WWE stars to take over NXT: Reported names set to be more involved with the brand following Shawn Michaels’ promotion

Earlier this week, it was reported that Bruce Prichard was set to retire from his role in WWE following WrestleMania 43.

Today, an update on Bruce’s retirement was provided by PWInsider, with them noting that he is expected to be replaced by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, and the process of Shawn taking over from Prichard is set to begin in the coming months.

With Michaels set to take over from Bruce Prichard, he will likely be less involved in NXT going forward, but there has been an update on the future of the NXT brand.

Here are three current NXT reportedly set to be more involved with NXT following Shawn Michaels’ promotion.

AJ Styles

Following reports of Shawn Michaels’ promotion, it was reported by False Finish that those within the Performance Center expect that AJ Styles will be more involved in NXT.

AJ retired from in-ring competition at the Royal Rumble event in Riyadh back in January, with him being inducted into the Hall of Fame over WrestleMania 42 weekend.

AJ has been appearing regularly at the Performance Center, with him even recently working as a producer for matches on the NXT brand.

Bayley

Following reports of AJ Styles taking over from Shawn Michaels, Wrestling Observer noted that there may be more office changes coming to the brand in 2027.

With Bayley potentially set to remain with WWE ahead of the expiration of her current contract, she was named by the Wrestling Observer as one name that could become more involved with the brand.

Bayley works on her Lodestone training camp outside of the company, so she already has experience with training the next generation of women’s stars.

CM Punk

CM Punk is another name that has regularly appeared at the Performance Center since his return to the company in 2023.

Punk is a name that has often been speculated to take on a backstage role within the company, and he was another name that was named by the Wrestling Observer that could also become more involved with the NXT brand in 2027.

The future of NXT

With such a major shift coming to WWE NXT in 2027, the on-screen product itself could see a shift to more of an AJ Styles and CM Punk led production.

With Bayley also likely taking up a role in NXT, the women’s division will likely also continue to be a major focus on the brand.

To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!