9 months ago
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From AEW Worlds End to the Royal Rumble to the impending WWE NXT Vengeance Day, the safety of professional wrestlers behind the scenes has been the number one topic on fans' minds, in the wake of a bombshell sex trafficking case involving Vince McMahon and WWE. On the latest NXT media call, Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels stood behind the recent changes "NXT" and WWE's Performance Center have made over the years to ensure a safe working environment for the Superstars of tomorrow.
"I think we foster a safe and supportive atmosphere down here," Michaels told the media. "I know that they reinstalled and upgraded in 2022 some of those regulations and whatnot but we're always conscious of that." Michaels believes that supporting the talent and keeping them safe is a priority in NXT, one which he feels they are fulfilling. Michaels was unable to name specific changes made to regulations.
"We will always continue to try and be better about that," Michaels underlined. "The Heartbreak Kid" says that everyone is aware of the situation with Vince McMahon, but that his focus on safety has predated his awareness of McMahon's allegations. "We understand that the young men and women that come through our doors are impressionable."
The WWE Hall of Famer maintains that WWE's developmental talents are aware that they can come to him or anyone in the program about anything, and he believes that the "WWE NXT" locker room will get through the unfortunate situation together.
"The windows of heaven have opened up and we're ready to go forward," Michaels said.
McMahon initially retired from WWE in 2022, the same year that Michaels said the "NXT" regulations were upgraded, but returned to WWE in 2023, forcing his way back into the company to facilitate a merger with UFC into TKO Group Holdings. McMahon has once again resigned from the company in the wake of the allegations.
