Current NXT Champion Tony D'Angelo has been in WWE's developmental brand for almost five years now. The former "Don of 'NXT'" debuted on "WWE NXT" just a month after WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels took over as the brand's creative head, ushering in a new era at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. D'Angelo sat down with The Sportsters' "Foundation with Adam Bernard" and talked about what it's been like to have the "Heartbreak Kid" mentor him, especially through his recent character change and championship victory."Well, first and foremost, for him to just be my mentor, my boss, all this other stuff, I think it's very cool, because he is who he is," D'Angelo said. "He has a lot of great insight to everything. Whether it's matches or promos or film, whatever it is, he always brings a different element that you may be thinking about. It's like an endless rolodex of things that he knows... He's opening my mind to a bunch of different stuff, but he also has helped me kind of recognize what it means to be a champion. What it means to be the face of a brand."D'Angelo said that Michaels has helped him mature and molded him into what he believes a champion looks like, from what he does to how talks. He said he is tremendously grateful for all the head of "NXT" has done for him.The former "Don" returned to "NXT" following a brief hiatus in December 2025, and dropped his mafia boss-like persona. D'Angelo captured the NXT Championship for the first time at Stand & Deliver 2026, where he dethroned Joe Hendry in a four-way match.If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Sportster and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
