Shawn Michaels isn’t shy about admitting that losing top talent to WWE’s main roster can sting, especially when long-term plans are already in motion. While speaking on The Ringer Wrestling podcast, Michaels opened up about one specific call-up that forced NXT to pivot faster than expected—Je’Von Evans.
During the conversation, Michaels was asked if there were any talents he wished he could have kept longer in NXT before they were moved to Raw or SmackDown. He made it clear that keeping talent forever would defeat the purpose of NXT, but Evans was someone he genuinely wanted more time with because the brand had major plans built around him.
Michaels explained that NXT officials were already planning to center the brand around Evans for the next year. However, WWE leadership decided to bring him to the main roster sooner than anticipated, leaving Michaels to try negotiating for more time.
“Well, not forever because that’s—you’re not doing a good job if you got them forever. But certainly, Je’Von obviously was somebody I had—you know, we—you know, I was begging for like, ‘Can we keep him for another six months?’ if not, you know, because we had every intention—he was kind of one of the last ones that they—you know—they were like, ‘Oh.’ I mean, because we, you know, from an NXT standpoint, we were in our minds going to obviously build around Je’Von for the next year, and that was kind of the model.”
Michaels continued, revealing that he pushed more than once to delay Evans’ move, even suggesting shorter extensions when his first request was denied. Each time, the answer stayed the same.
“And they’re like, ‘Oh no, no, no. We’re taking him, too.’ Like, ‘Oh, oh,’ you know, and I pushed back a little bit, you know, and was like, ‘You know, should we—just six months?’ Like, ‘No.’ And like three? Like, ‘No.’ And I’m like, ‘All right, so fair enough.’”
Even though the situation forced NXT to reset its direction, Michaels admitted that losing talent to the main roster is actually a sign that the system is working the way it’s supposed to.
“And then, you know, come on—that’s—you know, if that’s the worst news you have to have, is that they’re taking too many of your people, that means we’re doing a pretty good job. And that’s something that we always have to remember. And that’s part of my job as well, is trying to remind people that, hey, this is what we do.”
Michaels also compared NXT to college athletics, noting that the brand exists to prepare talent for bigger stages rather than hold onto them indefinitely.
“Yes, in many respects, yes, we’re like the NCAA. We’re a brand, but at the same time, they’re not meant to stay here. We can’t—we’re not going to build around these people for years and years. It’s just not the reality of NXT.”
Je’Von Evans’ rapid rise clearly left an impression on Michaels, and his comments make it obvious that the young star was viewed as a major piece of NXT’s future before being called up. While losing top talent is never easy, Michaels made it clear that it’s ultimately part of the bigger picture in developing WWE’s next generation of stars.
Do you think WWE called Je’Von Evans up too soon, or was the timing right for his move to the main roster? Let us know your thoughts and leave your feedback in the comments.
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