Shawn Michaels is doing his part to make sure talent is treated with the respect they deserve.
Michaels took part in a media call ahead of NXT Vengeance Day. He was asked if there were any measures that could be implemented to protect talent more. Vince McMahon stepped down from his roles with TKO and WWE on Friday. This move was in response to sexual assault and trafficking allegations made against him.
Michaels told Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp that the allegations and lawsuit against McMahon were a sad situation. He explained that NXT tries and provide a safe and supportive atmosphere.
“Well look, I think you can always improve on that. It’s an incredibly sad situation,” Michaels said. “As everybody knows, I have very little or absolutely nothing to do with — and gladly so — the corporate stuff that goes on. We try to focus here in NXT on the young men and women that come through these doors. And we do, we try to foster a safe and supportive atmosphere down here. I know that they reinstalled and upgraded — I think in 2022 — some of those regulations and whatnot. But look, we’re always conscience of that and it’s incredibly important to support the talent and give them a safe working environment. I like to think we do that absolutely, but we will always continue to try and be better about that, and I’m very glad to say that I think we do a really good job, a fantastic job down here.”
“We take that very seriously”
Jon Alba then asked if Michaels had talks with talent or employees about combating the allegations against Vince, especially as it pertains to a more positive environment for women.
“I have not. Everyone is aware of the situation and understands it. It is an incredibly sad situation — I can sit here and go, ‘It sucks…’ but I have mentioned to you all in the past that we take that very seriously. I take all of the youth that comes through here incredibly seriously,” Michaels stated. “This is a tough line of work regardless of what’s going on. Just leaving home and coming here and pursuing your dream is a big thing that we take serious here. We understand men and women that come through our doors are impressionable, so we absolutely and certainly encourage the openness and tell everybody to please tell us the truth and how we can help.”
Michaels said that has been in place for a long time and they keep trying to improve on it. He added that asking questions you’re afraid to ask is very important to him.
“We certainly empower them to do that and give them the opportunity to do that. Right now, I feel like everybody — and I’m honestly not trying to spin it,” Michaels clarified. “But coming off of Royal Rumble weekend, and even going into Vengeance Day, I think the talent in the WWE and in NXT as a whole are extremely excited about the future. And look, I know we are as well and we’re looking to capitalize on that at Vengeance Day. Tough situation like I said. But from a talent standpoint, and even from our standpoint, we feel like the windows of heaven have opened up and we’re ready to go forward.”
Policies in place
Stephanie Hypes followed up and asked if there are things in place where talent or employees can come to him if a situation like this did present itself again.
“We absolutely have those policies in place. Like I said, we upgraded them in 2022. I have no doubt — and they will be looking to improve those — but we absolutely do. We have numerous people, our medical team has outreach to go to,” Shawn Michaels said, “especially outside of the Performance Center. We do understand that I can look at talent or my head writer or coaches, as they do, and tell them to tell the truth and express to us what’s going on.
“As you know, they might not feel comfortable doing that. So yes, we also provide help outside of here as well. We have people that we work with to get them in a complete, objective environment and not even associate it with NXT or the WWE in that respect. We do, especially here, we want everyone to be focused on what they’re doing and not on struggles going forward. I like to think we do a good job down here and I think that’s seen on a regular basis,” Michaels noted.
Bill Pritchard of WrestleZone asked if Shawn Michaels could highlight any of those policy changes made in 2022. Additionally, he was asked if he anticipated any more changes to those policies in light of the allegations made against McMahon.
“Nothing is more important than that”
“I will be forthcoming and honest with you — I could not sit there and give you [the list from memory]. I could corporately memorize, and if you would like, I will find it and read it off to you. But they were upgraded in 2022. The specifics of that, I will honestly tell you that I don’t know. I couldn’t rattle them off if I tried,” Michaels explained.
“I can tell you — and I have a daughter that comes here every week. I’ll do anything I can to take care of the men and women that come through these doors,” he continued. “I just want this to be an environment where they feel comfortable and just allow them to focus on the job and the dream that they’ve entrusted us of trying to provide for them. When everything’s said and done, that’s that we’re going to do here. I will do anything in my power to make sure that happens.
“I won’t lie, I couldn’t care less what anybody puts on a piece of paper. And not to imply that I don’t care about it. It’s just I feel like if it’s done genuinely and sincerely, looking out for our talent, nothing is more important than that,” he added. “As long as everybody in this building understands that, and if they don’t [motions that they’re gone]. The consequences are what they are, and they’re going to be gone. But from my standpoint, I want all of our talent treated with the respect they deserve and they’ve earned.”
Watch the full media call with Shawn Michaels below:
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