It’s a new day for WWE NXT, according to Shawn Michaels.
In September 2021, the NXT 2.0 rebrand drastically changed the show and the philosophy behind it, as the product put a clear emphasis on developing young talent. In September 2022, one year after this evolution, NXT debuted a new logo to signify a new beginning for the brand. Michaels, WWE’s senior vice president of talent development creative, recently stated that that the NXT Halloween Havoc premium live event officially kicked off its rebirth.
In an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Michaels discussed this new beginning, saying, “NXT has been around for a long time, but the Halloween Havoc show kicked off our rebirth. I hope people are tuning in to see the future of this business give their best.”
The WWE Hall of Famer highlighted the main event of the October 22 show, in which Bron Breakker defended the NXT Championship against JD McDonagh and Ilja Dragunov. Breakker was the face of the 2.0 era, and he remains one of the top stars in NXT.
“Bron gets better every single day and every single match,” Michaels said. “Being in the ring with those Dragunov and JD, that helps Bron grow, which he’s already doing in a staggering way. Ilja Dragunov has this old-school pro wrestling aura. As a viewer, you see the passion and you know it’s real. That makes him stand out unlike anyone else on the show. JD is so good. From a talent standpoint, there isn’t anything he can’t do. That’s three guys visibly growing right in front of your eyes and climbing to the next level.”
As NXT continues to move forward, Michaels made it clear that the development of talent remains the goal. He stated that helping young talent grow is an integral part of NXT’s identity.
“We want to continue to develop talent,” Michaels said. “Creatively, try to round them out as performers, characters [and] athletes. Every time we do that, every positive we have and every step in the right direction we take, that helps us develop our identity.
“It’s always somebody’s NXT, and this one belongs to our talent. We’re all here growing together, we work really hard, and we’re going to learn and grow together. We’re the developmental brand that helps build superstars.”
RELATED: Shawn Michaels Discusses His Bond With Wes Lee, The Obstacles He Has Faced
