Shawn Michaels Addresses Whether WWE Will Still Recruit Indie Talent

Wrestlers on the independent circuit will still have a chance to be considered for a place on the WWE roster, according to Shawn Michaels.

The WWE Hall of Famer was recently named WWE's Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative and is in charge of the NXT development brand. Michaels confirmed that WWE is keeping its eye on the indies for potential stars in an interview with MySA.com and the Express-News, media outlets in San Antonio, where Michaels was raised and the site of January's Royal Rumble event.

"We are still reaching out to other people with experience that have wrestled on the independent scene or been out in Japan or in other companies," he said. "That is something NXT will continue to do in the future. Nothing is off the table. We simply want to continue to find people that are just as passionate about the WWE product as we are."

WWE has also been scouting for potential talent in tryout sessions aimed at current and recently graduated college athletes, and Michaels praised the recent wave of aspiring wrestlers.

"I think that is what is interesting and fascinating with the young college athletes that come in here [is] all they know is to grind and work to get better," he said. "You don't have to encourage them to be goal-oriented. That is already in them."

Michaels acknowledged that most of these new wrestlers had never been in a wrestling ring before and "had to learn on live television for the last 12 months and that is unheard of in any generation. They all stepped up the challenge and took a lot of hits on the way. A lot of us did. But I am proud of the Bron Breakkers, the Tony D'Angleos, the Tiffany Strattons, and so many people. We continue to improve, but that is what this job is — it's reps ,just like any athletic endeavor. A lot of people don't start out great at something, they learn, and they get there. And that is what we are doing here."