• Ex-WWE Wrestler Criticizes Shawn Michaels’ Cold Response Over Addiction Issues
Former NXT Tag Team Champion Danny Burch has shared a troubling account of his final days with WWE and his interactions with NXT head Shawn Michaels. Speaking on an episode of the Master Class podcast, Burch detailed a period of severe personal hardship following his 2022 release from the company, citing a lack of empathy from leadership during his struggle with injury and addiction.
Burch described his departure as a “bad place” emotionally and financially. At the time of his release, he was sidelined with a significant shoulder injury that prevented him from wrestling or finding regular work. With no clear recovery date and no income, Burch admitted he developed a “real bad problem” with alcohol that began to spiral out of control.
Hoping for guidance from someone who had famously overcome his own battles with addiction, Burch reached out to Shawn Michaels. However, the response he received was allegedly cold and dismissive. According to Burch, Michaels replied by saying he didn’t deal with that and provided a phone number for the company’s wellness program, noting that Burch would likely have to pay for the help himself since he was no longer under contract. Burch noted that this interaction felt like the “old Shawn” resurfacing, rather than the supportive mentor he expected.
“I thought, Shawn went through this, maybe he’ll understand. I texted him and explained everything. His response was, ‘Well, I don’t deal with that. Here’s a phone number. Call them and tell them you worked for the company, but you’ll probably have to pay for it.’ That was Shawn Michaels. That was in 2022.”
Burch also recalled his very first day in NXT, where he felt disrespected by HBK during their initial introduction. While Burch attempted a professional greeting, he claims Michaels simply patted him on the shoulder, called him “kid,” and walked away without a handshake.
“My first day, I’m introducing myself to everyone. I go up to him and say, ‘Hey, Shawn.’ He pats me on the shoulder and says, ‘Hey, kid,’ and just walks off. Doesn’t even shake my hand.”
Though Michaels’ attitude reportedly softened once Burch found success as a tag team champion, Burch remains critical of the “worship” culture surrounding the NXT head, suggesting that behind the scenes, the support for talent in crisis may not be as strong as it appears.
• John Cena Explains Why His WWE Retirement Was Perfect
At Fan Expo in New Orleans, 17-time World Champion John Cena explained why him tapping out to Gunther in his retirement match was the perfect end to his legendary WWE career:
“Losing my last match against Gunther. Thank you for being vocal enough to express how you felt. I put together a story which I think you all would enjoy. When there’s critical opinion out there, I’m all ears. Don’t ignore critics. I’m thankful for them at D.C. and everywhere before that.
I guess it kind of parallels my career. I think it was a perfect end, because a whole lot of people thought it sucked, a whole lot of people thought it was special, and that’s kind of been my story for 23 years. So I thought it was perfect.
You always read, ‘This person died peacefully.’ That’s what it felt like. I faced death with a smile, knowing we’re in a good place, knowing things are going to be great moving forward.
At the bottom of the shirt, it said, ‘I gave everything. Thank you for everything.’ In that one moment, that was it. Going peacefully.”
