NXT is set to broaden its horizons! As we covered earlier this week, WWE announced that its developmental brand will soon expand into the European continent with the launch of NXT Europe. As a result of these expansion plans, the company has seemingly pulled the plug on NXT UK, with multiple members of the NXT UK roster confirming that they had recently been released.
"It’s just a natural expansion of things because that brand, since 2016, has been fantastic," WWE's newVice President of Talent Development CreativeShawn Michales said of the plans in a recent chat with Alistair McGeorge of Metro. "Yes, it’s been quiet and underneath the radar, but I don’t think you’ll find anybody that wouldn’t argue that it’s been a real quality product from its existence," he continued. "This has been a goal of Hunter’s for quite some time, and I think clearly with what has gone on recently with him taking on creative, he felt that now would be a great time to have the ability to do that. NXT UK was one of the first steps in that process."
HBK continued to praise NXT UK and said that the plan is for NXT Europe to carry on in a similar mold by developing talent for WWE's main roster.
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"We’ve developed a lot of people since that time, a lot of them going to the main roster,’ he said, dropping the same names. ‘I feel like we did a fantastic job with that. But now it is time to grow it internationally, and that’s what NXT Europe is planning to do in 2023," he said, adding that there's too much talent in Europe for WWE to ignore. "I think it’s about balance. Certainly, we’re always going to continue to go out there and recruit young, sports-minded athletes, young men and women that want to help WWE grow and expand. But I just don’t think there’s anyway to ignore the talent – and especially the international talent – that’s out there. I don’t think anything is going to be off the table,"
When Triple H underwent heart surgery back in September, Shawn Michaelsbegan holding down the fort that is NXT during a pivotal moment for WWE's developmental brand. As you'll recall, the NXT was relaunched as NXT 2.0 last September. As well as new branding, the revamped version of NXT featured multiple new faces, with several trainees being promoted to on-screen roles
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