Shawn Michaels Embraces Seth Rollins Following WWE NXT Return
Pro wrestling loves a full-circle moment. After FCW transitioned to NXT in 2012, Seth Rollins became the face of the developmental WWE brand by becoming the very first NXT Champion. During his reign, WWE Champion CM Punk made an appearance on their weekly broadcast alongside Rollins to compliment the future "Monday Night Messiah" on a job well done. The duo also teamed up in an unforgettable confrontation with Antonio Cesaro and Kassius Ohno (the team once known as the Kings of Wrestling), marking the monumental moment when these indie icons came together under the WWE banner. But all of this gave Rollins a massive rub that propelled him to superstardom.
Recently, "The Visionary" returned to "WWE NXT" as the brand new World Heavyweight Champion. He arrived to NXT Gold Rush to similarly compliment NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes and to face Bron Breakker after the young upstart challenged Rollins for his title. The former NXT champions put on a great match and the WWE Universe loved every moment of it. But another person that showed his appreciation for the rare appearance from a main roster champion was Shawn Michaels.
What a moment. #NXTGoldRush pic.twitter.com/HibTRMTUSg
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) June 25, 2023
After his match with Breakker, Rollins was met backstage by "The Heartbreak Kid" and the NXT social media team caught the heartfelt moment on video. The WWE Hall of Famer and Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative thanked "The Architect" for coming down to NXT and defending his championship. Michaels also shared how proud he is of Rollins before giving him a hug.
Obviously, as he insinuates from the video, Rollins is a big fan of "The Showstopper." Because of this, hearing such high praise from a personal hero had to be overwhelming, yet extremely validating. But as wrestling fans around the world like to say to those who earned it as Seth Freakin Rollins did in this instance, "You deserve it."