Shawn Michaels believes stars from Raw and SmackDown moving to NXT can only be a positive for the developmental brand.
In recent months a number of main roster stars including the likes of Seth Rollins, Judgment Day, Mustafa Ali, and Baron Corbin have all featured on NXT, often working with younger stars in the ring. Rollins’ World Title defence against Bron Breakker in June drew particular praise from fans, while Corbin reinvented himself in a feud with NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes.
It’s been reported that these appearances are set to continue, with WWE trying to build NXT into being a standalone brand.
During an appearance on the Sports Guys Talk Wrestling show, NXT boss Shawn Michaels talked up the importance of these cameos in the learning process for rising NXT stars.
“I will say this. All of us in this business, we all got better because we were in the ring, especially when we first started out, with people that were better than us. Now we’re very fortunate to have other men and women that have come from NXT UK and some that have been out there on the independent scene that have been doing it for a little longer.
That also obviously helped our young athletes that come through here from college, but at the same time, those people, when again, when a main roster person comes down, that’s now seeds of knowledge for them as well. It’s great to be out there getting reps, but a lot of times if you’re out there with somebody who needs as many reps as you do, you’re still learning, but you’re not going to learn at the rate as you are if you’re out there with a Finn Balor.”
Michaels went on to reflect on his own early days in the industry where he worked with Ric Flair, breaking down just how much matches like that helped him.
“That’s been huge for us. You think about Bron Breakker being out there with Seth Rollins. For me, like when I was out there very early on out there with Flair, you take in so much. It’s like getting a PhD in one night. So again, it’s a huge help for us here in NXT to have that synergy now with the main roster. We would love to be able to have it more often, but you know, obviously, we have it here and there. They’re all so busy. We understand that.
The great thing is they are so giving when they come down here, not just in the ring, but also just hanging out with the talent and dropping seeds of knowledge, whether it’s out there physically or back here psychologically and mentally.”
After heaping praise on Wes Lee for his recent development, Michaels lifted the lid on just how hard he worked to get Mustafa Ali into NXT. HBK said that he’d regularly enquired about the star, before tipping him to fulfill his potential with WWE’s third brand.
“When we had the opportunity to get Mustafa Ali, I’ve always been a big fan of his. It’s something that from a very quiet standpoint, I would see him here and there on the main roster and every once in a while, I would just reach out and ask like, ‘Gosh, if he’s not doing anything, if you guys aren’t doing something with him, I’d love to have him down here.’
It never quite worked out for us until just as of late, and I’m telling you what. He’s a guy that I in my opinion, we’ve just seen the tip of the iceberg with him and we plan on cutting him loose and unleashing him here in NXT to really work and live out his potential here on the NXT brand as we go into the future.”
Recently Mustafa Ali re-debuted a previously scrapped gimmick on the August 15th episode of NXT.
Shawn Michaels Hailed As The Best Ever
Shawn Michaels recently celebrated the 35th anniversary of his WWE debut, and the landmark was followed by an avalanche of praise from fellow WWE legends. While The Undertaker wasted little time in tipping his famous black hat to the WWE Hall of Famer, Kurt Angle went one further and said HBK was the “greatest of all time.”
H/t to WrestlingNews.Co