"Really hard to learn on your own" - AEW star on how Shawn Michaels taught him a valuable lesson
Shawn Michaels was a pivotal figure backstage when current AEW and former NXT star Kyle O'Reilly was in WWE. The Violent Artist credited the Heart Break Kid for teaching him how to structure main event matches.
Kyle O'Reilly was an integral part of the Undisputed Era in NXT. At the time, Triple H and Shawn Michaels were big influences on the young stars in the black and gold brand. Kyle O'Reilly went to form a formidable team with Bobby Fish and Adam Cole as the whole of Undisputed Era dominated NXT.
The Wrestling Observer confirms that WWE has high expectations for Shawn Michaels in this new phase of NXT with HBK as The Captain at the helm of the ship.
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On AEW Unrestricted, Kyle O'Reilly spoke at length about Shawn Michaels' impact on him.
"I learned a lot about structuring a main event match. There's that age-old adage in pro wrestling, 'listen to the people, listen to the people.' I never really got what that meant. 'I'm listening to them. They're cheering, they're quieting down, they're cheering.' Shawn really taught us that, instead of going up and down with the crowd reaction, trying to keep it at a level. So, on a double down, just don't move until they start to die, and then you can move and you bring them back up. Little things like that, that you don't really think of and it's really hard to learn on your own until someone explains that to you, and then a light bulb goes off and it helps take your game to the next level." (h/t: Fightful)
AEW's Kyle O'Reilly praised Triple H and William Regal
Thank you to @WWE for a wonderful 21 year run. You gave a lad who was happy and in wonderland wrestling on a carnival have a charmed life for 21 years. No complaints and please no one waste time replying as I won’t have a bad work said against the company.x
Kyle O'Reilly went on to credit Triple H and William Regal for helping him become a more polished and accomplished performer.
"I feel like my time there made me so much more polished and complete as a performer. I'm so grateful for my time there, the four and a half years in that system, working with the Shawn Michaels, the William Regals, and Triple Hs. It really made me a much more polished and accomplished performer."
Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish have reunited with Adam Cole in AEW. The duo can go on their own as reDRagon as well.
We are yet to see Kyle fully unleashed in AEW, but if the eventual goal is for an Undsiputed Era vs Elite feud, it will pique every All Elite Wrestling fan's interest.