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Shawn Michaels Spotted With UFC Hall Of Famer At NXT Battleground

By James Holder • Published 10th June 2024
WWE NXT boss Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels has been pictured with a UFC legend.

There’s been an increasing crossover between UFC and WWE since the companies were officially merged in September 2023. The latest example came at NXT Battleground which was held at UFC Apex on June 9th.

Meanwhile, it was recently announced that Endeavor has merged WWE and UFC’s Live Event teams. The two departments will now operate as one under the guise of a new TKO Live Events Strategy Team, headed up by UFC EVP Peter Dropick.

This is despite UFC boss Dana White insisting he hasn’t been working with WWE.

Backstage at Battleground, Shawn Michaels met up with UFC legend Forrest Griffin, telling him he set the bar inside the octagon. Griffin is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and won the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. The star ended his career with a record of 19 wins and 7 losses, before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

Since stepping away from active competition, Griffin has taken up the role of vice president of athlete development at the UFC Performance Institute.

Cody Rhodes Dropping In On Shawn Michaels In NXT?

During Battleground, Cody Rhodes teased an appearance in NXT on June 11th. The American Nightmare said he was intrigued to see how his old friend Ethan Page was going to get on against Trick Williams in the main event, before adding he was tempted to dash down to NXT.

In the end, Page was unsuccessful in his bid to win the NXT Title, coming up short on his in-ring WWE debut.

Next up for Rhodes, aside from any trips to NXT, is a meeting with AJ Styles at Clash at the Castle in an “I Quit” match.