Michaels is on board with the idea.
Since CM Punk returned to WWE, he’s consistently been at the Performance Center in Orlando and being of assistance to talents in NXT. The brand’s overseer Shawn Michaels expressed in multiple media appearances that he enjoys having Punk around.
Punk’s involvement with the brand was brought up to Michaels in a new interview with The Ringer Wrestling Show. The idea of Punk being Michaels’ successor was discussed.
Shawn said if it’s in Punk’s heart to do that, he’s on board. He added that if Punk wants to make that move after his in-ring career is over, he’ll support him.
So, if that is in his heart to do, absolutely (Michaels said about CM Punk being his successor in NXT), and again, I will say whether it’s CM Punk or anyone that has a passion for that, I would absolutely understand it because it happened to me. This place is infectious. Again, the environment here at NXT and at the Performance Center down here in Orlando is unlike any other culture in the entire business and that’s why everybody does come around here because it takes them back to the beginning when this business was about, again, the making it and the being in the ring and the excitement about the future. So, and again, I would have never thought in a million years, a guy that loved performing like I did and being out there and having all the eyes and focus on me would get such a joy out of doing everything he can to provide that for the future stars of the WWE, and CM Punk obviously seems to be somebody that enjoys that as well. So, I will say this as I’ve said on many occasions: When he’s ready to make that move after his in-ring career, I’ll support him every step of the way and help in any way that I can, and you know, a lot of people have tried to kick me out of the door before (he laughed)…
Continuing on the topic of potential changes regarding the brand, Michaels was asked if the goal is to make NXT a third touring brand under the WWE umbrella.
He views NXT as the NCAA while SmackDown and Raw are the NFL. He thinks there’s an opportunity for the brand to go on the road more, but he’d like to keep that as a special attraction.
I sort of look at NXT as the NCAA, to the NFL. If Raw and SmackDown are the NFL, NXT to me is the NCAA. I think that the NCAA is a brand. They still put 100,000 people in a stadium every Saturday afternoon. So, I think there’s an opportunity for NXT to go out on a more regular basis. But I personally would like to keep that special. I never wanna venture too far from our home here in Florida. That’s one of the things that makes us different. We have an environment unlike any other. It’s intimate and I think we’re able to do things here that other wrestling programs and other brands can’t do and that affords us the luxury of having some of those options that we have here in Orlando that you wouldn’t have at various arenas across the nation because you never know what you might be getting so to speak so, as much as I do wanna continue to grow NXT and I believe we will, I personally don’t ever wanna get to where we’re venturing out of here too often because this is our home and this is where NXT was built and I think we should continue to build here.
NXT’s first show on The CW Network is taking place on 10/1. The Poisonrana Podcast crew will be reviewing the show immediately after it goes off the air.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit The Ringer Wrestling Show with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
