Shawn Michaels has commented on a rumour surrounding WWE NXT.
October 1st officially marks the next chapter in the history of the developmental brand as the show will premiere on the CW Network for the first time and will be a fixture for at least the next 5 years.
Ahead of the premiere, WWE is looking to hit the ground running as it has announced 2 major shows beginning in Chicago on October 1st and in St. Louis the following week. With the company now under new ownership and having received a major bump in media rights with the new deal, some have speculated that the show may join Raw and SmackDown by touring arenas each week. However, when asked about this, Michaels does not see it being a permanent touring brand.
Appearing on The Ringer Wrestling Show ahead of the premiere, Michaels stated that although there is the option to venture out of Orlando more he wants to keep the environment the same and maintain the PC as NXT’s home base:
“I sort of look at NXT as the NCAA to the NFL. If Raw and SmackDown are the NFL, NXT is the NCAA. The NCAA is a brand. They still put 100,000 people in a stadium every Saturday afternoon. There is an opportunity for NXT to go out on a more regular basis, but I personally would like to keep that special. I never want to venture too far from our home here in Florida. That’s one of the things that makes us different.
We have an environment unlike any other. It is intimate and we’re able to do things here that other wrestling programs and brands can’t do. That affords us the luxury of having some of those options that we have in Orlando that you wouldn’t have at various arenas across the nation. You never know what you might be getting, so to speak. As much as I do want to continue to grow NXT, and I believe we will, I personally don’t ever want to get to where we’re venturing out of here too often. This is our home and this is where NXT was built and should continue to build.”
Shawn Michaels Hypes Up WWE NXT Roster
With a number of rising stars on the NXT brand impressing fans around the world, the future of WWE is looking very bright with the depth of talent available on the Tuesday night brand. Speaking in a previous interview, Shawn Michaels admitted that he was so in awe of the roster that he wished he could step back in the ring one more time.
Also in the interview, Shawn Michaels addressed the likelihood of CM Punk becoming his successor.
Additionally, Shawm Michaels discussed the possibility of a NXT and TNA Worlds Collide show.
H/t to Fightful.