Shawn Michaels feels more synergy with Triple H’s management than Vince McMahon (Picture: WWE)
Shawn Michaels admits ‘communication’ between NXT and the WWE main roster is much stronger with Triple H than it was with Vince McMahon.
The Heartbreak Kid – who works as WWE’s senior vice president of talent development creative – has been involved in the developmental brand for a number of years both with NXT and NXT UK, and he thinks his job is made easier by having Triple H leading the way.
On the subject of rising stars being moved to Raw or SmackDown, Shawn exclusively told Metro.co.uk: ‘We’ve always talked about getting prior knowledge or getting a little note, some communication so we could prepare.
‘For the most part, that didn’t happen! [laughs] But now we’re sure it will, and if it didn’t? I don’t know, that’s the kind of trouble we don’t mind.’
The former world champion has spoken highly of the newfound integration between NXT and WWE’s two flagship shows, with talent like Shinsuke Nakamura appearing on Tuesday nights and the likes of Roxanne Perez getting a shot on SmackDown.
‘Given what we’ve been through in the last year, somebody snatching a talent out from underneath us – that’s the kind of trouble we want. We don’t mind that, because that means we’re doing our job,’ he added, although it does present some challenges.
‘Creatively, sure, it can cause a few hitches. I tell ya what, for the most part – right now, I can’t imagine that happening,’ he said, in terms of talent abruptly getting a permanent main roster callup out of nowhere.
‘I just feel that the communication is such that Hunter says, “We’re looking to take her, when can you get her finished up by?” Or, “We want her right now, we’re gonna take her, but is there a way we can button this up on the other side?”
‘And we will figure out whatever it is, creatively, we have to do. But our goal is to get our talent to the main roster! That’s different than it was before, I think.’
In terms of his role in developing the stars of the future, HBK is more than happy knowing he’s producing a show where the end goal is seeing its top talent move on.
‘We adjust to everything down here, because that’s the gig. Everybody here understands that our job is to get them up to the main roster,’ he said. ‘If that’s the biggest hassle we have down here, that’s one we’re having to take because that means we’re doing our job well.’
WWE presents NXT Halloween Havoc on Saturday night (October 22) at 1am on the WWE Network.
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The Heartbreak Kid breaks down the changes in integration and more.
