WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Mark Henry recently discussed the working partnership between IMPACT Wrestling and AEW. With those two names working together for the time being, Henry would discuss WWE and the potential for them to work with outside brands.

Triple H recently stated that WWE are “open for business” is it is the “right opportunity,” saying that there’s an incorrect perception that WWE won’t work with outside companies. WWE seemingly has working relationships with British promotions PROGRESS, ICW, Irish promotion OTT and Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan.

Mark Henry on WWE Partnerships

“The right opportunity” Mark Henry began on Busted Open Radio, discussing what Triple H revealed. “Not every opportunity. He didn’t say ‘we’re gonna jump in the bed with anybody and everybody.’ Because if you sleep with dogs? You’re gonna get fleas.”

Henry would then reveal the company he believes WWE should be working with. “I think that the biggest one would be MLW, because you got family and lineage already. The Von Erichs, you’ve got Brian Pillman, Jr, although I have seen him at AEW. So, the guys or girls ‘moving’ around right now? They are allowed to [within MLW], so they are, they got to go where they can make money.”

• CM Punk On What He Misses About Wrestling, WWE Backstage & More

Mark Henry would finish by saying that Jacob Fatu is also a name he wants to see in WWE. With the ongoing Samoan Family storyline with Roman Reigns and Jey Uso, Henry believes that Fatu would be a major asset for WWE as part of that feud.

• WWE RAW Results (12/7): The Fiend Attacks Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre & Sheamus

Do you agree with Mark Henry? Who do you think WWE should work with, if anyone? Let us know in the comments

Triple H has commented on what The Undertaker’s next role in WWE could be following his ‘Final Farewell‘ at November’s Survivor Series event.

Speaking on an NXT TakeOver: WarGames post-show media call, Triple H opened up about what could be next for “The Dead Man,” indicating he could be bound for the WWE Performance Center.

Triple H praised The Undertaker’s impact on everyone he works with. He noted how anytime he “walked through these doors, everybody that’s here is better for it.”

He explained how the people ‘Taker helps all leave with a “different perspective” and viewpoint.

“[…] he’s one of the most knowledgeable guys in and that has ever been in the business. I believe, you know, myself I learn from him every time I’m around him.”

Triple H: “It Involves Being Here. It Involves The Future.”

“The Game” then explained how The Undertaker is ready to “move into the next phase of his life.”

It’s a discussion Triple H claimed the two have already spoken a lot about. He explained how their discussions revolved around ‘Taker being directly involved with the WWE PC.

“It involves being here. It involves the future,” Triple H teased. “I would like to believe he has earned the right to take a breath off of his retirement for a moment […].”

He added how he had spoken with the The Undertaker recently. Triple H promised how “[…] coming out of the holidays, we will certainly be talking about in 2021, which is just one more reason to be excited about next year with everything else that’s happening is having him involved. I just can’t stress enough how impactful that will be to everybody.”

Heading into his ‘Final Farewell’ at Survivor Series, WWE hosted a series of Undertaker documentaries on the WWE Network. These episodes, alongside his Last Ride docuseries, all reflected and celebrated his historic career.

WWE announced several new signees last week. Among them were Dezmond Xavier (now Deveon Aiken) and Zachary Wentz (now Zachary Green) of the tag team, The Rascalz. Trey Miguel, the third Rascal, was conspicuously absent from the list.

Trey Miguel has issued a statement addressing his whereabouts since the trio finished up with Impact Wrestling. Miguel wrote on Monday morning:

“I feel like it is worth mentioning AGAIN that a mont and a half ago my Nephew was born prematurely and is in isolated care until what would have been his actual due date. Meeting a healthy baby boy is more important to me than anything else. I’m sure you can all respect that.”

Trey Miguel’s comments come the day after Triple H was asked about why WWE has not signed him. During Sunday’s NXT Takeover: WarGames post-show media call, Triple H said you have to be “all in” to get an offer from WWE.

“Well look, I do not want to talk about why people are or are not here, there’s obviously a lot that goes into all of that, but for me, the people that do come here, it’s seeing the heart and the passion. That’s really what it comes down to—it’s a passion business, you have to be all in.”

Triple H continued by saying that talent has to be fully invested. “Sometimes, I’ve seen a few people that have been at it a long time and it shows. They’ve been at it a long time and I don’t know, sometimes that passion isn’t there. I’ve seen people that are new to it, like ‘oh, they like this’ but it’s not everything to them.”

In addition to the signings of Deveon Aiken and Zachary Green, the latest class of recruits also includes Alex Zayne (now Alex Brandenburg), Russ Taylor (now Taylor Rust), Sojiru “Ikemen” Higuchi and former pro basketball player Anriel Howard.

• Eric Bischoff Reveals The One Thing He Hated About Triple H’s Character

The Undisputed Era has been one of the top factions of the wrestling world for the past few years and during a recent interview, Triple H compared the group to one of the most iconic factions in the history of the business, DX.

The Game recently had an interview with Ryan Satin of FOX Sports where he discussed things such as the legacy of the late legend Pat Patterson and more.

Talking about the Undisputed Era, Triple H explained that the reason for their success is the real-life connection among the members of the group. He went on to compare it to the connection he shared with his teammates in DX:

“That [authenticity] to me is the magic of it, when that magic is there, it’s next level. They have that magic. It’s real to them. There’s no show. I think that’s what worked with DX. It wasn’t a show. We were just us. We all got along in that manner. When it’s magic like that, it really works.”

• Keith Lee Reveals The Origin Of His “Bask In My Glory” Catchphrase

Triple H continued by saying that the group is a unit which gets along and then explained what kind of content he thinks resonates with people the most:

“In a way, I always feel like that stuff resonates the most when you can see a bunch of people that are on some level legitimately have that connection to where as a viewer watching, you think to yourself, ‘Man. I’d just like want to hang out with those dudes. I’d like to be at that dinner and just have dinner with them and hang out with them because it looks like it’s so much fun.'”

The Undisputed Era entered the WarGames match as babyfaces for the first time this year. You can check out the results of the event at this link.

Triple H had said after WrestleMania 36 that Rhea Ripley’s loss to Charlotte Flair is part of a larger story they are trying to tell but as everything else this year, the coronavirus pandemic has forced these plans to be changed as well.

During his recent media call ahead of the Takeover: WarGames 2020 event, the WWE VP was asked about the plans for the former NXT women’s champion.

Replying to the question, Triple H confirmed that the plans have changed. However, in the wake of Ripley’s recent revelations about her struggles with mental health this year, the Game claimed that he still believes it’s a valuable lesson for the former NXT women’s champion:

“Is it where it was going? No, and it won’t, the whole world changed, but I do still believe that that is a valuable — there’s a lot of valuable lessons for her to be able to go through to find herself to pick herself up.

The Rhea Ripley that I’m watching right now is a way better Rhea Ripley than it was in January-February of last year when she was on the high or even December of this time last year.” said Triple H “She’s a way better performer, way more mature, her understanding, all of it, and all of that came through that process. It is what it is.”

The WWE EVP also talked about the spotlight the women’s division has received in recent times and he said that female competitors of NXT have delivered every time they have been put in the spotlight position.

The NXT TakeOver: WarGames event will be taking place from the Performance Center on December 16 live on the WWE Network.

WWE’s Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development Triple H has claimed WWE is “open for business” to potential promotional working relationships.

Triple H broached the subject during a recent media call to promote this Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: WarGames event. He explained how WWE is open to “the right business opportunities.”

Triple H Discusses People’s “Misperceptions”

Triple H noted how people have “misperceptions” on WWE’s attitudes towards promotional working relationships.

He added how “their perceived knowledge” of how WWE considers partnerships is often “greatly misinterpreted and not accurate.”

“Are we open to the right business opportunities? Yeah, at any given time we’re open to things. It just depends on what they are and if they’re beneficial to us in the long-term.”

Triple H explained how WWE’s definition of long-term doesn’t mean three months. According to him, WWE’s idea of long-term can be as long as ten years.

“Open for business, I think Vince says that a lot and I’ve been around him long enough that if it’s the right thing and meaningful to business, he’s open to anything.”

Working Relationships

Triple H’s comments come in the wake of AEW’s Winter is Coming. Following the main event, it was revealed that AEW had apparently developed a working relationship with Impact Wrestling.

This is in conjuncture with AEW’s already pre-existing working relationship with the National Wrestling Alliance.

Newly crowned AEW World Champion Kenny Omega will make an appearance on next Tuesday’s episode of Impact Wrestling.

Stephanie McMahon and Triple H have reflected on last night’s special edition of NXT. The black-and-gold brand resurrected the Halloween Havoc concept for the first time in twenty years with last night’s show.

Triple H tweeted throughout the show’s entirety, hyping how so much action had already taken place during just the first match. NXT Halloween Havoc opened with an NXT North American Championship matchup between Damian Priest and Johnny Gargano.

“The first spin of the wheel, a deflated pumpkin, and absolutely BRUTAL #DevilsPlayground match, and a NEW #NXTNATitle Champion… AND THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST MATCH! #HalloweenHavoc #WWENXT”

He also noted how NXT Superstars Rhea Ripley and Raquel González were able to showcase an “entirely different side” of the NXT Women’s division. Triple H called their bout the “most physical fight” from any division in NXT.

Triple H also praised the work of NXT Halloween Havoc’s host, Shotzi Blackheart. He described her commitment as a “BREAKOUT performance” before stating how Blackheart is a bright star with “even bigger [star emoji] potential.”

He added a final congratulations and thanks to everyone involved with NXT Halloween Havoc. Triple H also gave props to the crew who made an “incredible set to honour the legacy of #HalloweenHavoc” before thanking the fans at home for tuning in.

Stephanie McMahon shared her thoughts after the show had concluded. She stressed how the entire show was “INCREDIBLE!!!!!” Stephanie also congratulated all involved in the production, stating how she wanted to retweet all of the praise she had seen complimenting the show.

Undisputed Era member Bobby Fish has shared high praise for Triple H, noting how “The Game” has an undeniably incredible “aptitude” for the pro wrestling business.

“[…] he saw something that I would think Adam, Kyle and I would like to write for ourselves, and he saw it and was like, ‘Yep. Those three,'” Fish explained to Wrestling Inc. Daily.

Fish noted how he’s been able to witness how Triple H works behind-the-scenes at NXT for three years now. These lessons have allowed him to know how Triple H “operates.”

Regarding the Undisputed Era, Fish believes that Triple H’s “aptitude” always meant a plan was in place to add Roderick Strong to the group:

“I feel like he had an idea long before that and maybe that was the plan regardless. Four peas in a pod,” Fish said. “Triple H was smart enough to see that and recognize that. It’s a little bit of a humble brag I guess, but WWE now gets to benefit. We as the four individuals get to benefit being this brand that nobody has given a name to. Triple H did. Now, along with Shawn Michaels, between the two of them. They have their influence on helping us become who we are. You can’t put a price on that.”

Undisputed Era members Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong were unable to participate in a scheduled NXT Tag Team Championship matchup last week. They were replaced by Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan, who would go on to win the titles from Breezango.

It was recently revealed that Pat McAfee had been orchestrating recent attacks against Undisputed Era, including last week’s attack on Fish and Ridge Holland’s attack on Adam Cole.

Last year, there were some fans curious why WWE didn’t give Triple H and Stephanie McMahon the positions as Executive Directors of SmackDown and RAW. 

Instead, Eric Bischoff took the role on SmackDown and Paul Heyman on RAW. Fightful Select reported today that the married couple wasn’t given the roles for different reasons. 

It was stated that many people backstage were “shocked” that Paul Heyman was put into this role as he was under Vince McMahon. It was noted that Heyman had been “the loudest voice in the RAW writer’s room” before getting the Executive Director position.

It was said that Stephanie “didn’t want that spot” as she is happy with her current role in WWE. On the flip side, Triple H didn’t get the spot as most believed that “if Triple H wanted the role, he’d have it.” Thus, he wasn’t interested as he’s in charge of the NXT brand. 

Of course, both Heyman and Bischoff are no longer in these roles. In both cases, Vince McMahon made the decision to remove them. 

After a few months of Heyman being on the sidelines, he was paired with Roman Reigns while Bischoff hasn’t been in WWE or on television since his departure. 

Backstage News On If Paul Heyman Has Creative Influence On Other SmackDown Storylines

WWE Hall of Famer and AEW Commentator Jim Ross recently discussed WWE RAW from 2005 on the Grilling JR podcast.

This week’s episode of the show was a watch-along of RAW from 10/10/05. That episode was eventful for JR as an on-screen character as he was ‘fired’ on television. As is usually the case, Jim Ross would discuss players and events from the timeframe, including former WWE COO Triple H.

Jim Ross on Triple H

“Triple H, he has a great heel too. Great deal, he was…he felt it. He lived it, You know?” Jim Ross began on the podcast. “He really was an extension of his own personality, or what he perceived his personality to be. He did a good job. I never had too many issues with him.”

JR would then add an interesting little tidbit into the conversation. The Man in The Black Hat would admit that he found negotiations with Triple H difficult once ‘The Game’ moved into a position higher than JR in the company.

“When he became an administrator? We didn’t have…we didn’t have a lot of successful negotiations. I was kind of always disappointed in that a little bit because I was…I always went to bat for him and got him the contract that he wanted.”

JR has mentioned in the past how he had to be the liaison between talent and management in the then WWF. JR was the Head of Talent Relations at the time Triple H was becoming a major player in the company (1999 onwards), and Jim Ross said that he helped get him a huge deal. “That was important to him, to have the same million dollar downside guarantee that all the other guys had.”

Not Reciprocating

Co-host of the podcast Conrad Thompson would then ask “are you saying that when those roles reversed and then he was sort of moving up the food chain, he wasn’t willing to reciprocate for you?”

• Becky Lynch Was Backstage At Friday’s WWE SmackDown

JR then finished by admitting that he felt Triple H was just ‘following Vince McMahon’s lead.’ Alluding to how the industry had changed to a more corporate style in the years since JR stopped working in talent relations.

“Well, I’m just saying that…I think he just took Vince’s lead. ‘JR’s just an announcer.’ And then they found out over the years that to the audience [that wasn’t the case].”

Finn Balor will miss ring time due to a fractured jaw. The NXT Champion sustained the injury this past weekend at NXT Takeover 31.

WWE has released a video of Finn Balor and his doctor discussing his condition. According to Dr. Jeffrey Westerfield, Balor fractured his jaw in two places during his match against Kyle O’Reilly.

Dr. Westerfield said it was amazing that either man was able to finish the hard-hitting match. “Finn had two fractures in his jaw,” he said. “Once the swelling goes down in a couple days, Finn’s going to be able to talk very sparingly. Obviously it’s going to have to have him out for a little bit of time.”

Balor said people are questioning if his current NXT title reign will be as good as his last. Referencing his successful title defense at Takeover 31, Balor said, “I think they just got their answer.”

For what it’s worth, Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Balor’s injury is legitimate, however WWE is making the situation out to be worse than it is.

You can watch the video with comments from Finn Balor and Dr. Westerfield in the Youtube player embedded below.

Triple H tweeted the following regarding Finn Balor’s tenacity in light of this latest setback.

Triple H held a Q&A session Sunday afternoon prior to NXT Takeover 31 from the new Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, FL.

The Game touched upon many topics, but the one that is getting the most attention involves controversial wrestler Velveteen Dream. Dream was accused of having ‘sexually inappropriate’ communications with a minor earlier this year.

WWE says they conducted an investigation into the matter and “didn’t find anything,” although the accuser says he was never contacted by the organization.

During Sunday’s Q&A, Triple H commented on Velveteen Dream’s match against KUSHIDA. He expressed that Dream is coming off a rough year resulting from “immaturity in his personal life”

“Coming off of what was a bit of a rough year for Velveteen Dream, reorganizing himself,” said Triple H. “You know, Dream is one of those young guys that still hasn’t quite found his way yet of who he wants to be. And I think sometimes that weighs on him. His immaturity in his life presents itself in his professional life and makes it difficult for him sometimes.”

Triple H previously stated that WWE has moved on from the “alleged underaged sexting” situation. Fans revolted when Dream was recently brought back to WWE TV. The hashtag #FireVelveteenDream has been a trending topic on social media on more than one occasion.

KUSHIDA picked up the win over Velveteen Dream at NXT Takeover 31.

WWE’s NXT brand has been filming shows in their longtime home of Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. According to a report from John Pollock of POST Wrestling, however, the brand will now be moving into the WWE Performance Center for the foreseeable future.

The change will begin with this weekend’s NXT Takeover 31. Triple H noted on a media call to promote the show that beginning with this weekend’s show NXT “will have a unique look and feel, something totally different that hasn’t been done, so far.” He would continue to refer to the new look as “game-changing.”

Following Takeover, NXT will stay in the Performance Center as will episodes of 205 Live. Whatever new look Triple H referred to on the conference call will likely apply to episodes of those two shows moving forward as well.

NXT Takeover 31 Lineup

Confirmed matches scheduled to take place on this weekend’s Takeover 31 include:

• NXT Championship
  Finn Balor (c) vs Kyle O’Reilly
• NXT Women’s Championship
  Io Shirai (c) vs Candice LeRae
• NXT North American Championship
  Damian Priest vs Johnny Gargano
• NXT Cruiserweight Championship
  Santos Escobar (c) vs Isiah “Swerve” Scott
• Kushida vs. Velveteen Dream

• AEW Dynamite & NXT Viewership Both Up This Week

Triple H gave some interesting answers on two topics during a media call to promote this Sunday’s NXT TakeOver: XXX event.

First up was the possibility of NXT moving off Wednesday to a different date. NXT recently aired on Tuesday for two weeks due to the NHL Playoffs on USA Network. It had some of the best viewership numbers for the year as it didn’t go head-to-head with AEW Dynamite. 

According to Triple H, he’s happy with the day of the week that the show airs. 

“There are conversations around all of our products at all times, the best place for it to sit, the best place for it to work, all of that. Funny, I don’t hear anybody else asking about people moving on Wednesday since we were always on Wednesdays. It comes down to a question of where the show best sits, not only for us, but our partners and wherever they want to go. We’re open to doing the best business we can, but it’s not as simple as it’s our decision and we just put the show where we want.”

Triple H continued by stating that those decisions are made by partners, but did note that people tend to believe what they want to believe. However, he’s not concerned about it. He said that they try to put on the best show possible and thinks they have the best wrestlers in the world. 

“As far as where it sits, those are business questions that come down to WWE and our partners.”

Up next was about how the upcoming draft with RAW and SmackDown will impact NXT. 

According to Triple H, he doesn’t know whether NXT will be part of it, but rather is waiting to see the excitement unfold.

• Ryback Has Harsh Words About Triple H & Vince McMahon

Ryback decided to go on social media and give his true feelings about Triple H and Vince McMahon. 

The former WWE star made it clear in his various responses to fans that he is a fan of pro wrestling, but isn’t fond of WWE. Coming from someone who actually worked at the company, he would know how things work behind the scenes. 

At one point, he went after the WWE Chairman and CEO. In fact, he thinks the world, not just the pro wrestling business, will be a better place when McMahon passes away. He did note that this opinion isn’t him having a death wish for McMahon. 

“It was ALWAYS the talent. He just created a platform as a human circus that he modified from his father. The guy is a piece of shit, can’t stress this enough. World will be a better place when he passes. This isn’t wishing death, but stating an opinion I believe to be true.”

Ryback also went after Triple H, who currently oversees NXT, as “The Game” is likely the person to take over the company when McMahon does pass away. 

“Pussy Paul is not the savior to anything. He will go down with the ship.”

Ryback had a successful run in the WWE that ended once he decided to depart from the company in 2016. He has since focused on his podcast and YouTube channel. You can see his tweets here: 

• Ryback Believes That WWE ‘Killed Off’ Live Events Due to AEW

Undisputed Era’s Kyle O’Reilly has commented on his momentous win from last night’s episode of NXT. O’Reilly bested Cameron Grimes, Timothy Thatcher, Bronson Reed, and Kushida to win the first-ever NXT Gauntlet Eliminator match. This victory has propelled O’Reilly into an NXT Championship match against Finn Balor at NXT TakeOver: 31.

Speaking with Sarah Schreiber backstage in a WWE Network Exclusive, O’Reilly reflected on his win calling his championship match the “biggest moment” of his life.

“[…] I came into this match on relatively short notice, but we make the most of these opportunities. TakeOver isn’t just the biggest match for Kyle O’Reilly’s career, which it is, it’s not just a huge match for The Undisputed Era as a whole, which it is, this is the biggest moment of my life.”

When asked if he was nervous about facing off against Finn Balor, O’Reilly confessed he has been experiencing some “butterflies.” He opened up, admitting how the idea of competing at TakeOver against Balor gives him “goosebumps” before stressing how this opportunity is “huge for me.”

“I thrive under high presser situations. I mean, it really drives me, Sarah. Can you think of a higher pressure situation than the main event of TakeOver for the NXT Championship? Please, tell me if there is one, because I don’t think there is. So, Finn Balor, NXT, the world, is gonna see just what Kyle O’Reilly can do when he’s under pressure.”

O’Reilly Praised by Hall of Famers

Following his main event win, both Triple H and Shawn Michaels commented on O’Reilly’s achievement.

Triple H stressed how O’Reilly’s success “shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone” before praising his dedication to pro wrestling. He noted how O’Reilly versus Balor “has the ability to steal the show.”

Shawn Michaels, unable to hide his excitement, was a lot more succinct with his message: “SIGN. ME. UP!!! #NXTTakeOver #WWENXT“

Kyle O’Reilly versus Finn Balor takes place at NXT TakeOver: 31 on October 4, 2020 from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.

Triple H recently joined The Bill Simmons Podcast, where he broached the competition between WWE’s NXT and AEW Dynamite each Wednesday night. He also addressed Raw’s runtime and shared his thoughts on Cancel Culture.

“The Game” stressed how having competition is a good thing as it “keeps things fresh and going strong.” He refused to belittle AEW or those involved with the promotion before sharing how long-term success “[…] takes time and effort as there’s a lot of pieces to move.”

He explained how WWE is a company that has managed to recreate itself and stay relevant throughout the years.

HHH added how “The strength of this company is being able to withstand the ebbs and flows of the business.”

Triple H On Why Raw’s Runtime, Cancel Culture

When asked about why Monday Night Raw is three hours long, Triple H explained how it is a financially driven decision.

That being said, HHH stressed how it is “exponentially harder to write a third hour of television.”

He noted it’s a difficult task to achieve each week before joking about how he doesn’t even like three-hour movies.

Triple H then addressed WWE’s current approach to trialing different storylines. He brought up the concept of Cancel Culture, highlighting how “we’re in that no matter what you do or say.” 

HHH stressed how WWE has to be “more calculated” with its storytelling compared to the past. He shared how WWE could once “[…] run an angle in the past and try to maintain a line and try to go far with that line, get some backlash and then you can pull it back and it goes away. Now, today, it’s just different and you have to be careful with all of that. You see it everywhere across the board. It’s too easy to put yourself in a position that people just say they’re done.”

According to Triple H, it’s difficult to “latch on to a moment in time.” He argued how this is because that moment may be intense but brief, and “two weeks later nobody’s talking about it anymore” despite having been such an issue at the time.

Triple H recently revealed WWE’s investigation into alleged incidents involving Velveteen Dream “didn’t find anything.” WWE has subsequently “moved on” from the controversial situation.

Fans were not very happy with Velveteen Dreams’ return to NXT and they even expressed their disappointment over social media but Triple H seems to be firm on their stand over the NXT star.

The Game held a media conference call after the NXT Takeover: XXX event where he talked about things like the new NXT Champion Karrion Kross getting injured during his match at the show and more.

During the call he was asked about the #FireVelveteenDream hashtag trending on Twitter this past Wednesday and the former World Champion responded by saying that we have already talked about it:

“We’ve talked about this, we’ve said our piece on it and I understand people’s positions on it and their feelings of something that they seeing with the accusations online. So, I feel like there’s nothing more that needs to be said on it again. That’s it.”

Velveteen Dream was accused of sending indecent messages to underage teens among other things during the #SpeakingOut movement and he was taken off WWE TV for a while due to it.

However, the young star returned to WWE programming during the August 12 episode of NXT and when asked about it, Triple H claimed that they did not find anything against Dream in their investigation.

According to comments made by Triple H on a recent media call to promote TakeOver XXX, Triple H isn’t interested in fielding any more questions relating to the Velveteen Dream controversy. Triple H was asked about comments made online by Dream’s accusers on the call but Triple H said he’s ready to move on to other topics.

“Obviously, we take all of these things very seriously. Allegations, misconduct, of any nature, we take very seriously,” Triple H said.

“I’ll stand by what I said to CBS, we looked into it, didn’t find anything there in the manner of what we were looking for and we moved on. It doesn’t change the fact that we take it seriously. If there is something else there we’ll look into it.”

“We’ve already talked about it so I’d rather just move on to other topics,” Triple H concluded.

In light of the dismissive comments made by Triple H during the NXT media call, accuser Matthew Jimenez tweeted this:

During a recent interview with Triple H took part in an interview with CBS Sports, Triple H said WWE investigated the matter internally and decided to simply move on.

“Everything that we have done, we are comfortable with him continuing to do what he does and everything else. But he had a car accident. It stemmed down to people thought we removed him from TV for different reasons. We didn’t. He was in a car accident. Once he was medically cleared to be able to return to the ring from his car accident, we continued forward the way we did. We looked into what was there and we didn’t find anything.”

• Triple H On on Velveteen Dream Allegations: “We Didn’t Find Anything”

Despite some recent reports about his position in WWE, Triple H is still perceived as the successor of Vince McMahon and fans believe that he will take over as the head of the company when the Boss retires.

There is an interesting dynamic between the two as well because Mr McMahon is the father in law of The Game and the grandfather of his kids.

Triple H talked about his relationship with the Boss during his appearance on The Bill Simmons podcast and explaining how they handle arguments with each other, the former World Champion claimed that they get over it pretty quickly:

“In terms of arguments, we both kind of get over it quickly, you have moments and things happen and come up and we just get past it and get over it.

If it came down to it and it meant the difference of my kids having their grandfather in their life or not, I’d have no problem just walking away.” said Triple H “I’d walk because it’s not worth it at the end of the day. Family business is awesome, though. I love it and wouldn’t change a thing.”

• Also Read: AJ Styles Says Former NXT Champion Will Be A Big Name In Future

The King Of Kings also praised the work ethic of the chairman saying that he is a machine. He explained that Mr. McMahon has never missed a day at the office and even when nobody else was there, he was still working.

Explaining the reason behind this dedication, Triple H said that Vince McMahon still has passion for his work even after all these years, and everyday he gets up looking forward to work instead of dreading it.

Triple H has confirmed reports that WWE is planning to hold another Draft / Superstar Shakeup later this year. The Game commented on the situation during a media call to promote this Saturday’s NXT TakeOver: XXX event from Orlando, FL.

“That definitely has changed that mindset, there is different protocols and procedures, ‘hey, we’d like to move this talent, we’d like to do that,’ and you’ll see that coming up in the Draft later in the year.  You definitely have to think about it a lot more and think about those changes, but I think long-term, it’s better for everybody.”

Triple H stated that it’s the opportunity where somebody who has their run on the main roster they can come change gears on a brand that feels totally different with a different style in NXT. 

He thinks it could be a situation where they get a fresh coat of paint or somewhere they could start differently with a gimmick. He later stated that it opens up the door for them to be able to do that because each brand has its own primetime and live spot.

Dave Meltzer reported in a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the current plan is to hold the Draft in October, which had been previously reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful. 

There will be two dates with one Draft show for RAW and another for SmackDown.

• More Details On Plans for a WWE Draft Later This Year

Triple H gave some interesting comments about the absence of The Velveteen Dream from NXT TV as well as the sexual misconduct allegations. 

The NXT star was accused by underage fans of sexual misconduct in April and then again during the Speaking Out movement in mid-June. 

He denied the first accusations but didn’t comment on the second allegation. Dream was also involved in a car accident in late June as well.

Speaking to CBS Sports, Triple H addressed Dream’s return.  

“You know, in this day today, accusations are made and you take them all very seriously. You look into them the best you can, and you find out what is there and what isn’t. In this situation, [Clark] was also involved in a car accident. That’s what took him off TV.”

He continued by noting that at the moment, you look into it and find out there is a situation that people bring to everyone’s attention. He said that when you look into and then find that there’s nothing there. 

“Everything that we have done, we are comfortable with him continuing to do what he does and everything else. But he had a car accident. It stemmed down to people thought we removed him from TV for different reasons. We didn’t. He was in a car accident. Once he was medically cleared to be able to return to the ring from his car accident, we continued forward the way we did. We looked into what was there and we didn’t find anything.”

Dream had been off television since NXT TakeOver: In Your House on June 7. That changed last week on NXT when he worked the main event.

This coming Wednesday, he’ll take on Finn Balor with the winner moving on to NXT TakeOver XXX to compete in the ladder match for the vacant NXT North American Championship.

• Velveteen Dream Has Significant Heat Backstage, TV Return Kept Secret

Former WWE Superstar Rusev/Miro recently appeared on The Ryback Show podcast. The ‘Bulgarian Brute’ would discuss a number of topics from his time with the company; including his ‘Rusev Day’ run, NXT and working with John Cena.

Ryback himself referred to John Cena on the podcast, bringing up a story that involved (previously) company COO Triple H making a major claim to the The Big Guy.

Ryback on Triple H Comments

“This goes back when I was there and Hunter told me…when I was in that top position, or working in that top position; and then the contract negotiations were coming up” Ryback began on the podcast.

Ryback would then refer to arguably his biggest run with WWE, which was back in 2012. The ‘Big Guy’ was ascending the card and would eventually get a Hell In a Cell main event against then WWE Champion CM Punk.

Unfortunately, the timing was completely off. There was no chance that Ryback was going to be given the belt in October of 2012. Even though Ryback had a huge wave of momentum behind him at the time and the support of live crowds? The Rock was due to face the WWE Champion at the Royal Rumble in January, and the marquee match for that night was pencilled in with CM Punk entering as said WWE Champion.

• Rusev: “People That Are Multi-Dimensional Have a Lot More Longevity in WWE”

“He (Triple H) goes, ‘Ryan,’ and he was just shooting me straight, he goes; ‘we’re never gonna have another marquee name after [John] Cena ever again. He’s the last one.” These comments seem to echo those previously made by Vince McMahon. McMahon stated that WWE’s ‘brand’ is the attraction, not the actual names on the marquee/card.

Even still, it is very enlightening to hear that one of WWE’s top brass behind the scenes believes that there won’t be another megastar in the company. With the Roman Regins experiment having seemingly failed over the last 5/6 years maybe ‘The Game’ has a point?

Do you agree with Triple H? Let us know in the comments

Last night on NXT, Pat McAfee punted Adam Cole in the head, seemingly knocking the former NXT Champion out cold. Today, Triple H appeared on ESPN’s “Get Up” and challenged the former NFL kicker to face Cole at TakeOver XXX on August 22nd.

Tensions between McAfee and Cole date back to an NXT live event in 2018. Cole then appeared on the Pat McAfee Show 2 weeks ago and things got heated between the two.

• Adam Cole Storms Out Of Interview With Pat McAfee

Cole and McAfee appeared to have patched things up before last night’s edition of NXT. McAfee was then on commentary during the Imperium vs Fish & O’Reilly match and made several disparaging remarks that Cole heard from ringside. Cole then confronted McAfee during the match and a melee ensued. During the chaos, McAfee found an opportunity to kick Cole in the head.

“Adam Cole and Pat McAfee have had a history here,” Triple H said on the show.

“Pat, now is your opportunity, you want to be famous? Just so happens, coincidentally as things happen in WWE and NXT, we have a big TakeOver PPV in a few weeks. August 22nd, NXT TakeOver XXX. My call out to Pat McAfee is put your money where your mouth is, let’s see how bad you are. Pat McAfee vs Adam Cole, on that stage, massive match.”

Adam Cole also commented on why it was Triple H challenging McAfee on the show and not him.

So far, the only matches scheduled for TakeOver XXX is Io Shirai vs Dakota Kai for the women’s title and the ladder match for the North American title.

Footage of the melee from NXT last night can be viewed in the player below:

Triple H has congratulated newly crowned NXT North American and NXT Champion Keith Lee. Lee emerged victorious from the Winner Take All match with Adam Cole during last night’s NXT Great American Bash Night Two.

Taking to social media, Triple H reflected on the occasion, calling it a “truly historic night” for NXT. He also noted how, with Lee now NXT Champion, the possibilities going forward are limitless.

“A truly historic night for #WWENXT tonight at #NXTGAB as @RealKeithLee now holds both the #NXTChampionship AND #NXTNATitle. Each new champion begins a new era… where he brings @WWENXT? The possibilities are #Limitless. #Congrats”

Triple H On Adam Cole’s Championship Reign

“The Game” also reflected on Adam Cole’s contribution to WWE’s black-and-gold brand. His loss ended his historic 403-day reign as NXT Champion.

Triple H explained how there is a saying that goes “it’s the talent that makes the title.” He stressed how Cole’s reign in NXT made the NXT Championship as prestigious as it is. Although the run may be over, Triple H noted how Cole is “just getting started.” He highlighted how Adam Cole is NXT and that fact is undisputed.

After the match, Lee dedicated his victory to WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry. Cameras caught up with the Undisputed Leader as well. Unable to voice his feelings at the moment, Cole walked away from the interview.