Shawn Michaels Reveals Process For WWE NXT Talent Appearing In The Royal Rumble

WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Creative Development Shawn Michaels hosted a media event, which Wrestling Inc. attended, ahead of "NXT" Vengeance Day, answering questions regarding the future of the developmental brand he overlooks. "NXT" used to have a yearly call-up cycle, often taking place during the WWE Draft, after major pay-per-views, or through surprise Royal Rumble appearances. Since "NXT" was revamped, though, there has been a dip in that number due to the current crop of development talent's lack of experience. Furthermore, this year's men's Royal Rumble featured zero male talents from the black-and-gold brand. 

According to Michaels, decisions pertaining to "NXT" stars featuring Rumble matches aren't made by him; they come down to Triple H and other officials. "It's made by the guys upstairs, the main roster folks," he said. We let them know who we have available."

The female stars involved in the latest women's Royal Rumble included NXT Women's Champion Roxanne Perez, Zoey Stark, and Indi Hartwell. Michaels detailed that he gives "whatever advice, opinion or recommendation" to Triple H, stating that this year, the Chief Content Officer had a "good idea" of who he wanted to appear in the match. The WWE Hall of Famer said his old D-Generation X partner had only asked about women for the match, calling it a "great opportunity" for "NXT" to have any involvement in the event in general. 

The 2023 Women's Royal Rumble was won by Rhea Ripley, who recently discussed her views on the lack of "NXT" male involvement at the show.