Shawn Michaels was a guest on Sean Waltman’s X-Pac 12360 podcast this week, along with filmmaker Rory Karpf, who was behind the Ric Flair 30 for 30 special. The Heartbreak Kid talked becoming a coach for the performance center, why it’s better to work as a heel, and wanting the Young Bucks to work for the WWE, among other topics.
You can check out all the episodes of the podcast on the AfterBuzz TV Wrestling & Sports YouTube channel.
Shawn Michaels on wanting the Young Bucks in WWE:
I have met them, but it was a pretty brief encounter. But, you know, I hear great things about them, you know phenomenal workers, and that Kenny Omega kid. I get it that people don’t wanna be a part of the WWE for one reason or another, and I totally 100% understand that. I just want the most talented guys that are doing this line of work to be able to do it in a place where they can reap the most rewards.
There are people that think they are making a phenomenal living away from the WWE and I have no doubt that they are, but I still hope there comes a day where all those guys will come to the WWE and have the opportunity to do it on a bigger stage. I enjoy the world being able to appreciate what it is we do. And if you can do it at a phenomenal level, I’d like everbody to see that and WWE is the place where you can show that and that’s not to take anything away from everybody else. If a dude like me can make a living surely those guys can.
On Triple H asking him to be a coach at the Performance Center:
Hunter mentioned to me that we [NXT] have a whole lot of people who haven’t been where you’ve been and what you’ve done. ‘I just feel like you’ll bring in a different perspective. You’ve done a lot of Wrestlemania, you’ve been through a lot of experiences; good, bad and otherwise. There is a value in that, a lot of do’s and dont’s, goods and bads. You certainly can help guys face every possible situation that they’re goint to come up against.’
Working as a heel over working as a face:
I don’t know anybody that doesn’t like being a bad guy beter than being a good guy. I don’t want to say it’s easier, certainly. At one time there was a lot of responsibility to being a bad guy, such as controlling the match, being the temple, having the feel of the people, things in that nature. Creatively, I think people feel more at ease of being a bad guy, because almost feel like whether it’s true or not you feel like you can do anything.
Finally, Shawn Michaels discussed his retirement and having to stay away from WWE for a while:
I retired because I wanted to stay home with my wife and children. For me, when I retired, I felt that I needed to be adamant about the fact that I wanted to be AWAY away and if I skip in and out people will get the impression you want to be around it. The schedule, whether you try and start once a month, two then foru, six and before you know it, you’re back full time. So I knew I needed to stay away.
