Grayson Waller on He Didn’t Get Demoted To NXT For Why He Returned To NXT Brand, His Praise of New Day For Helping His WWE Career, How He Couldn’t Be As Serious As WWE Wanted During His Time With New Day, TNA Talents Reaction To His Promo Insults About TNA, & More

As noted before, Grayson Waller made his surprise return to WWE’s NXT brand at the July 28th episode of WWE NXT. Waller became the new NXT Champion following his victory over Tony D’Angelo, Cruz Montana, and Zilla Fatu at this past Sunday’s NXT Heatwave 2026 event.

A recent episode of the Busted Open Radio podcast featured Waller as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Waller thoughts about him rejecting the online narrative that he was recently demoted from the main roster to NXT.

“I didn’t get sent back to NXT. There is a narrative online that I got demoted. [Sarcastically], ‘Oh, I have to be on national television every Tuesday, that’s so tough.’ There is a narrative online that I got demoted. That is not true. There was a phone call from someone who asked to meet with me. I spoke with him. This is a person I respect more than anyone. His opinion means more than anyone. He asked me to come back to NXT. He asked me because the men’s division wasn’t ready. He didn’t have anyone. No one was causing havoc. Everyone wanted the title; no one needed it. He knows how much I love this place and how much I love wrestling and how much this title meant to me because I never had it. He asked me to come back, and I said, ‘Hell yeah.’ Maybe the way I do things, Shawn isn’t a huge fan of, but he knows the passion I have and the talent I have. I truly believe that Shawn Michaels is the only person who has recently believed in me. I’ll run through a wall for that guy, and that’s what I’m doing right now,” he said.

Waller also gave his thoughts about his time working together with New Day’s Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods and his praise for the impact they had on his WWE career. Waller also gave his thoughts about how he was unable to get as serious as WWE wanted for his character during his time with the group.

“I understand maybe talk shows aren’t their thing. With what we’re doing now, realism is a real thing. We look like a sports show now. There is less differences now between WWE, NFL, and NBA. This is a professional sport that we’re doing, and that’s how it needs to be presented. A talk show where some silly Australian comes out, he says some jokes, and he gets punched in the face might not be the type of television they want to present, and I understand that. I just don’t think they knew who I am, personally. My advice was always, ‘We want you to be serious. We need you to be serious.’ I’m like, ‘Yes, let me be serious.’ ‘You’re with the New Day.’ Great. I love the New Day. I can’t explain how much those guys did for me. I have all the respect in the world for them. I never want people to think I’m derogatory towards them at all. What a chance to work with one of the best tag teams of all time. But we’re out there wearing silly hats. We’re mucking around and joking. I can’t be serious. I can’t show them what they want to see. I never got a chance to show them who I am. No one is in the wrong. I didn’t do the wrong thing. They didn’t do the wrong thing. They didn’t see what they want, I didn’t give them what they want. That’s just how the business works. Sometimes, the ships sail a different way. Now in NXT, I’m getting to show them who I am. I am serious. This isn’t a joke to me. This means something.”

Waller also gave his thoughts about his promo line calling Cruz Montana (former Mike Santana in TNA) as being “You’re TNA good” in a dismissive tone and the negative online reactions from TNA talents over his promos insulting TNA Wrestling.

“That’s such a good line. I know Brian Myers is going to freak out. He’s playing with his action figures and went, ‘Hey, that’s where I work!’ Put your action figures down and do something about it. All these little dweebs in TNA, what are you gonna do? You just tweet. I ain’t stressed about you. Let’s not worry about that company.”

Waller also gave his thoughts about his backstage confrontation angle with Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk at a NXT live event this past August.

“When I was a wrestling fan, before I checked in my ‘mark card,’ I was a big fan of CM Punk. I loved what he said and when he talked because he spoke from the heart and was real. He didn’t care what anyone thought. He wanted to piss people off. If you had a problem with him, do something. No one did anything. When he came to NXT for that show, the kids were so excited. It was so sad. They’re all like, ‘Mr. Punk, what did you think of my match?’ The amount of guys taking photos with him was sad. You’re in the same company as him, what are you doing lad? You’re taking photos with him like a meet and greet. It embarrassed me. It embarrassed me that I was part of NXT and the kids are doing that. Personally, I think the best way to show respect to CM Punk is to go at him and tell him what you think. That’s what I did. I think he appreciated that. I know he loves getting all the NXT kids telling him how good he is. It probably makes him feel good, but I think he also secretly respects what I did because that’s what he would do. 100% that’s what he would’ve done. That’s what he did to guys back in the day. He went up to guys and said what he thought about them. I did exactly that and I’m going to get him one day. He’s going to be there standing across from me and I’ll tell him what I really think,” he said.

Waller also gave his thoughts about if he could hold his own on the mic with Punk.

“100%. That doesn’t scare me a bit. It’s not because he’s not talented. He’s the best in the world, but what’s the point of being in this company and being NXT Champion and talking all this if you don’t feel the same? That is my wrestling dream. I don’t think about main eventing WrestleMania. I don’t think about these other things. I want to stand across from the best talker of all time and I want to test myself. That’s what wakes me up every morning. I know that’s going to come and it’s going to be fun. It’s going to open a lot of people’s eyes. Keep doubting Grayson and keep sleeping on me. I’ll wake every one of you lads up. This is just the beginning. You guys have no idea how dangerous I am. This is going to get fun and bring fun back because you have no idea what I’m going to do or say.”

Waller also gave his thoughts about if he had thought could get the better of Punk.

“Punk is very good, very sharp, and very intelligent, but he’s softened a bit. He’s got a wife, a nice family, a bunch of NXT kids telling him how good he is. He’s the champion, main evented WrestleMania. What makes him hungry now? What makes him fired up and angry? A guy like me, coming for his throat, I think that would bring him back. I want the old CM Punk. I thought he was going to choke me out because I said some mean things on Twitter about him, and he didn’t. I was like, ‘Oh, where did you go, Punk?’ That’s okay, I’ll bring him back. That’s my goal. None of these other kids who get in the ring with him…Roman is great; all the big names against him are crazy, but then you see the news guys get next to him on Raw, and it’s like bringing a knife to a gunfight. It’s embarrassing when I see them stand across from him. They’re terrified of him. I ain’t scared of no one.”

Waller also gave his thoughts about his NXT return promo he gave on the July 28th episode of WWE NXT where he ranted about the NXT men’s division and how he has been used in WWE over the past four years.

“I’ve known what I wanted to say for two years. These are things that I felt for a long time. I understand how the main roster works. Not everyone can get a chance every week, but I know me, and I don’t think they ever showed who I am. I was a joke. I was a talk show host and a silly guy. They never watched NXT. They didn’t know who I am. I’m the best talker in WWE. Roman, Punk, all of them. I do this naturally. I’m an Australian lad; I was born doing banter. This is easy. They didn’t know that or see that side of me. They just thought I was silly. Now, I’m getting the chance to show who Grayson Waller is. This is me. I ain’t a character. I’ll say the same things to your face that I say behind the scenes. This is who I am and I’m so happy that I finally get to show it. That night, it was just me venting. I’m not a little mark who goes on Twitter and tries to start a hashtag to get people to support me because I don’t care what the fans think. I care what I think about myself and I hated myself for a long time. It was tough looking in the mirror. You forget who you are. You can’t even look at yourself. ‘Who are you? What have you done with yourself? You used to be someone.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5