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Shawn Michaels explains why he doesn’t want WWE NXT to be Raw or SmackDown ‘lite

Posted: Aug 29th 2026 By: Shounak Chakribarti

Shawn Michaels has no interest in turning WWE NXT into a lite version of WWE RAW or SmackDown.

During his recent appearance on Busted Open, WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative – Shawn Michaels, explained his vision for WWE NXT. Holding big hopes for the brand, Michaels shared that he doesn’t want the brand to turn into a watered-down version of the main-roster brands.

“I don’t want NXT to be a SmackDown or a Raw lite. We have those. I want it to be a totally different show. It needs to be a brand that also stands on its own, and it is. It’s totally different. It’s unlike any other brand out there in the world, if you ask me, because nobody has the model that we have.
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“Nobody builds people up just to lose them. Everybody builds people up to build around those guys. We’re unlike any other beast out there,” Michaels added.

The WWE Hall of Famer took over NXT’s creative department after Triple H stepped away from that role in 2021 after suffering a cardiac arrest. A year later, his job title was confirmed as Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative, for both creative and development at NXT.