Shawn Michaels responsible for surprise assault; massive return? 4 stars who could have attacked Eddy Thorpe on WWE NXT

WWE NXT aired last night on The CW, and it was a big show. This was the last edition of the black and silver brand ahead of the Deadline Premium Live Event, which will air this Saturday.

NXT finalized several matches for the show, at least in theory. For example, Eddy Thorpe won a qualifying match to enter the Men's Iron Survivor Challenge Match, which also features Je'Von Evans, Ethan Page, Nathan Frazer, and Wes Lee.

Unfortunately, Eddy's status for the match is very much in doubt. The talented performer was found brutally beaten backstage last night. There has been no indication as to who was responsible for the violent assault.

Below are four stars who could have attacked Eddy Thorpe on WWE NXT:

---

#4. Shawn Michaels might still want revenge after last week's NXT

A crazy incident took place on WWE NXT last week. Eddy Thorpe was trying to talk to general manager Ava, and he shockingly grabbed her arm. This angered Ava, and she had no problem in letting him know. Moments later, Bronco Nima shoved Mark Coffey into the door, and Ava fell hard to the floor.

Shawn Michaels ended up snapping over this, blaming Eddy for what happened, even pushing the younger star up against the wall. The WWE Hall of Famer threatened Thorpe. It was certainly a shocking shift in HBK's standard behavior.

In what would be a shocking reveal, Shawn Michaels could be eventually revealed as Eddy's attacker. The legendary D-Generation X member could be raging a week later over what he perceived to be an attack on Ava and reacted accordingly. Who knows? It could even lead to Shawn coming out of retirement.

---

#3. Hikuleo could make his WWE debut as Ava's bodyguard

Ava being knocked over was likely unintentional, but Eddy still put his hands on the NXT GM by grabbing her arm. This could lead to some people being quite angry, especially Ava's family members, many of whom are in WWE.

For those unaware, Ava is The Rock's daughter and thus, part of the real-life Bloodline. This could mean the entire family and those commonly accepted as family members might want to take Eddy out. In an interesting twist, it could be one of WWE's alleged signings who did this.

The six-foot-eight-inch monster, Hikuleo, could make his debut after being revealed as Eddy's attacker. He is the younger of Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa. To avenge Ava, The Rock may have asked Hikuleo to take out The Alpha Wolf.

---

#2. Dijak could return to the WWE

Dijak is one of the best big men in all of pro wrestling. Both his runs on the NXT brand saw him deliver quality bouts consistently. However, his stints on the main roster never really worked out. The 37-year-old was first given the ridiculous gimmick, T-BAR.

Dijak was again drafted to the main roster earlier this year. However, he never appeared on television. Instead, he competed on Speed once and was otherwise relatively absent until his release. This caught many fans off guard and angered others.

Many expected Dijak to sign with AEW, but that hasn't been the case so far. Instead, he could be out for revenge and might be responsible for the attack on Eddy Thorpe. Not only could the star do this to hurt NXT, but he also has a violent history with Eddy. Dijak being behind the assault makes all the sense in the world if Triple H and Co. are willing to bring him back into the mix.

---

#1. Oba Femi might want a spot in the Men's Iron Survivor Challenge

Oba Femi is one of the most impressive athletes in pro wrestling today. Brought into the company under the WWE NIL program, Femi has gone on to dominate NXT and even captured the prized North American Championship.

After spending a long time undefeated and as an unstoppable North American Champion, Oba went on to suffer two high-profile losses. First, he lost the NXT North American Title to Tony D'Angelo. Shortly thereafter, he lost in a rematch to The Don of WWE NXT.

Oba has been absent ever since, but he is likely furious over his defeats. He may have taken his anger out on Eddy, perhaps to get into the Iron Survivor Challenge Match.