Shawn Michaels On Why The WWE Worlds Collide Event Was So Special

As seen above, the WWE Performance Center has released behind-the-scenes footage from Saturday's WWE Worlds Collide event, which featured both WWE NXT brands doing battle the night before the 2020 Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

The video features WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, who works behind-the-scenes with NXT, and Jeremy Borash, who works as WWE's Senior Director of Content and Development. They both revealed that Worlds Collide is a new franchise for the company. While this was not the first Worlds Collide event to be held by WWE, it's now confirmed that these shows will take place annually.

Michaels talked about how special Worlds Collide is, and revealed that he feels closer to the NXT UK brand.

"Any time you're a part of anything first, it's fun and it's special," Michaels said of Worlds Collide. "This one is special for a number of reasons. Worlds Collide, which is sort of starting the beginning of a new brand, a new franchise, I think this is something people have wanted to see. It's a bunch of unique match-ups that you'll likely never see again. For me, all of these events now, with NXT, and especially NXT UK because that's the one that I have been on the ground floor with from the very beginning, and continue to really work on that brand.

"Watching these men and women be a part of these big events... to be a part of their firsts, this foundational aspect that is NXT and NXT UK, beginning to grow and grow, and get bigger, it just makes you feel good when you can pay off all those big hopes, and dreams, and aspirations that you talked about, and to watch it come to fruition, see the looks on their faces when they get to be a part of these events, when they're working on the events, and especially when these events are over."

Borash, who worked for WCW from 1999-2001, and then spent 16 years with TNA, on and off-camera from 2002-2018, signed with WWE in January 2018 to work behind-the-scenes in developmental. He also discussed how he feels about the NXT UK brand, and said he never thought the job would be as rewarding as it has been in WWE.

"I guess I'm kind of in the same boat as Shawn Michaels," Borash said. "We're both kind of on the ground floor of NXT UK. I think that's got a big part in our heart, that's what we're kind of conflicted on. We want both sides to go great, obviously, but these worlds colliding... we're a part of both worlds. So, it's interesting to see. When you get an opportunity to help talent evolve and help talent go to that next level, you take a lot of pride in it. I never thought it would be so rewarding, but to me it's just as rewarding as being a part of something on camera, or being a part of an angle, or being an announcer of things. Now, being able to pass on some advice, having been in that seat a few times, and seeing guys grow. Yeah, that's the coolest part now. That's so much more rewarding than I ever thought it would be."

Michaels elaborated on working with the younger WWE talents and helping them grow.

"We sincerely believe and want so much for all these young men and women," HBK said. "It's why we're here and sometimes you wonder if it just begins to sound like rhetoric to them, or false reality, and then when you deliver on it, and they see you deliver on it, they begin to trust in you, and believe in you. You take that responsibility seriously and you want to continue to work hard, and continue to grow their experience, and help them continue to be successful when they, perhaps maybe, thought they couldn't be."

Borash talked more about building the new Worlds Collide brand, and said Saturday's event was the first step of something really cool.

"Getting this opportunity to be in front of this kind of stage... yeah, it's great," Borash said. "And a brand, building a brand like Worlds Collide, an event we're going to see in years to come. I think this is the first step in something really cool."

Michaels added, "It's cool to be on the ground floor of that many aspects, and it's fantastic watching them enjoy the process."

For those who missed it, you can click here for our full detailed report from Saturday's Worlds Collide event from the Toyota Center in Houston, TX.