Shawn Michaels NXT Heatwave Media Call Highlights

Shawn Michaels hosted an NXT media call this morning ahead of Heatwave this Sunday. The media call will be available through WWE shortly, but here are some of the highlights…

-Michaels said he was excited for the continued TNA connection, but said he “can’t do specifics” at this time. Later he was asked specifically about Joe Hendry’s viral appearance on the show. He said he met Hendry for the first time just ahead of the appearance, and that he really liked him and would be thrilled to work with him further.

-Michaels was asked a question about Gable Steveson and Drew Gulak’s departures, and whether there was a “disciplinary element.” Michaels completely avoided the difficult part of the question and said that contracts were up, and were not renewed. He said Steveson would land on his feet regardless.

-There was a question about Michin’s recent appearances in NXT. Michaels said that just last night, she said “having more than three minutes (to do my thing) is a blast.”

-Michaels was asked about the idea of going on the road weekly. He said as much fun as that can be for the talent sometimes, it was far more important to have a home base near the performance center. He was asked a couple of times about the buzz about going to Toronto, and reiterated that Je’Von Evans has truly never left the country and the young talent recognizes the significance of going to Toronto. Michaels joked briefly that he had “always been loved” across Canada.

-On Evans, Michaels said that he recognizes the importance of patience and has never given any indication that he feels he’s ready for the main roster. He said Evans is a joy to work with.

-Michaels talked about Shawn Spears and Ethan Page, and said they’re both good leaders in the locker room who are being asked to take on mentorship roles as well as their wrestling roles. He stressed that his goal is still to get them ready for the main roster, despite the wearing of multiple hats.

-With new talents and TNA talents showing up, Michaels was asked if NXT stalwarts were worried about losing their spots. He said that everyone understands it’s a developmental environment, and TV time will sometimes be a rotation.

-Michaels was asked about the heavy concepts of failure and depression in the stories of Ridge Holland and Brooks Jensen. Michaels says these stories blur the lines of fact and fiction and it’s important to tell them in such a way that the talent and the real-world problems are respected. He said if he feels these concepts are abused, he backs off.

-Michaels was asked if Lola Vice was a candidate to be fast-tracked to the main roster. Michaels used the answer to go bigger picture, saying his goal isn’t just to get talent to be main roster ready, it’s to get them into a position where they can thrive and draw money there. He said that Vice has all the ability and tools to get there, but his approach is not to rush but to feel strongly that his talent can move the needle once they arrive on the main roster.

-I asked if Kelani Jordan’s trial by fire as NXT Women’s North American Champion, when she had been largely undefined on the main roster, was considered a risk and whether he thought she was delivering over the past few weeks. He went big picture with this question also, saying his advice to talent is to keep teaching us who they are throughout their stay in NXT and beyond, and not to get to the main roster and pick up where they left off, stressing the importance of reestablishing themselves once there. He said we’re still learning what makes Jordan tick but didn’t really touch on her performance to this point.

-Michaels invited everyone who was attending Money in the Bank on Saturday to check out Heatwave on Sunday as well, and he signed off.