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When it comes to NXT in 2024, no one is more important to the success of the brand than the “Heartbreak Kid” himself, Shawn Michaels.
A certified Hall of Famer with two of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time on his resume, HBK has successfully transitioned from an in-ring Superstars and hero to millions of young Rockers to a serious contender for the best booker in the game today, taking over for his fellow DX member Paul “Triple H” Levesque as the leader of WWE's developmental brand and somehow elevating the promotion to heights “The Game” couldn't have imagined with his unique mix of nostalgic reverence and new-school openness.
Discussing what it's like to work with the Hall of Famer in a pre-Battleground appearance on Busted Open Radio, Trick Williams put over his current boss, letting fans know that HBK has allowed him to sink or swim based on his own ability, which, at this point in his career, is all he could really ask for.
“When it comes to opportunities, shoutout to Shawn Michaels. We put something on TV that was the real deal. I went to Shawn Michaels office and asked him for an opportunity to show what I could do. Taking a chance on myself. ‘I enjoy working with the likes of Carmelo Hayes, he's doing great things, but I want to see what Trick Williams can do.' Shawn looked at me and said, ‘A lot of people come in my office and ask for an opportunity. A lot of times they aren't ready for the opportunity. If I give you this opportunity and you're not ready, you'll be sitting on the bench.' I was like, ‘That's what I'm here to do. If I can't do it, I don't need to be here in the first place.' That's how it went. He gave me an opportunity, and all I can say is I'm fortunate and thankful for Shawn Michaels. He did extend trust towards me to show what I can do, and I hope I'm making it worth everyone's while,” Trick Williams told Busted Open Radio via 411 Mania.
“Closed mouths don't get fed. You can't sit in the back and want an opportunity, and no one knows it. Ain't nobody a mind reader. My biggest fear is not being able to reach my potential. If I sat in the back and didn't say a word and didn't open my mouth the whole time and I didn't get to where I wanted to by the end of my career, I couldn't live with myself. I'm going to find out one way or another. I'm going to get out there and fail before I never get an opportunity.”
Since winning the NXT Championship from Ilja Dragunov shortly after his Stand & Deliver victory over Carmelo Hayes, Trick Willie has acclimated himself to the role of being the brand's top star well, with a feud against “All Ego” Ethan Page primed to raise his stock even further into the future. And the best part? With many of HBK's previous success stories already on the main roster, it looks like he has a pretty long runway to get where he's trying to go.
Matt Hardy is also a huge fan of Shawn Michaels and his run in NXT.
Speaking of stars past and present who are big fans of Shawn Michaels' career oeuvre, from his time in The Rockers, to his singles run, and now his time in NXT, Matt Hardy, himself a famous Superstar who has thrived in singles and tag team action, put over the WWE Hall of Famer, noting on his Extreme Life podcast that he appreciates what he's doing in Orlando, as it's proved a very effective and fun take on professional wrestling.
“Because he's a chef, John. I mean, he's cooking, like all the cool kids say. [laughs] No, I mean he really does have just an unprecedented mind for the process of pro wrestling, the way things work, the way you incorporate telling a story with different moves and different actions, and what makes those matches work. And it's so great to see that he's been able to make the transition from doing that for his match, now that he is taking a whole roster and putting the other shows,” Matt Hardy explained via 411 Mania.
“And like, ‘Well, this would work here. And I think we could slot this in here. And if this guy did this promo, and said this and started going down this road, I think that would pay off for them. And we can move this guy closer to that.' I think he's very smart at looking at all the pieces of a wrestling show. Much like if you're looking at all the pieces on a chess board, and you'd go, ‘Oh, how would I move them to be the most effective? How would I optimize every single move?' And that's, that's what he does literally, week in and week out with NXT.
While Hardy is a bit too old to have ever spent time in NXT, as he was either in AEW, TNA, or on the WWE main roster when Triple H turned the reality competition show into a developmental promotion, it's cool to learn that the future Hall of Famer is proud of what Mr. Michaels is cooking up at the PC, as it truly does represent an important part of professional wrestling's future.
