WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels recently appeared on Sports Guys Talk Wrestling for an interview covering all things pro wrestling. During the discussion, Michaels talked about the advantages of having WWE send main roster talent to NXT:
“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.”
“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.”
On Wes Lee and Mustafa Ali:
“Wes Lee, to me, has just been unbelievable as North American champion. On a personal level, I just enjoy that young man so much. But everything that he’s kind of overcome here in NXT over the last year and a half has just been phenomenal. He’s been a great champion for us.”
“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.”
You can check out the interview below:
(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
