Why NXT makes Shawn Michaels excited for the future of wrestling

Shawn Michaels and Roderick Strong

If there’s one takeaway from last Saturday’s Facebook Live interview with Shawn Michaels, it’s that HBK loves mentoring the young talent of the WWE Performance Center.

“I can’t remember a time — other than when I was 19 years old, first getting started — when I was as excited about the future of the wrestling business as I am now,” Michaels told Kayla Braxton in the interview. “And the thing is, absolutely none of this has anything to do with me, or about me.”

The WWE Hall of Famer, who joined NXT on a three-city tour of the Midwest this past weekend, was effusive in his praise of the Performance Center culture, which he described as “pure.”

“There is a mindset here and there is a culture here,” he explained, comparing the WWE PC’s team-first mentality to franchises like the San Antonio Spurs and the New England Patriots. “It’s one thing I noticed as soon as I came in, and I didn’t want to be a part of this unless I knew I could be an asset and bring something positive to it.”

Shawn Michaels and Triple H

Triple H consults with longtime friend Shawn Michaels hours before NXT TakeOver: San Antonio last January.

The Showstopper also singled out a few of the NXT Superstars who have caught his attention.

He pinpointed veterans such as Roderick Strong, NXT Women’s Champion Asuka, Johnny Gargano, Nikki Cross and Ember Moon, as well as shined a light on a few newcomers to WWE Network audiences, like The Velveteen Dream and 6-foot-6 Cezar Bononi. HBK also cited a few lesser-known “sleepers,” including Mae Young Classic competitors Sage Beckett and Abbey Laith, and Adrian Jaoude, an amateur wrestling standout from Brazil who has yet to debut on NXT TV.

“There’s so much depth here,” Michaels said. “That’s what makes it so exciting.”

In the interview, HBK also spoke about his first experience on tour with NXT, his day-to-day life at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, and what makes NXT utterly unique compared to Raw and SmackDown LIVE. You can watch the entire interview now, below:

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