Shawn Michaels Commends NXT Call-Ups Following Cruz Montana’s RAW Debut

Call-ups in the last year have made Shawn Michaels proud.

Since taking over leadership of NXT from longtime friend Triple H in 2021, Shawn Michaels has built a strong connection with the developmental brand. Michaels has also been vocal in his pride for the wrestlers too, both in NXT and after. On last night’s RAW, Cruz Montana (the former Mike Santana) made his main roster debut, attacking Roman Reigns and joining 946. It seems Shawn Michaels was watching and took the opportunity to congratulate the recent debutants from NXT.

Speaking on his X account, Michaels highlighted how many stars had debuted in the past 12 months.

“That’s 19 NXT Superstars making the leap to Raw and SmackDown in the last 12 months. Pretty proud of that number, but even prouder of the talent and crew who make it happen. Keep showing the world what NXT is all about!”

-Shawn Michaels

Plus, according to False Finish, Montana joining 946 was a suggestion from the group’s leader, Royce Keys. Both men spent time in AEW together prior to signing with WWE. Robert Stone has also confirmed that Cruz Montana’s match with Dion Lennox this Wednesday on NXT will still go ahead.

Cruz Montana’s path to the main roster was fast-tracked compared to others, having only signed with WWE in July of this year. However, Montana’s history as both TNA World Champion, which saw him make multiple NXT appearances, and as a featured part of the early AEW roster likely explain the speed at which he has progressed.

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As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on Cruz Montana’s RAW debut as soon as we hear more.