WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels was the latest guest on the Getting Over podcast to discuss today’s crop of NXT talent, and how he hopes they are able to speak their minds much better than he did during the earlier part of his career. Highlights are below.
I still encourage participation, let’s say. Again, I always try to make it very clear, please try to understand it’s not the same world, it’s not the same business. It’s so much bigger. Nobody should handle it the way that I handled it. But, I have to balance that with honesty and that is letting them know that I can’t say for sure that if I didn’t at least push myself and push the system a little bit, I don’t know if I would have gotten where I got.
It’s always important creatively to be finding the next big thing, the next movement. If you’re standing still, plateauing, that’s okay, but I would always encourage our guys and gals to push for more. I always use the line that Vince gave me years ago, which is, ‘Look, Shawn, I want you to just go out there and go for it, and I’ll reel you in.’
This generation does it with a lot more sense and sensibility, certainly, than I did. Again, I think they’ve got a nice balance. To answer your question, I do encourage them to push themselves and to continue to evolve and try to grow as performers because I feel like they would get stagnant and, as you say, complacent. look, that’s a delicate balance for them to have to adjust to and they have got to do it on their time. I always make sure to tell them, don’t do it if it’s out of your nature. But if it’s something you passionately feel and think you’re going to feel better, at least expressing it — as long as it’s expressed professionally and well-mannered– Certainly, and NXT everybody’s allowed to have a voice. You just can’t have the voice that I had 25 years ago.
(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)
