It was announced on Thursday that Shawn Michaels is getting involved in a major NXT storyline in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas. Michaels has been working at WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando and at the last NXT tapings when Triple H wasn’t there because he was overseas promoting WWE, Michaels ran the taping along with Brian James aka Road Dogg. Now, for the first time ever, Michaels will actually be a part of a NXT match as a referee.
The match will see current WWE NXT Champion Drew McIntyre defending his coveted title against NXT newcomer Adam Cole, who attacked McIntyre when he debuted at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III in August. Michaels will be the special guest referee for the match. It will take place on Friday, November 17 at a NXT live event in San Antonio one night prior to the NXT TakeOver: War Games event. All of this comes from WWE.com.
Michaels did a promo talking about the match in a video taped at the Performance Center.
On Friday, November 17, @ShawnMichaels will officiate an #NXTTitle match between @DMcIntyreWWE & @AdamColePro in #NXTSanAntonio! pic.twitter.com/oAh3R8yCtH
— WWE (@WWE) October 19, 2017
As you might expect, the participants also commented on the big match on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/DMcIntyreWWE/status/921039675535626240
What a way to meet HBK…beating Drew senseless and winning the NXT Championship. Couldn’t ask for a better story folks #AdamColeBayBay https://t.co/yfyMnnJdU2
— Adam Cole (@AdamColePro) October 19, 2017
This sounds like a great treat for the local fans in San Antonio. Michaels has been a guest referee for many big matches from when he was an active competitor (remember SummerSlam 1997?) to when he was a retired legend that cost his protege Daniel Bryan the WWE Title during a Hell in a Cell match in 2013.
With the match taking place one night before the NXT Takeover War Games show on November 18, there’s a slight chance that they will do a title change here, but if I were a betting man (and I am) then I would bet on McIntyre to retain. There’s no reason to take the title off McIntyre when he just won it in August and doing it at a house show the day before a Takeover doesn’t seem like a wise decision.
No matter what happens, it should be a great match with Michaels added to it as a special attraction.