people. We continue to improve, but that is what this job is – it’s reps just like any athletic endeavor. A lot of people don’t start out great at something, they learn, and they get there. And that is what we are doing here.
I’ve dealt with good and bad press and up and downs, but these are inexperienced young men and women that really got tossed into a tough and challenging situation and did a good job. I am extremely proud of them and this crew. What we have accomplished here in the last year is nothing short of a miracle in my opinion.”
During the conversation, Michaels also discussed WWE’s recruitment policy, revealing that they will continue to sign wrestlers from Japan and independent promotions alongside college graduates.