Why does Carmelo Hayes have a close relationship with Shawn Michaels?

Carmelo Hayes was mentored by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels right away in NXT. NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes recently had a conversation with Rick Ucchino of Cageside Seats over a range of topics. Hayes brought up Shawn Michaels’ comment that being a WWE Superstar is like spinning plates when talking about how difficult it is to be a professional wrestler.

“There’s a lot to it. Shawn Michaels always talks about at the circus there’s a guy that spins plates,” Carmelo Hayes said. “He says, okay, you learn the moves, boom, boom, boom. Okay, now you work the cameras, boom, boom, boom. Okay, now you’re selling boom, boom, boom. So you’re literally spinning all these different plates. That’s what we do. And it’s like some people can do two at a time, some people can do three, some people can have 10. The better you are.”

When asked what it has meant to him to have worked with Shawn Michaels in NXT for the past two years, Hayes responded that HBK recognized his ability before anybody else in WWE.

“He saw it in me before anybody. And it’s wild because I had wrestled in front of him. I hadn’t even met him at that point,” Carmelo Hayes said. “We had done an in-house type of show, and I remember the very first time I wrestled in front of him, he kind of said like, ‘Yeah, this kid is something.’ And then it was his idea to get me in front of Hunter.

“And I remember he told me that story afterward. Like, I just wanted to get you in front of Hunter. I just wanted him to see you. And that’s when they ended up putting me in the match with Kushida for the Cruiserweight Title, which ended up being my debut. So, he’s always believed in me from day one.

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When WWE paid Shawn Michaels $750000 to do absolutely nothing

There are a lot of legends in the WWE but no one came close to the following that Shawn Michaels had in his prime. Michaels was the go to guy and the hottest name is wrestling in the 90s. He was the face of the company at a time when the WWE had The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Bret Hart etc.

Vince McMahon loved Michaels so much that he went to extreme lengths to keep him signed with the WWE, so much so that he paid Michaels $750000 per year for four years to do absolutely nothing. At the 1998 Royal Rumble, Shawn Michaels suffered a back injury and had to prematurely announce his retirement. The fans were distraught that their beloved superstar had to hang up his boots. Vince McMahon being the businessman that he is did not let him go away as there was a danger that Michaels would sign for WCW in a non fighting role.

So McMahon came up with the idea for Shawn to be involved with the WWE in a backstage/manager role and that contract was worth $750,000. WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross shed more light on this during one of his episodes on the Grilling JR Podcast. Ross said, “We paid Shawn Michaels $750,000 a year for about four years to do nothing.”

While that may have seemed like a waste of money, it all worked out well for the WWE as Michaels made his in-ring comeback in 2002 and wrestled till 2010 giving the fans a lot of great matches.

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