WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels answered questions from the media about NXT Vengeance Day. He was also asked about Vince McMahon and the disturbing allegations leveled against him.
Here are highlights from the call via WONF4W on X:
“Michaels says the Vince McMahon situation is a “sad situation.” He said in NXT that they foster a safe environment & support the talent with a safe workplace and feel they do a fantastic job with it.”
“Asked if has had conversations with talents about the situation and a safe environment, Michaels said everyone is aware. He takes working with young talent seriously in all aspects of the business & want them to tell them the truth. He said everyone is excited about the future despite the situation. The windows have opened up and everyone is ready to move forward.”
“Asked about William Regal returning to TV, Michaels said everyone was extremely excited about his brief cameo and has no doubt there will more of those in the future.”
“Michaels said he was proud of seeing his NXT talent like Breakker, Melo and Stratton in the Royal Rumble matches and understands how HHH feels when he sees former NXT talent succeed at the top level now. He said they earned it and looked like they belonged.”
“Michaels said they don’t have to work hard to find spots for women on NXT shows because there are so many talented athletes that bring it week after week. He heavily credits Sara Amato for the work she’s done and that she’s the best-kept secret in the business.”
“Asked about what policies were updated in 2022 to help make a safer environment, Michaels couldn’t recall the specifics, but said his daughter visits there every week and reiterates his goal is to keep a safe environment for everyone. He doesn’t need to refer to what it says on paper to ensure that he and everyone in NXT are doing whatever they can to make that happen.”
“Michaels said he has seen Jordynne Grace from afar & was curious if she was ever interested in coming to WWE/NXT but didn’t want to tamper. He said some things they weren’t allowed to consider in the past like those crossover moments have changed & is excited about the possibility of potentially working with talents that work elsewhere. He joked about arguing with HHH about those things happening on the main roster and not in NXT.”
“Michaels said transparency & openness has changed everything with how they train people at NXT. He said treating people with love and respect isn’t that hard to do, and wants to keep fostering that environment.”
“Asked about past allegations about himself and Marty Jannetty from Brutus Beefcake, Shawn Michaels said he’s never shied away from his past issues but that Beefcake has walked that story back. He said he’s never done anything that was not consensual and denied any allegations that he has ever done so.”
“Michaels added that people that do those kinds of things either have issues with power and women and he had neither of those issues, condemning those who engage in that type of behavior.”
“Michaels said social media is a challenge for young talent, giving an example of someone saying “everyone is saying this” when it’s a small portion of their overall audience. They try to help talent balance things and not let it affect them too negatively.”
