Shawn Michaels is confident that NXT has a number of stars who are prepared or ready, in a variety of ways, for the main roster.
Michaels has been at the helm of NXT since Triple H stepped away due to his health issues last fall. Once Triple H returned in 2022 and was named WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Michaels was promoted to senior vice president of talent development creative. Since then, Michaels and Triple H have focused on their respective roles. A number of NXT stars, such as Solo Sikoa, have moved to the main roster in recent months, and Sikoa has been particularly prominent as a member of The Bloodline.
Speaking on the Culture State podcast, Michaels was asked to name the talents who are next in line for a call-up. He responded by noting that the decision is ultimately up to Triple H and his team. He then noted that NXT has a number of performers who are prepared and ready in different aspects. Michaels brought up JD McDonagh, Bron Breakker, Grayson Waller, and Carmelo Hayes, among others.
“Well look, obviously that’s in the decision of [Triple H] and the folks on the main roster,” Michaels said. “But look, I think we have a lot of people that are certainly prepared and at different levels. You’ve got JD McDonagh, I know everyone talks about Bron Breakker, you’ve got Tony D’Angelo, the Creed Brothers, from some of our very new, young, fresh talent. You’ve got Grayson Waller. I think Carmelo Hayes is a guy that could also be seen on the main roster.
“So we’ve got right now what I think are a nice of variety of people that are ready in different aspects because clearly, you never stop learning in this line of work. So they’re gonna go up there and continue to grow, just as superstars in the past have done. Pete Dunne, Ridge Holland, a number of people that started in NXT have gone up there and evolved and gone on to great careers.”
Earlier in the interview, Michaels shared his belief that Triple H likely keeps an eye on talent that stand out to him while he watches the show.
If you use any of these quotes, please credit the original source and link back to this post for the transcription.
