Brian Damage
This Week in Wrestling: Week 40 of 2025
Break it Down: Triple H versus Shawn Michaels as Bookers of NXT
Looking at what NXT was and what it has now become makes me think about the two men that booked that brand over the last number of years. Triple H Paul Levesque is credited with initially bringing attention to the developmental brand and making it as popular as it was. When Levesque was removed from the position and NXT was taken over by Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard to become NXT 2.0…the brand lost its charm and struggled mightily.
It wasn’t until Shawn Michaels took over the booking that NXT saw a renaissance and a resurgence as a brand under WWE’s umbrella. So, with both former members of DX seeing success running NXT at different times, I can’t help to compare the two friends and see who truly was/is the better booker.
Let’s begin with Triple H and how he brought attention to the brand after he took it over. What made the black and gold NXT brand so great, was the fact that Triple H brought in a multitude of very talented independent workers like Kevin Steen, like El Generico, like PAC, Samoa Joe and many others. Triple H was smart enough to make NXT the exact opposite of what his father-in-law Vince was doing on both Raw and Smackdown. Triple H put the focus on professional wrestling more than scripted drama and it paid off big for NXT.
The main problem Triple H found while NXT booker, was when Vince called up various talents and seemingly changed some things to have said wrestlers “fit in” on the main roster. Karrion Kross dressed as a gladiator, splitting Paul Ellering away from the Authors of Pain and changing Keth Lee into ‘Bearcat’ Lee all hurt those call ups.
Looking at when Shawn Michaels took over creative control of NXT, it was in a very dark time. McMahon and Prichard gutted the brand into something gimmickier and more cartoonish to better fit with what they wanted out of developmental. HBK had a lot more cleaning up to do with the brand than Triple H did when he first had it. Add to that, there was less reliance on independent wrestlers and more of a focus on actually developing talent through the performance center.
HBK has the benefit of getting talent that he helped develop in NXT streamlined to Triple H and the main roster. HBK also has helped in putting together an exciting brand partnership with former rival TNA wrestling. All in all, while Triple H gets his flowers as a booker on a global level, in my opinion Shawn Michaels has done more with at times a lot less.
Ash to Ashes
This past week, the former Dana Brooke aka Ash By Elegance in TNA announced that she can no longer wrestle and vacated her newly won TNA Knockouts title. This came as a shock to many fans. Some speculated she was pregnant, while others simply assumed she was retiring to focus on her Onlyfans site. Neither appear to be the case, as Tommy Dreamer said her career is over, but could not reveal why with HIPAA laws in place.
Very unfortunate news considering that after years struggling to find an identity and some small amount of success in WWE…never led to much. She was ultimately released by the company and found a new home with TNA, where she was rebranded as Ash by Elegance. The character developed and she became a star within the company. She finally was awarded for her hard work by becoming TNA Knockout champion. The title was the reward for the grind that she endured all those years as a wrestler.
To suddenly have to relinquish that title due to a career ending injury is truly unfortunate. Whatever Ashley Sebera does moving forward, we certainly wish her the best of luck. I was never really a fan of hers as a wrestler and definitely was angry when she helped take down my original site…but I realized that was more my fault than anybody else. I have grown to respect her as a performer, who could have easily walked away from the business after getting her WWE release, but she stuck with it and reinvented herself in the process. If it is indeed a career ending injury or a health scare, whatever the reason…I raise a champagne glass to her and her hard work.
Photo Gallery
Congratulations to Bret Hart’s daughter Jade for recently beating breast cancer!
Stephanie Vaquer’s new ink…
Ric and Charlotte Flair
The official poster for John Cena’s final match.
Speaking of which…
Brand new NXT heavyweight champion Ricky Saints posing with every version of the NXT title…
CM Punk visiting the set of Dancing with the Stars and hanging out with wrestling super fan Danielle Fishel.
This is the back of former WWF star Ahmed Johnson’s SUV. He was struck by a drunk driver in Texas. Thankfully, he was unharmed in the crash.
Matt Hardy and family
Braun Strowman reportedly in talks to portray Jason Vorhees in a new Friday the 13th.
Mandy Rose and Elayna Black
The late Dynamite Kid’s daughter…the Dynamite Doll
Torrie Wilson
Saraya
Elektra Lopez
Trish Stratus
Tessa Blanchard
Video Gallery
A cool commercial for a New Japan video game featuring Keiji Muto, Masahiro Chono and Kensuke Sasaki…
Paula Tom’s
Matt and Rebys kids look miserable.
Chicc
Was a relief to hear Ahmed Johnson was safe in that drunk driver crash – can’t imagine that drivers reaction seeing of all people – Ahmed – being the victim to their consequences.
Beautiful new of Bret Hart’s daughter overcoming cancer too – long may Jade continue the recovery.
And then I get to set my eyes on 3!!! pics of the mesmerising Elektra Lopez.. all my christmases come early
btw best booker too hard a call mostly because they’re both making waves in NXT for different achievements though to have HBK as head honco during the ID, LFG and current NXT roster is any wrestlers dream.
Kyle Prescott
So she was the one that was responsible for the recent takedown, don’t know that you shared that before or I missed it. Thanks for all you do, and did to bring it back.
177613735
I never did share that before, but yes she or her “people” had the site taken down due to using her photos. Totally on me for that. Thank you so very much.
David Fullam
Kudos to Jade Hart.
Luke
Gotta disagree. I see Shawn Michaels as someone who wants to make an army of Shawn Michaelses, both male and female. Thing is, you need the appropriate skillset and talent to be Shawn Michaels and only Shawn Michaels has that.
Granted, current NXT is better than whatever that 2.0 fiasco was, but it’s still boring like it never was under HHH or before him.
177613735
Shawn seems better suited for bringing out the best in unmolded young talent than Triple H was down in NXT. Triple H was more of a person to bring attention to untapped indie talent. With the stench of NXT 2.0, Michaels was able to get from under that.
Luke
Got anyone in particular in mind?
177613735
Sol Ruca, Kelani Jordan, Oba Femi, Trick Williams etc..