Shawn Michaels Compares The NXT System To College, Says Talent Needs To Enjoy The Moment

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Shawn Michaels spoke about his work for the NXT brand and described it as similar to college. Here are highlights:

On looking back on his career: “I remember thinking, at 19, what this job as a pro wrestler would be like. Never in my wildest imagination did I think it would be this enormous, this big, or this fast. I can get introspective with this stuff. My wife Rebecca went back to Texas and brought all of our stuff back to Florida. We’ve been unpacking for weeks, and there’s just so much stuff. So much of it is from my wrestling career. It’s boxes and boxes. The kids saw the action figure from the AWA. That feels like a lifetime ago. It’s absolutely mind boggling when you look back on it all. That’s why I come to work so thankful. I never dreamed of this all being so big.”

On NXT in Toronto this weekend: “We’re very excited to be in Toronto this weekend. Je’Von is in a new position, which we’re excited about, and we’re very fortunate to have him in the ring with three really talented guys. Trick has been there before. He’s still very new, but he understands what it’s like to be a big-time player. Then you have two veterans in Ethan Page and Shawn Spears. I think Je’Von is going to really shine, and I hope he enjoys the moment. Everybody here is trying to build their careers and build their futures, and I respect that, but I also want them to enjoy their time here. It’s like college. I never want someone to leave NXT and be disappointed that they hadn’t taken the time to enjoy it.”

On learning to enjoy the moment: “Before that iconic WrestleMania XII match, I heard the words, ‘Try to enjoy this, Shawn’. When I came back in 2002, I realized I didn’t enjoy it enough. And I made sure to enjoy that run to its fullest. Je’Von, Trick, Ethan, Spears, they’ve all got long careers in front of them. But this is a moment for each of those guys, all for different reasons, and I hope they enjoy this. It’s going to put a cap on a great show this Sunday.”