WWE Draft: Shawn Michaels may have quietly teased a huge return, says wrestling veteran (Exclusive)

The final round of picks on WWE Draft 2024 Night One saw SmackDown select NXT Superstar Kiana James, and she was spotted with Shawn Michaels in a backstage segment. One wrestling veteran believes HBK may have teased a huge return that could potentially reunite him with Triple H.

James was surrounded by her peers at the Performance Centre when Shawn Michaels greeted her after the announcement. He then leaned in and whispered something in Kiana James' ear for some time and gave her a hug.

The aforementioned moment left everyone on the internet guessing, with many curious to know what he whispered. Wrestling veteran Dutch Mantell believes the Heart Break Kid made a massive promise to James ahead of her main roster move to WWE RAW.

Mantell predicted that Shawn Michaels may have assured James that he would be on the red brand to help her navigate her way post-WWE Draft. Discussing the topic on the latest edition of Sportskeeds Wrestling's Smack Talk, he said:

"Okay, he whispered in her ear for about ten seconds. Now you're going to say, what did he say? What happened? I think we might be seeing Mr. Shawn Michaels on RAW. She went to RAW, right? I think we might see him back on Raw helping her." [1:07:22 - 1:07:40]

Mantell further insisted that the WWE creative team must look to use the moment in James' storyline on RAW to keep fans interested.

"They should. People, wrestling fans like that *shushed* chipper chipper chipper.'Don't tell anybody,'" claimed Dutch Mantell. [1:07:45 - 1:07:55]

You can watch the full video below:

Kiana James was one of the two NXT Superstars picked up during the WWE Draft 2024 on SmackDown this week, the other being Carmelo Hayes.

It remains to be seen who else will be picked up during RAW next week.

About the author

Shruti Sadbhav is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. With a triple major in Journalism, English Literature, and Psychology, she has always been drawn to writing. As an avid sports lover, writing about sports was the finest way to combine her passion with her prowess.

Whenever she writes, Shruti puts herself into the shoes of fans to see how she would appreciate an honest account of anything related to something she follows wholeheartedly with engaging and relevant information to cater to the readers' needs.

Shruti has seven years of experience. She previously worked as a content manager at Fox Sports Asia and as an assistant manager and digital marketer at Kickstart FC. Shruti previously worked in multiple roles in Sportskeeda, where she was a WWE features writer, editor, and content manager. She has over 40 million+ reads across all her writer profiles, giving her an immensely diverse audience across WWE and football.

When it comes to pro wrestling, Shruti does not particularly remember the first match she watched. However, she recalls accompanying her brother and getting hooked when she saw The Undertaker – a fascinating wrestler that she, like thousands of others, believed in.
Her views on pro wrestling evolved as she grew older and understood the intricacies of the business. This allows her to appreciate those who dedicate themselves to the craft and, once in a while, it does become what it has always been touted to be – magical. Her favorite wrestler is Finn Balor due to his persistence.

When she is not working as a writer, Shruti loves to read, enjoy a good cup of coffee, and let Manchester City dictate her weekend plans.

Know More

Edited by Debottam Saha