Grayson Waller opens up about his relationship with “The Heartbreak Kid”.
At NXT Deadline in December, Grayson Waller made history when he won the first-ever men’s Iron Survivor Challenge by outlasting four other competitors in a 25- minute match. He is now set to challenge Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship on January 10 on NXT New Year’s Evil.
Ahead of the bout, Waller spoke to Steve Fall of Ten Count about his relationship with the man who runs NXT, Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels.
“Me and Shawn have a great relationship. I think Shawn has full trust in me. Shawn gave me opportunities before anyone else would have,” Waller said. “I got things like WarGames and the match with AJ [Styles]. No one thought I’d deserved those positions. Everyone online was like, ‘Who is this? Who is this?’ But Shawn knew how good I was. He knew I had the potential.”
Waller continued by describing how he had a conversation with Michaels, in which he vowed to run with the ball if he got the chance, and Michaels brought the comment up when he praised the young star a few months later. He also stated that he has a great business relationship with Michaels.
“We had a conversation one day. I remember I wrestled Roderick Strong for the Cruiserweight title, my first proper match on NXT. I went out and I killed it because that’s what I do, like of course I did. I came backstage and said to him—and I don’t even remember saying it—I said to him, ‘If you give me the ball, I will run with it.’ About six months later, he reminded me of that conversation, and he said to me, ‘I gave you the ball, and you’re doing what you said you would do.’
“So we have a great relationship. It is a business relationship. I know I can go to him with anything. As you said, he is the ‘GOAT,’ I’ll admit that, but I’m not a fan anymore either. I’m a work colleague, he’s my boss. Shawn knows how good I am, and I know how good Shawn is, so if you’re going to go to anyone for advice, that’s the man right there.”
RELATED: Grayson Waller On Working Full Time While Wrestling, Going After The NXT Title
