Kemo
10-14-2022, 06:19 PM
WWE‘s NXT brand got away from what it was meant to do by becoming the third brand, according to the gold brand’s own head Shawn Michaels.
When NXT launched as a developmental program in 2012, the goal was for the show to produce talent for Raw and SmackDown.
After moving to the USA Network in 2019, NXT became a third brand, akin to Raw and SmackDown, until the revamp into NXT 2.0 last year.
With stars like Finn Balor, Keith Lee and the Undisputed Era, WWE NXT as a brand focused more on stars long-established in NXT.
Speaking on the latest episode of After the Bell, Shawn Michaels explained why the show got away from its developmental roots.
“There was a time that people felt like [we got away from developing talent] and maybe we did get away from that. But it wasn’t really us getting away from that. You think about the pandemic and everything else. It was hard to recruit. It’s hard to get younger talent.
“Everything was locked down so we had to create a live television show with all the people we had. Thankfully we had a hell of a crew.”
While NXT 2.0 has since morphed back into WWE NXT, the plan is for the show to continue being a developmental brand for the main roster.
Part of the new-developmental era of NXT has been the Next in Line program, which focusses on collegiate athletes with little to no wrestling background.
The NIL program has been received with a mixed response by fans, who believe it makes no sense to focus on people who don’t have experience.
Speaking about the NIL program, Michaels spoke about bringing a new side of the development to WWE.
“You never stop developing in this job. I’m a different form of developmental, so to speak.
Now we’re finding raw, really raw, new talent. I think that really hasn’t been done in NXT until now. We’re talking about people who were in college last year.”
The WWE Hall of Famer added that despite what some believe, WWE will continue to seek talent from the independent scene.
Shawn Michaels is the head of WWE NXT, but that wasn’t the case a year and a half ago.
In September 2021, NXT’s original leader Triple H suffered a cardiac event which would ultimately lead to the game’s in-ring retirement.
This, along with the launch of NXT 2.0, left Michaels in a difficult position as the sudden head of the brand.
“It was a comfortable and easy transition when I came here and started doing live Television on USA [Network.] Running everything was a different kind of responsibility. It was abrupt, but at the same time, that’s what I enjoy about the job. As you know, things can change on a dime and you have to learn to adjust to it.”
Michaels began in NXT in 2016 as a coach before becoming a producer in 2018 and now head of the brand.
When NXT launched as a developmental program in 2012, the goal was for the show to produce talent for Raw and SmackDown.
After moving to the USA Network in 2019, NXT became a third brand, akin to Raw and SmackDown, until the revamp into NXT 2.0 last year.
With stars like Finn Balor, Keith Lee and the Undisputed Era, WWE NXT as a brand focused more on stars long-established in NXT.
Speaking on the latest episode of After the Bell, Shawn Michaels explained why the show got away from its developmental roots.
“There was a time that people felt like [we got away from developing talent] and maybe we did get away from that. But it wasn’t really us getting away from that. You think about the pandemic and everything else. It was hard to recruit. It’s hard to get younger talent.
“Everything was locked down so we had to create a live television show with all the people we had. Thankfully we had a hell of a crew.”
While NXT 2.0 has since morphed back into WWE NXT, the plan is for the show to continue being a developmental brand for the main roster.
Part of the new-developmental era of NXT has been the Next in Line program, which focusses on collegiate athletes with little to no wrestling background.
The NIL program has been received with a mixed response by fans, who believe it makes no sense to focus on people who don’t have experience.
Speaking about the NIL program, Michaels spoke about bringing a new side of the development to WWE.
“You never stop developing in this job. I’m a different form of developmental, so to speak.
Now we’re finding raw, really raw, new talent. I think that really hasn’t been done in NXT until now. We’re talking about people who were in college last year.”
The WWE Hall of Famer added that despite what some believe, WWE will continue to seek talent from the independent scene.
Shawn Michaels is the head of WWE NXT, but that wasn’t the case a year and a half ago.
In September 2021, NXT’s original leader Triple H suffered a cardiac event which would ultimately lead to the game’s in-ring retirement.
This, along with the launch of NXT 2.0, left Michaels in a difficult position as the sudden head of the brand.
“It was a comfortable and easy transition when I came here and started doing live Television on USA [Network.] Running everything was a different kind of responsibility. It was abrupt, but at the same time, that’s what I enjoy about the job. As you know, things can change on a dime and you have to learn to adjust to it.”
Michaels began in NXT in 2016 as a coach before becoming a producer in 2018 and now head of the brand.