In the lead-up to the final NXT Premium Live Event of the 2023 calendar year, Deadline, change was in the air at the Performance Center.

From the elevation of acts like the Creed Brothers and Dragon Lee, to the announced injury that will place Wes Lee on the shelf for the better part of a year, to the release of long-time backstage interviewer McKenzie Mitchell, Tuesday nights will look a little different in 2024 for WWE's third brand and not just because the show will be moving to The CW before Deadline 2024.

Discussing her relationship with Lee in what effectively served as an exit interview from WWE with RDP Promotions, Mitchell reflected on her special relationship with the “King of the Wes Side,” celebrating his contributions to the business and wishing him well into the future.

“Well, if you're a fan of NXT and you were watching weekly, you notice that Wes Lee and I always had a really great time. Truly. Wes and I have known each other for almost seven, eight years because we worked at IMPACT together, and so what you would see on camera is genuine, truly. I would always wanna do that with all of the people I was working with backstage. I wanted to be a member of the NXT universe, and how you guys were watching the show is how I genuinely wanted to give reactions and to respond and so I thought like you guys when I was doing the backstage interviews, but Wes Lee, hands down (was my favorite NXT talent to interview),” McKenzie Mitchell said of Wes Lee via 411 Mania.

“Somebody pointed out to me, the last episode of NXT that I was on, the last time you see me, since the release, that I would be on NXT TV or WWE television, you know Wes Lee and I always did high fives. So the last time you're seeing me on TV is Wes is giving me a high five and saying, ‘Good luck,' and I'm saying, ‘Good luck' to him and that's poetic. I think that's really cool. That's a great way to go out, and we had such a fun time. So now, I wouldn't wanna be yelled at by a heel, so now this is really cool that that's my last moment on WWE television is a high five from Wes Lee.”

Why did WWE fire Mitchell? Well, it's safe to say the decision wasn't made by Shawn Michaels, as he admitted he was shocked by the decision. Still, to see Mitchell go out high-fiving Lee before his final match for the foreseeable future is a nice way to close that chapter for both performers, as they shared something special in NXT that won't go away any time soon.

McKenzie Mitchell reflects on her past and future after NXT.

Elsewhere in her conversation with RDP Promotions, McKenzie Mitchell reflected on her run in WWE and what it meant to her both now and moving forward. While Mitchell didn't sound too excited to be let go, she certainly did appreciate the experience all the same.

“When you do what you love, you're not working,” McKenzie Mitchell said. “That's truly how it was in NXT. NXT is home for me. I love Shawn Michaels dearly, and I love all of the talent there. Really excited to see what they do.”

Asked what she plans to do now that her professional run alongside her husband, Vic Joseph, is done in Orlando, Mitchell revealed that she wasn't entirely able to say just yet, though she does have plenty of options on the table.

“I can't reveal all my secrets, right? (Mitchell responded when asked what's next for her) I can't tell you guys everything,” Mitchell said. “I will say I have been talking about my jewelry business, Headline. I'm really excited to see where that goes, and then next year, it's only been six months of the business, and it's been really, really great. As far as wrestling goes, I don't know exactly yet. Maybe I do. But I can't tell you guys exactly what I'm thinking. It's just a matter of time. I'm gonna give myself the holidays, I'm gonna do a couple of interviews. There is one that I'm doing exclusively on the 20th. But I don't know yet. You'll have to wait and see.”

Is there a world where Mitchell returns to professional wrestling elsewhere? Sure, she worked alongside Wes Lee in Impact before landing in NXT and theoretically could find a new world in the wrestling business if she wants to. Fortunately, considering Mitchell's skillset, she isn't solely stuck in the wrestling bubble, which is an opportunity most other personalities can't say.