Shawn Michaels’ work behind the scenes at WWE may be more important to his reputation than his wrestling career. People think that the two-time WWE Hall of Famer is one of the best. His many wins and instant classics make it hard to disagree with him. Since he retired in 2010, Michaels has been helping WWE build its future through NXT and other ways.
The 57-year-old has an edge in this area because he is an inventor
Due to WWE’s unique deal with Candy Digital, Michaels is the first Superstar to get his own NFT trading card. The Heartbreak Kid said, “Because of the Network, the Peacock agreement, and now NXT, Shawn Michaels can still be watched by a new generation of WWE fans.” “The NFT trading card is new, different, and hasn’t been tried before, and I’m the first person to get one. I did not grow up with cable. I’m intrigued.”
WWE’s new line of NFTs will look a lot like the trading cards from the 1980s and 1990s. They will include a full-body silver statue of Michaels posing in the ring while his entrance music plays, a 3D trading card NFT that changes into a carousel of pictures of him from three different times in his career, and more. The winner will be Michaels’ guest at a future NXT show and will get ringside seats, a backstage tour, a meet-and-greet, and autographed items.
Change in NXT fuels Michaels
Michaels could have easily stopped wrestling after his great match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26. Until 2016, when NXT hired him as a coach and creative consultant, he hadn’t been seen on WWE TV in many years. Since then, HBK has added his great ideas to the brand. He knows how important change is because he led WWE into its New Generation phase in the mid-1990s and broke the pattern for a headliner.
“I pride myself on being one of the guys who’s been around for a long time but also understanding and appreciating the business evolving and changing and being a supporter of that,” Michaels said. “Like with everything else, the athletes get so much better, whether it’s in our industry or others, and continue to be innovative and push the envelope. WWE never shies away from making those different innovations and merging them with what it is we do.”
When Triple H had heart surgery a year ago, Michaels was the only creative leader left in NXT.
Even though rumors said otherwise, the Heartbreak Kid confirmed that he has been in charge since the brand’s launch in September.
Michaels:”When Hunter first left, it became all me, and certainly from a television standpoint,” Michaels said. “Matt Bloom is the head coach and takes care of everything from the PC training standpoint, but when it came to NXT 2.0 television, that’s something myself and my team took over creatively. I know a lot of people thought Vince and Bruce were doing that. I can promise you, they did not have the time to do NXT television. If it’s good or if it’s bad, that’s on me.
“It’s been a huge joy to run that show and work with these talents. Again, everyone was put in a real tough position, we all were, but that’s where you learn to do things in WWE. That, to me, is a form of talent development, which is understanding that things can always change … around here and you have to adjust to that. The show always goes on. It was trial by fire for a lot of us, but it’s been an absolutely fantastic experience.”
Michaels thinks that studying the game for almost 30 years and knowing that anything can happen in WWE has prepared him for this chance. Even though that wasn’t what he signed up for, he has done well in his newfound fame and enjoys the challenges he faces every day. Michaels started out as a coach and then moved on to more creative jobs. “I always paid attention to Triple H. I never thought I’d be the one with the final say on the program, what we do and don’t do, and how we move forward.”
The founders of DX want to find creative ways to link NXT and Main Roster. Michaels takes chances, even if they don’t always work out.
Part of getting better at pro wrestling is getting out of your comfort zone. Over the past year, this technique has led to several possible NXT 2.0 ideas, while others have failed.
Fans worried that no matter how well someone did in NXT, Vince McMahon would change what worked for them on Raw or SmackDown.
After Vince McMahon’s retirement on July 22, Triple H will be in charge of making decisions. Michaels has promised more brand synergy to protect WWE’s future.
“He and I have always thought about things the same,” he said. “That’s what we’re hoping for. We want things to continue to progress and get better and evolve, but I think there will be a more natural transition. And look: We also understand it’s our job down here to adjust to everything else. It’s Raw and SmackDown that really forge the way for this company. We understand that.
“I like the fire drill aspect of this job. I know at times it’s challenging, and I know people will get upset when we have abrupt changes and changes in direction and it can be nerve-wracking, but it’s also incredibly exciting and challenging. I guess that’s something I still enjoy. At 10:05 on Tuesday night, we’re going to have ourselves a live show, and if it didn’t go perfect, not to worry, we’ve got one the next week and that’s a good problem to have.”
Fans have seen a lot of changes since Triple H took over Raw and SmackDown. Dakota Kai, Karrion Kross, and Dexter Lumis have all come back.
Kai and Iyo Sky (who used to be called Io Shirai) worked with Michaels at black-and-gold. He feels good about the future of Raw and SmackDown with the two original members of D-Generation X in charge.
I like Dakota Kai, and Iyo is one of the most talented women in the world “Michaels said. “Our lists are similar. I think like Hunter. We have a list that we sometimes think about, so I’m glad for what he’s done and what he’ll do in the future, and we’ll help him along the way.”
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