Shawn Michaels is hopeful that NXT will begin to sell out larger arenas in the near future.
Michaels is currently the head booker of NXT and is doing well in many eyes of fans, but for now the brand has found themselves short of their former goals in terms of selling out arenas.
While speaking on Stick to Wrestling, Shawn Michaels stated that he doesn’t believe NXT was ever competing with the main roster brands, however he wants to see the brand sell out bigger arenas.
”Well certainly, that’s always gonna be the goal (NXT selling out larger venues). But at the same time, I’ll say this and again, I mean it lovingly of course.
But at no time really, again, from a pure numbers standpoint was NXT competing with Raw or SmackDown. Nor should it. Raw has had a 35-year head start, you know what I mean? SmackDown, 20, 25.
So again, they are ingrained in so much of not just the world of wrestling but in our culture as a whole. It’s been a big part of people’s lives. NXT is just beginning that kind of, you know, journey. But certainly, look, it’s always about growing and expanding. I’ve learned this in this company.
You’re never standing still and if you’re standing still, you’re getting passed by and so we’re always looking towards the future but I absolutely want to get NXT to where we are selling out big arenas.
At the same time though, we have to, again, when everything’s said and done, we are the training facility so to speak or again, the developmental of the WWE.
I look at it as college football. To me, college football still sells out big stadiums. I actually prefer it, you know what I mean? (Than) the pros to be perfectly honest because you never know what’s gonna happen.
Two minute drill in the pros and you can click off. Two minutes left in a college football game, you still have no idea what’s gonna happen. It can turn around in the last 10 seconds and that’s what I love about NXT is that it’s still unpredictable.
It’s a little bit wild west and you honestly sometimes never know what you’re gonna get from a live television standpoint because it’s not as crisp, not as clean because it’s more raw, and that’s the part that I enjoy about it and I think that’s what makes us unique.”
Shawn Michaels
We will have to wait and see what comes next for the developmental brand of WWE, but HBK certainly is aiming for the stars.
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