Former world champion Shawn Michaels is now retired from the ring and works as WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development, essentially meaning he’s answerable for NXT. Sitting down with Stephanie McMahon for an episode of “What’s Your Story?” Michaels reflected on among the biggest changes in WWE’s training environment from the time he got here as much as today.
“The part that moved me probably the most is the concept that it doesn’t must be the over-the-top form of tough love that all of us got,” Michaels said. “On one hand, I recognize that there are gonna be those who are going to say that the way in which we got brought up … turned us into men and all of that, but all of that has modified. And simply to be a bit of bit more open and understanding of all the various personalities and all the various – I do not know – I suppose emotions.”
Michaels credited current WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque for instilling this culture change when he was answerable for NXT. Now that Michaels is on the helm, he’s been trying to his past for lessons about the best way to teach the present generation. The previous WWE Champion handled a variety of insecurity during his early days within the industry, and there weren’t very many support systems to cope with that form of thing except camaraderie with other wrestlers, which is why he gravitated towards a friendship with Levesque, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall.
Further reflecting on WWE’s current training regimen, Michaels estimated that it takes most who’re recent to the industry about three years to change into fully acclimated, which is one other drastic shift in comparison with his upbringing. The first reason why it takes longer to get recent recruits acclimated to the business is an absence of reps, as Michaels recalled working 100 matches or more inside his first few months with the corporate.
When you use any of the quotes in this text, please credit “What’s Your Story? and supply a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.