Shawn Michaels Talks About Challenges in Developing NXT Stars Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer

NXT head Shawn Michaels is navigating new challenges as he works with two of NXT’s biggest international signings, Stephanie Vaquer and Giulia, who have made waves in the wrestling world through their success in Mexico and Japan, respectively. Their transition to weekly national TV exposure is a significant shift, and while both stars are already established, Michaels opened up about the hurdles involved in their development.

On a recent episode of Busted Open Radio, Michaels was asked about the difficulties in working with already-established stars like Vaquer and Giulia, especially in terms of development. He highlighted that the most challenging aspect is the language barrier, which impacts how subtle feedback is communicated.

“The most challenging thing right now is the communication aspect and making sure they are understanding what you’re conveying. Especially when you’re talking about those subtleties,” Michaels shared. He emphasized that words can sometimes carry different meanings in other languages, which adds complexity to helping them adjust their in-ring presentation.

“That’s something that, myself personally, I’m trying to really do my best. Sometimes words mean different things in other languages. Making sure that I choose my words carefully with the two of them has been the biggest challenge from my standpoint.”

Despite this challenge, Michaels praised both Vaquer and Giulia for their understanding and patience, noting how talented they are and how they continue to work on improving communication so they can better receive guidance. We’re being patient, they’re being unbelievably understanding, and they’re doing their best to try and find better ways to communicate with us and ways to allow us to help them with things they feel they need to work with. A lot of that is asking them and getting their feedback and finding areas we can help them the most,” he added.

Michaels’ slow and steady approach with Vaquer and Giulia seems to be paying off as both superstars gear up for NXT Halloween Havoc, where they will team up to face Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade.

What do you think about Shawn Michaels’ approach to working with international stars like Stephanie Vaquer and Giulia? Could their NXT journey bring about a major shift in the division? Share your thoughts in the comments below!