Shawn Michaels Explains Why Baron Corbin Is A “Huge Plus” In NXT
Shawn Michaels may have lost several NXT stars during the most recent WWE Draft but his brand has been somewhat replenished in recent weeks by several main roster stars.
Baron Corbin was one of those WWE stars left as a free agent after the WWE Draft and as such has re-emerged in NXT where he has already challenged – albeit unsuccessfully – for the NXT Championship. Corbin could be in for an extended run on the brand where he first made his name in WWE as he has been seen in vignettes trying to reinvent himself for the future by shedding many of his past gimmicks.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, NXT boss Shawn Michaels agreed that the brand is a place where main roster stars such as Baron Corbin can get freshen up and kickstart their careers:
“Yeah, absolutely. Look, I will go back to Finn Balor. I was so happy to get to work with him when he came back to NXT again, and the same thing with Apollo (Crews) and Mustafa Ali. I’m telling you, Baron Corbin is another guy.
“The one thing that I love is that a lot of times, you go up to the main roster, and again, it is fantastic, that is everybody’s goal. Having been there, I understand it. It’s everything that you want. You want to go out there, have a chance to be a part of a WrestleMania; possibly headline a WrestleMania, stand in front of a stadium with 80,000 people screaming your name is what we all get into this line of work for. That and to make a really good living.
“Sometimes doing that comes with a lot of stress, a lot of focus, a lot of anxiety, and sometimes we forsake the fun and the enjoyment of that. One of the things that I so much enjoy about the guys and girls that come back here from the main roster is that we bring that passion back to them.
“Once again, they’re around a younger environment. They’re around a place where enjoyment and fun and passion are what it’s all about here in NXT. NXT is where it’s fresh, and it’s new, and it’s pure. It isn’t all about the money and headlining premium live events and standing at WrestleMania because that’s not gonna happen here in NXT.
“Yes, you’re gonna have success, you’re gonna make some money, but this is where you learn, you enjoy it. These are the college years. Everybody looks back on college as some of the best times of their lives, and that’s what we try to do here in NXT.”
Continuing on about Baron Corbin’s NXT return in particular, Shawn Michaels noted that the former US Champion is having fun again:
“That’s one thing that Baron Corbin is having the opportunity to do. He’s coming back here, he’s having a great deal of fun, he’s finding himself again. He’s finding his voice, he’s finding who it is he wants to be. Not who someone else wants to be, but who is Baron Corbin, and who is he going to be going forward in the wrestling business, and more importantly, here in the WWE?
“That’s really fun for us, and it’s something that’s enjoyable to bring that reinvigoration to each individual as they find through here. We’re excited for Baron, he’s having a good time, he’s having fun again. Look, we’re excited to have him because it’s a huge plus for us.
“He brings a lot of experience. It’s gonna help a lot of our younger superstars grow and get better because he’s a guy that’s been there, done that, and seen that. So for us, it’s just pluses across the board when you get an opportunity to have somebody like Baron Corbin step back into NXT. Everybody is gonna benefit from that, and we’re thrilled about it.”