For the past several weeks, Shawn Michaels has held down the fort for WWE NXT 2.0 for Triple H since he underwent a procedure for a cardiac event in September. Normally, the two men practically run the show together, with Triple H particularly known as the “The Father of NXT.” Needess to say, Michaels had big shoes to fill, and he recently discussed this challenge in an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated.
“The Heartbreak Kid” explained that the situation called for him to step up because his best friend needed him, and Michaels stated that he viewed it as a chance to thank Triple H.
“Trying to step in and fill his role is impossible to do,” says Michaels, whose official title is vice president of talent development. “Everybody here misses him unbelievably, especially me. But I always go back to this—everything in real life takes precedence over everything else. This was a situation where my best friend needed my help and needed me to step in, so I look at this as an opportunity, in a small way, to thank him for everything he did for me earlier in my career.
“Taking over the responsibilities here is a drop in the bucket compared to what he did for me all those years back. I’m honored to at least have the opportunity to pay him back a little bit and be there for him. That’s what this whole company does—this whole relaunch has been everyone pulling together, and I’m energized and inspired to keep this NXT territory going strong during his absence.”
Aside from Triple H’s absence, NXT’s extensive “2.0” revamp has dominated headlines for more than a month now. As a WWE Hall of Famer, Michaels explained that he’s seen a lot of change throughout his career, as evolution is the nature of the business. He emphasized that the same crew is still running the show, and this process has been meant to help re-energize the brand, much like the Attitude Era once fired up the WWE as a whole.
“Doing this now for 35 years, I’ve seen constant change,” Michaels said. “And change is certainly not new to us in WWE. It’s constantly evolving and changing. I’ve heard people call this a refresh, but it’s still the same crew, which is great because they’re so damn talented.
“It reminds me of he Attitude Era. We had the same roster the day before the Attitude Era started, and I still remember Vince coming into the locker room and making that speech, inspiring us and making us hungry for the future. That’s what this is—turning over a new leaf, restructuring a few things and putting a brand-new coat of paint on a dominant and incredible brand. It’s chummed the waters, so to speak, and that’s fun to be around.”
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