Baron Corbin made his return to “NXT” in June 2023, remaining with the brand until April 2024 when he was drafted to “WWE SmackDown.” During his tenure in “NXT,” Corbin captured the NXT Tag Team Championship alongside Bron Breakker and faced off against competitors like Carmelo Hayes, Ilya Dragunov, and Wes Lee.
Reflecting on his experience, the former King of the Ring winner shared his thoughts about collaborating with Shawn Michaels, Senior VP of Talent Development Creative. In a conversation with “WrestleManiac UK,” Corbin discussed his relationship with “HBK” and revealed that he chose to extend his stay in “NXT” beyond the initial two-month request.
“It brought everything out of me,” Corbin stated. He described his time in “NXT” as an incredible opportunity to work closely with Shawn Michaels, someone he had met previously but had never worked with in such a hands-on manner. “Getting to directly collaborate with him and the likes of Russo, Matt Bloom, Terry Taylor, and Norman Smiley was amazing.
They are all incredibly passionate about this business and fiercely protective of it. When they asked if I wanted to stay longer, I told Shawn, ‘Let’s call Hunter and ask him to leave me alone—let me be here and reset.’
Shawn was completely on board.” Corbin went on to emphasize how Michaels genuinely wants “NXT” talents to thrive, providing them with opportunities and the necessary tools to craft compelling narratives.