LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The professional wrestling legend in charge of spotlighting up and coming superstars in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)’s NXT brand spoke Monday on the importance of Saturday’s Stand and Deliver event, one of the tentpole events that are part of WrestleMania week in Las Vegas.
As the professional wrestling industry is set to make its presence felt on the Las Vegas Strip and beyond, the cadre of young, hungry sports entertainers known as NXT is preparing to prove themselves as the next big thing in the industry under the bright lights of Las Vegas. Leading that youthful energy from the next generation to this generation is a legend in his own right.
Shawn Michaels, vice president of talent development at WWE and leader of the company’s NXT brand, is tasked with making sure the up-and-coming are able to put their best foot forward. Just days before the biggest show of the year for the young roster, the “Heartbreak Kid” said the NXT superstars are starting to feel the excitement.
“This is a weekend that they have an opportunity to put themselves on the map, not just in the wrestling world,” Michaels said. “Everyone around the world is gonna have an opportunity to see the young men and women that come through NXT perform at a level unlike, hopefully, they’ve ever seen before.”
The event, taking place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena before the granddaddy of them all kicks up just down the street at Allegiant Stadium, features several multi-person matchups. Michaels emphasized the importance of featuring as many men and women as possible on the grandest stage of them all.
“There is absolutely no way I am not going to at least give them an opportunity to perform in front of the world on our biggest week,” Michaels said, drawing attention to the fatal four-way match between some of the world’s best wrestlers of any division as Stephanie Vaquer defends the NXT Women’s Championship against Giulia, Jordynne Grace, and Jaida Parker.
The global representation, with Vaquer’s Chilean roots and Giulia’s Japanese background meshes with world renouned talent in Jordynne Grace and home-grown superstardom in Jaida Parker, to give each superstar a chance to put their unique talents on display.
“Everybody knows who they are, but haven’t had the opportunity to kind of perform on a world stage just yet,” Michaels said. “And now Saturday, they’re gonna have the opportunity to do that at Stand and Deliver.”
The men’s division will have dynamic representation at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday as the intimidating Oba Femi defends his NXT Championship against Trick Williams and the wildcard high-flier Je’Von Evans.
“You have all these different styles. You got Je’Von flying all over the place. But then you think somebody like Oba Femi who’s more of a powerhouse and then Trick Williams is an intangible in there.”
The job of a developmental division, Michaels said, is bittersweet, as at the end of the day the goal is to send their brightest and best to Raw and SmackDown.
“The irony of our job is our job is to lose talent here in NXT,” he said noting that a robust recruiting system keeps the NXT roster flush with talent. Names like “All Ego” Ethan Page and Ricky Saints litter a roster that remains a proving ground for future WWE superstars.
It’s a proving ground that has been directly under a growing spotling since moving to the CW Network. On Wednesday, Nick Khan, WWE president, and Paul “Triple H” Levesque, chief content officer for the company, said the partnership between NXT and the CW Network has led to a near doubling in ratings since its October start. Michaels acknowledged that the stage has been beneficial for the NXT brand.
“CW has been so incredibly supportive of us and obviously have treated us like a priority,” he said.
Tickets to NXT Stand and Deliver are still available at AXS. The show takes place at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, and is one of a cavalcade of professional wrestling-related offerings taking over Las Vegas over WrestleMania week.
