Shawn Michaels Unveils Key Criteria for Evaluating Future Talent

Shawn Michaels has a clear vision for identifying NXT's future stars.

WWE Vice President of Talent Development, Shawn Michaels, recently shared his insights with The Schmo on what he looks for in emerging talent. Michaels emphasized the importance of charisma, coordination, and coachability in potential recruits.

“Honestly, for me, everybody talks about the ‘it’ factor, and if you can define that, you’d go out there, and you’d pick them, and it’d be easy. But first of all, I think charisma,” Shawn Michaels said. “For me, a lot of it is footwork. To me, I watch guys run across the ring. I watch whether they run, whether they move, whether they’re stepping."

“A lot of what I look for is coordination. Then, of course, are they coachable and teachable? When everything’s said and done, it’s gonna come down to attitude and character. That’s one of the things that in NXT I think [Triple H] put in place years ago when he started NXT, is that character trumps talent 90% of the time. That’s a culture that we continue to try to cultivate. In NXT, it’s a multitude of things. I think if you could just say it’s one thing, it would be an easy process."

“But I do know that we’re recruiting incredible athletes now from around the world, and I do know that the future of the WWE is gonna be very bright because NXT right now is kicking ass in just about every category, whether it’s men, women. Anything else that’s out there, we’re finding it, and we’re gonna continue to bring them to NXT, and we’re gonna continue the success that we’ve been having.”

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— Ben Kerin Jun 16, 2024 07:00PM