While the idea of Wednesday night wars between WWE NXT and AEW Dynamite seems to be a hot topic of discussion among fans, the officials from both sides have been claiming that they are not competing with each other.

AEW Vice President Cody Rhodes had just recently said that NXT is not their concern and now Triple H has made similar comments while keeping NXT in the perspective.

The WWE VP recently had an interview with Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT and when inquired about the competition they are facing, The former World Champion claimed that for him it is not a competitive thing:

“I don’t approach it as a competitive thing. To me, we’re just putting on our shows. I’m gonna put on the shows when we need to put them on, the best places we need to put them on, the right time slots for them and with the best talent I can find in the world. And we already have them. I’m confident in that. For me it’s not competitive against anyone or anything.

Triple H continued by saying that he just wants to put the best show possible for fans of NXT and claimed that it’s funny because they were doing the same thing a few years ago when there weren’t competitors out there.

Cody Rhodes On Ratings War Between AEW And NXT

Fans have been keeping a close eye on the ratings of Dynamite and NXT ever since both the shows went on air and the difference between them has been a topic of discussion.

However, when asked if they are worried about NXT during an interview with Yahoo Sports, Cody Rhodes had made similar comments as Triple H and he had claimed that the Black and Yellow brand is not a concern for them:

“There’s a romantic way to look at the ratings and say ‘Here we are, it’s the late 1990s again. Every Thursday let’s check ‘em.’ It’s fun to look at the ratings but I know internally we’re not having any pep rally speeches. Our concern is not NXT and I believe NXT’s concern is not us.”

The AEW official had then said that if anyone is going to succeed then they cannot be a reactionary brand and explained how it was a positive thing that there is a lot less cross over between the fan bases of both shows.

Quotes via WrestlingInc

According to comments made by Triple H recently, Tyson Fury would like a bigger role in WWE when he returns. Triple H spoke with Metro UK reporters this weekend while in Blackpool for the NXT UK Takeover event. During a media event, Triple H spoke about Tyson Fury’s future with the company.

Triple H spoke about how Fury first has to get through his rematch with Deontay Wilder on February 22nd before plans are made for his WWE return.

“That fight on February 22nd will be huge to him as to what his next steps are in all of this. So, we’re open to that stuff but it needs to be right for everybody,” Triple H said.

“Yeah, I think there are thoughts out there of a lot of things with Tyson Fury. He had a blast working with us,” Triple H continued. “It’s funny, one of the things that I learned with him doing the press for the other time he worked for us is that in his mind as a kid, he saw himself being a WWE superstar, not a boxer.”

Triple H would continue to talk about Fury’s performance at Crown Jewel against Braun Strowman. He also mentioned that he believes Tyson Fury wants to do something bigger than he has with WWE.

“The entertainment side of it, that showmanship side of him is in front. So I think he would love to do something more with us. He’d love to do a bigger thing.”

The full interview with Metro UK can be read here.

This past Sunday saw NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II take place in Blackpool, England at the Empress Ballroom. One of the major surprises from the hyped show saw NXT’s Undisputed Era appear at the end of the event. They attacked NXT UK’s Imperium stable. Speaking during a media scrum following the end of the show, Triple H was asked about how they managed to keep their appearance a surprise.

Triple H On Fan Secrecy

“It seems to me anyways that fans of NXT, both in the US and here, they wanna be respectful, I think, to what we’re trying to do, and it seems almost like […] even if somebody tended to see them here, they would be like, “Well, I’m not saying anything, I don’t want to ruin it.” Do you know what I mean?” Triple H said.

He continued, “Because, in some ways, I think there is this moment where was have said, “NXT is your brand.” We’ve built it that way. We mean that. If you’re watching, if you’re a fan, if you’re here, you’re a part of this. [You’re] with us. We’re building it from the ground up, and I think that resonates with fans.”

Triple H added how they don’t have issues with fans leaking Superstar sightings. He shared how he is appreciative and thankful that fans “protect the brand like we protect the brand.”

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

WWE executive Triple H is getting some negative feedback to a joke he made about WWE Superstar Paige being promiscuous.

During a media interview to promote NXT Takeover: Blackpool II over the weekend, Triple H was asked about the in-ring futures of Edge and Paige. The Game first claimed that with the medical conditions, their return would partly depend on their own personal choice and the choice of WWE’s medical personnel.

Triple H first claimed that with the medical conditions, their return would partly depend on their own personal choice and the choice of WWE’s medical personnel. He then said that their family situations also come into account. In doing so, he dropped an interesting ‘joke’ about Paige’s personal life.

“More importantly than that [returning to the ring], though, I would like to see them live long healthy lives. You know, Edge has kids. Paige – maybe. She probably has some she doesn’t know of.”

The joke is better suited with a male as the target, since they’d be more likely to have children they don’t know about, but Paige got the message loud and clear. The former WWE Divas Champion says it’s difficult to earn the respect of the public when her own boss mocks her publicly.

Renee Young and Nikki Bella expressed their support for Paige.

More From Triple H

Elsewhere in the interview, Triple H brought in the example of Daniel Bryan. He said that they allow people to go back when their medical experts believe that they have done what it requires to rehab their situation and they are safe to go back to the ring.

Edge has been subject to many rumors since his SummerSlam spot and recent reports indicate that he could be working towards a possible comeback.

On the other hand, not much has been said about Paige’s situation but she sparked rumors about her future when she recently claimed that she has a ‘whole lot of career left’ in her.

NXT Superstar Damien Priest has been making waves since his debut on the black-and-gold brand. As well as being a top talent in the ring, Priest also has a captivating entrance. In an interview with Sporting News, Priest opened up abut refining his entrance to suit his character. He managed to achieve this with the help of a WWE Legend who knows all about attention-grabbing entrances: “The Game” Triple H.

Damien Priest On Creating Presence

Priest reflected on his love of pro wrestling growing up. For him, it was never about the flashiest moves. Instead, it was the spectacle that captured his imagination. This drive for spectacle is something Priest has attempted to showcase throughout his career, always making sure his “presence was felt a little differently than everybody else.”

“There’s no shortage of good pro wrestlers and good entertainers,” he said. “There’s so many of them nowadays. But I’ve always been adamant about the way I was presented. I wanted to make sure it was special every time. I didn’t want somebody to turn on the TV midway through an entrance and change the channel. I wanted them to be intrigued without me even performing yet in the ring. That’s how I feel in love with the business.”

Capturing The Spectacle

Priest then pointed to Legends like The Undertaker and The Ultimate Warrior and the way they could entertain the crowd before they even stepped in the ring. It was something Priest wanted to capture with his own character.

“It was mesmerizing and I wanted to make sure that was a part of what my presentation was. I had a writeup of ideas that I brought to Triple H. He was super cool, didn’t turn down any ideas, he just morphed them to make them better and was very adamant about — in agreement with me about — that my presentation had to be unique and special because there’s no shortage of guys that can go in the ring.”

He continued, “This company, especially our brand, it’s known for our go, go, go, in-ring style so that’s not an issue. The issue was creating something that stood out a little bit differently and created something a little more special which I’ve tried to do my entire career no matter where I worked. Here, with the production team we have, we’re able to do it in a way cooler way and I was excited.”

Full Entrance

Priest added how the presentation of his character with WWE’s guidance really excited him when he first signed with the promotion. He shared how, when he and other Superstars go over ideas, he will stress the importance of his full entrance. 

“I’m like as long as I have a full entrance, whatever you guys need me to do and everybody starts laughing because that, to me, is so important, the presentation aspect. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to do and the way it’s perceived. People dig it and I’m glad because we worked hard at it.”

Damien Preist took part in a Fatal 4 Way on this week’s episode of NXT. The winner of the match would become the new number one contender to Roderick Strong’s NXT North American Championship. Keith Lee would emerge victorious. 

Triple H has been taking part in several media calls to promote this Sunday’s NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II event. Whilst speaking to Sportskeeda, Triple H shared his thoughts on one particular WWE Superstar: Drew McIntyre.

Triple H On Drew McIntyre In 2020

When asked if McIntyre could be the first-ever Scottish and British WWE Champion, and whether he might achieve this accomplishment in 2020, Triple H replied:

“I think it’s a possibility,” Triple H said. “Drew has had an incredible run, started off at such a young age, and he’s still so young now and he’s kind of just coming into his own now as a performer, really. I told him that the sky is the limit for him. He left for a while, he had to go clear himself out and realise what he wanted, and step away and come back even better.”

Triple H continued, “He’s an incredibly hard worker and he’s as serious as serious can be. He wants to be the best in the world and, when you have that type of attitude and that strong work ethic, absolutely, it’s a possibility.”

Drew McIntyre’s Royal Rumble Ambitions

McIntyre has made his championship intentions clear in the past. He recently announced he will be participating in this month’s 30-Man Royal Rumble match. Other Superstars competing for a championship opportunity include Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio and AJ Styles.

This past Monday night on RAW, Paul Heyman revealed that his client, and current WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar, would also be participating in the match. Lesnar will start the match as the very first entrant.

Triple H recently spoke to Metro.co.uk to promote the upcoming Takeover: Blackpool II event and the Game spoke about a number of interesting topics during the interview.

CM Punk has been in news in the recent months due to his new role at WWE Backstage and a lot of people have been wondering if this new relationship will turn out to be the foundation for Punk’s return to WWE ring.

Stephanie McMahon has previously said that she wants both Punk and his wife AJ Lee back in WWE and when asked about his wife’s comments, the former World Champion also replied positively:

‘If it was right for them, for the company, for everyone involved, then absolutely. I don’t think that’s ever been a factor, of somebody, saying “this person should be here, or that person should be here”.

Triple H continued by saying that incredible talent are always incredible talent and mentioned how The Boss Mr. McMahon has echoed the sentiment never say never, over and over again.

Triple H On Possible Retirement From In-Ring Action

The King Of Kings has seen an increase in his backstage responsibilities lately but at the same time, his participation in active competition has declined.

The last time he laced up his boots for a match was at WrestleMania last year where H competed in a No Holds Barred match against Batista and since then people have been wondering if we have seen the last of the Game’s in-ring career.

While he did not address the issue directly, Triple H did tease a possible retirement during the interview, while explaining how he has to remind himself that he is not young anymore:

“Sometimes I look at the talent and I think, oh man, if I was 25 and could step in the ring with them – but then the reality quickly comes back to me. ‘You’re not 25 and you can’t do that!’

The business evolves, and in some way – I look at it, from a story telling standpoint, that’s what we’re sort of teaching them and that comes from experience. But the physicality of it and the things that a lot of talent are able to do – I couldn’t do that anyway!’

The Vice President went on to admit that there are a lot of current talents he would have loved to work with if he was in his prime but he remembers that he is not young anymore.

Triple H has not given any timetable for retirement so it’s likely that he will be available for possible storylines in the foreseeable future and step back in the ring a few more times before finally calling it a career.

However, at 50 years old, it’s pretty sure that the former World Champion won’t be returning to the ring for a extended run and any match could be the last match of his career.

Both Triple H and former NXT UK commentator Vic Joseph have shared their excitement ahead of this weekend’s NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II event.

Taking to Twitter, “The Game” Triple H reflected on how the event takes them back to where it all began. He shared how NXT UK’s mentality gave fans and Superstars a place to rally behind and claim “THIS IS OUR BRAND.”

“Back to where it all began. Where fans and Superstars alike joined together to say THIS IS OUR BRAND. Before we return to Blackpool for #NXTUKTakeOver: Blackpool II, see how we got there. See the latest #PrimeTarget on this week’s episode of @NXTUK on @WWENetwork. #WeAreNXTUK”

Vic Joseph’s First Opportunity

Joseph, who previously worked on the NXT UK brand before being moved to RAW, added his thoughts on the event. He expressed how it was difficult for him to convey how much NXT UK means to him as a brand, given that it provided him with his first opportunity. He also shared his gratitude in how it allowed him to learn from and work closely with Nigel McGuinness.

“Hard to put into words what @NXTUK means to me. It’s where @TripleH gave me my first opportunity, where I learned from @McGuinnessNigel, where I was part of the foundation that grew into an empire! Don’t miss #NXTUKTakeOver: Blackpool II THIS Sunday on the @WWENetwork #WeAreNXTUK”

NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II takes place this Sunday, January 12th from the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, England. It will be main evented by WALTER against Joe Coffey for the NXT United Kingdom Championship.

It turns out that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and Triple H were among top officials not backstage at WWE RAW as they were absent. 

Pwinsider.com reported on Monday afternoon that McMahon, Triple H, and  Kevin Dunn missed Monday’s episode of RAW, which marked the final show of 2019. 

Vince McMahon & Triple H Absent

As of this writing, there’s no word yet on why the three are missing show. It should be noted that it’s somewhat odd of them missing it due to the fact the show is held at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. The site of RAW is just 1.5 hours from Stamford, where WWE HQ is.

Instead, RAW Executive Director Paul Heyman and WWE Vice President of Global Television Production Michael Mansury are in charge of running the show. 

That doesn’t mean that the WWE Chairman and CEO hasn’t been in contact with those two officials as he has the final say on the script and when he does miss shows, he’s in constant communication with the top officials at the TV events. 

John Laurinaitis was running the pre-show rehearsals in the arena. WWE Hall of Famer and Producer Michael “PS” Hayes appears to be the lead producer of the matches.

McMahon and Triple H were not backstage at the final pay-per-view event of 2019, TLC. earlier this month either. 

McMahon and Triple H have missed a few shows this year due to their other projects going on as such as the XFL and NXT

• WWE RAW Preview: Wedding Segment, TLC Rematch

Triple H was recently a guest on Corey Graves’ podcast “WWE After the Bell.” During the conversation, Triple H commented on Tommaso Ciampa’s comments on Lillian Garcia’s “Chasing Glory” podcast where he stated he told WWE he’d retire if he was called up to the main roster.

• Tommaso Ciampa Told WWE He’d Retire If They Moved Him To The Main Roster

“In his current place physically, could he handle the schedule?” Triple H asked noting the neck injuries Ciampa has endured. “Could he handle the grind and the wear and tear and everything else of a full run on Raw or Smackdown, right?”

Triple H noted that Ciampa is looking to maximize his time left in wrestling by working NXT’s lighter schedule.

“Even though (WWE’s) schedule has now dropped and has become much more manageable, especially if you have a family and everything else, but for him, he probably looks at it and says, ‘Look, if I was on the main roster, I have a run that’s this long. If I was on NXT with a lessened schedule and much more manageable, I have a run that’s this long.’ He’d rather do this for a long period of time and then transition into doing all the other stuff that he loves.”

Triple H also mentioned during the show that they are preparing to train Ciampa to work as a producer.

“When the time is right, he’ll be a phenomenal coach,” Triple H said of Ciampa. “He’ll be a phenomenal backstage producer. We’re letting him get experienced in that now. He goes to EVOLVE right now, and he’ll go there and he’ll sign autographs or whatever. But then during the day, he’s a producer.”

Transcriptions via 411Mania

WWE COO Triple H and trainer at the WWE Performance Center and Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels recently appeared on the After The Bell podcast with Corey Graves. During the show the former D-Generation X members discussed a variety of topics; notably NXT and where the brand is headed.

(HB)UK

Triple H made some interesting comments regarding NXT UK, saying that the ‘Heartbreak Kid’ has actually taken over the reigns of the project over in the United Kingdom. “The one thing that Shawn isn’t even mentioning on his end, everybody has so much going on, but as NXT was evolving to USA [Network] and picking up that pace it made me have to back out of some things,” Hunter explained. “Shawn picked up the ball on the UK and basically that got pushed his way. He was such an integral part of it anyway that he just kind of latched on more to it. He’s been heading over there, what is it? Every five or six weeks we do television. He’s kind of heading over there and spearheading that. Sort of taking on the ownership of that brand totally in and of himself.”

Jim Smallman Working Under Shawn Michaels

Triple H elaborated further, mentioning how there is still a team behind Michaels at NXT’s UK division. This includes former PROGRESS Wrestling co-owner Jim Smallman; who will be leaving the company at the end of this year to join NXT UK full time. “We still have other people that are involved in it and a team over there, Jim Smallman and everybody else. But Shawn’s really been the one that’s spearheaded that project. So on top of NXT becoming this weekly thing and everything else he has also been going over there and guiding that ship so to speak. So he’s been double busy and it’s been awesome because that brand is taking off as well.”

Triple H discussed a wide range of topics while doing an interview with Corey Graves for the After The Bell podcast on Thursday. 

During the interview, “The Game” discussed the creation of having a brand in the UK market through the way of NXT UK back in 2016. With the brand getting bigger each year, that has caused an impact on other promotions in the UK.

Promotions such as WrestleCircus, Defiant and Pro Wrestling Chaos have closed its doors as they do not have a working relationship with WWE such as ICW and Progress. 

According to Triple H, fans don’t understand what the company is trying to do in the UK, which has caused some promotions to shut down. 

“People misunderstood what we were trying to accomplish over in the UK because of small thinking or short sightedness. Yes, some of these indies are going to go away. The ones that are going to go away are the ones who are paying you $25 bucks when they promised you $75 bucks.”

Triple H talked about those are the promotions that don’t have a ring that will hold up or proper medical care. Instead, those promotions who don’t work with WWE are the ones that just want to sell tickets off the popularity of its talent and could care less what the wrestlers do.  

• Main Event Officially Announced For WWE NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II

“We wanted to work with the ones who were cultivating talent. The ones that were encouraging them to become better, working with them on promos or giving them guidance, right or wrong on their matches.”

Triple H brought up how the promotions that they work with are the ones that WWE NXT UK talent to freelance work for and the ones that are thriving.

The latest special for the NXT UK brand is right around the corner. NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II goes down on Sunday, January 12, 2020 at the Empress Ballroom and will air on their streaming service, the WWE Network. 

H/T to CageSide Seats for the transcript

It turns out that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and Triple H were not backstage at the final pay-per-view event of 2019, TLC.  The news comes courtesy of John Pollock of POST Wrestling.

It was also noted that they did check in with the WWE official in charge in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Target Center.  As of this writing, there’s no word yet on why they were not at the show or who ran TLC. It’s likely that the person who ran the show had more contact with Vince or Triple H during the show.

It’s also not known if McMahon and Triple H are at Monday’s episode of RAW in Des Moines, IA at the Wells Fargo Arena. 

It’s no secret that the schedules for Triple H and McMahon have become busier in recent months. Triple H is in charge of the WWE NXT brand and the show has evolved as it was moved to live weekly TV on the USA Network back in September. McMahon’s schedule is also busier as he prepares for the XFL re-launch in early 2020.

McMahon and Triple H have missed a few shows this year due to their NXT and XFL projects.

• NBA Star Enes Kanter Says He’s Had Talks With Triple H & Vince McMahon Over WWE Career

AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes recently appeared on Sirius XM’s Busted Open Radio show. The former WWE Superstar spoke to Dave LaGreca and co-host Tommy Dreamer about AEW, WWE and the fanbases arguing online.

AEW and WWE Fan Divide

Dreamer asked Rhodes about the divide between WWE/NXT and AEW fans. Cody replied saying “I think about this a lot. Because social media’s become an accepted part of our lives now. I keep telling people I can’t remember when we didn’t have the stuff, I mean it’s not going away.”

Cody Rhodes – “A Little Fear from WWE Fans?”

Cody continued, talking about the longtime WWE fans who remain vehemently against AEW, almost on principle. “I’ve tried to kind of learn from it and study it, there’s a logic to both sides of this big deep divided argument. Whether there’s a little bit of fear from long time WWE fans or whether there’s kind of a dislike of the bold personalities because we’ve done some really bold things. Like the breaking the throne [at Double or Nothing] and we are taking little fun jabs. Like Jericho does in this promos here and there.”

When Chris Jericho unveiled his ‘Inner Circle’ stable he took a shot at WWE creative after fans chanted ‘we the people’ at Jake Hager (formerly Jack Swagger in WWE).

Cody Rhodes – “Fans ‘Too Protective’ of AEW”

Rhodes was quick to mention the fact that there are AEW fans who are almost too ‘protective’ of the new brand. “On the other side of it there’s AEW super fans who are kind of overly protective and sometimes are being too generous to us. Because obviously we’re gonna slip up and make mistakes. If you’re ever to put all those people in a room together with their NXT shirts and their AEW shirts I’m sure they would get along just fine because they’re wrestling fans.”

More Than Just Wrestling

Cody was also quick to mention that this argument goes deeper than just wrestling. “If you look at the geopolitical climate, which I’ve followed very closely yeah if you look at everything that’s happening out in the world, our fan base really does need to make better efforts I think to suggest to get along.”

Cody Rhodes on Triple H

Rhodes also discussed how this mentality should be coming ‘from the top’ of AEW as well. “If I were to see Triple H in this moment I would I would shake his hand. I probably even give him a hug out of everything that happened and I learned a lot from him. But he’s on the absolute opposite side of the fence in the same role I have with a with AEW but much more experience.”

As reported before, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch were guests at the Gorilla Position Live event in London, where they answered several fan questions.

A question was posed to Seth Rollins, regarding his future WWE Hall of Fame induction. Rollins was asked who he would like to get inducted by into the HOF. He thought for a few seconds and said “Maybe Triple H.”

Seth Rollins and Triple H has had quite a bit of history between them. Back in 2014, Rollins betrayed his brethren of the Shield and turned on Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. He then joined Triple H and became the corporate star.

Rollins was on top of the company because of his alliance with Triple H, until Triple H turned on Rollins and helped Kevin Owens win the Universal Championship. Triple H labelled Rollins as an abject failure despite of all the chances he was given. This culminated into a match at WrestleMania 33, which Rollins won.

On Gorilla Position, the duo were asked many other questions. They were asked who their current crush was, to which Becky Lynch replied named Jeff Hardy. Host James Delow mocked Rollins by saying “Seth said Finn Balor”, and The Architect jokingly agreed to it. He also said that Jeff Hardy is his crush too.

Meanwhile Rollins was also asked who he thinks will induct Lynch into the Hall of Fame. Becky named Finn Balor, and Rollins replied to her answer in a jovial vein by replying that he thought it was Charlotte Flair who would induct her.

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle recently took part in an online Q&A session on Facebook. When asked about working with WWE Legends, and fellow Hall of Famers, Triple H and Shawn Michaels, Angle revealed how much the two helped him grow as a performer, thanks to their willingness to share their knowledge.

“HHH and Shawn were not only extremely talented in the ring, but they shared so much of their knowledge of the business. I took their advice on many occasions. DX will always be the hottest clique in sports entertainment.”

When a fan asked him if he would still be performing in the square circle given a chance, Angle replied: “No more wrestling for me.” He explained that he is now a WWE Producer and enjoys helping current Superstars structure their matches. However, Angle admitted that, if he had a preference, he would still choose to compete in the ring. He added how he is now 51 years old and that it’s time for him to “step aside and allow the young guys to do their thing.”

Angle wrestled his farewell match during this past April’s WrestleMania 35 event in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. Despite his best efforts, he eventually lost his final bout to Baron Corbin.

NBA Boston Celtics player Enes Kanter is focused on making the transition from basketball to the world of pro wrestling. 

He doubled down on his desire to become a pro wrestler when he was recently interviewed by TMZ sports where he noted that he’s looking to wrestle in WWE once his days as a pro basketball player are over. 

He was quoted by stating, “Full-time, I’m ready, I’m actually already talking to some people.” 

Enes Kanter Expresses More Interest In WWE After NBA Career, Talks 24/7 Title Win

Kanter brought up how he has a friendship with Paul Heyman and that he’s spoken with Triple H as well as WWE CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon. He added that he plans to play 6 or 7 more years in the NBA then will go to WWE. 

WWE had Kanter do a segment with R-Truth, who was the WWE 24/7 Champion at the time, back on September 9th in New York City, NY at Madison Square Garden. 

Kanter briefly won the title when he beat R-Truth before airing a live episode of RAW. R-Truth would later reclaim the title. 

You can watch a video of his appearance on Main Event from this fan footage:

More and more WWE talents have been taking their issues with the promotion to social media recently and they have been opening up about their frustrations. However, the company’s vice president Triple H believes that it’s not the right way.

The Game recently spoke to The Hindu where he discussed topics like his visit to India in 2017, NXT’s expansion into a brand of its own and more.

While talking about the athletes airing their issues with the company on social media, H said that he doesn’t agree with it at all and the former World Champion then explained that talents should be professional about it:

“I don’t agree with it at all. Obviously in any organisation, there are arguments and disagreements. Athletes need to be professional about it and not take to viewing their opinions in public.

If they want to see out their contracts or leave the company, they need to do it internally — not try to ‘break the internet’ as has become the norm these days!”

Triple H’s comments are directed towards the WWE performers who have opened up about their frustrations with the company on social media in recent times.

This list includes the likes of Mike Kanellis and Sin Cara who discussed their situation on social media after asking for their release and there are also others like Jordan Myles, who recently made a lot of headlines after accusing the company of racism before his release.

Triple H has spoken highly of NXT Champion Adam Cole’s stellar week leading into this past Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. He referred to the Undisputed Era leader as “NXT’s Iron Man.” Now he has praised for NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler for her major main event victory.

“The Game” wrote the following on Twitter, responding to WWE’s own message highlighting Survivor Series’ final scores:

“.@QoSBaszler: The Queen of Spades, the #WWENXT Women’s Champion and the Standard Bearer of the @WWENXT Women’s division. The exclamation point of this #SurvivorSeries in her victory over two of the VERY best in this business. #NXT 4#Smackdown 2#WWERaw 1”

Prior to her Sunday night main event opportunity, “The Queen of Spades” wrestled in a hellacious WarGames at NXT TakeOver. Despite her team’s best efforts, Team Ripley would walk away successfully from the cage.

At Survivor Series, Baszler defeated both WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley. They competed in a non-title Triple Threat matchup. This win helped NXT comfortably take the point advantage over RAW and SmackDown. The black-and-gold brand ended their night with 4 victories.

With NXT coming out on top, WWE has firmly established them as their third brand, further distancing themselves from the developmental system they once were.

Following this past Saturday’s NXT TakeOver: WarGames event, Triple H took part in a media conference call. One subject “The Game” spoke about was the possibility of WWE’s black-and-gold brand hosting TakeOver events worldwide.

“I think that’s a little bit of a work in progress,” Triple H confessed. “It’s a big world, a lot of really cool places to go work. As much as I can look at the UK and say, going back to Blackpool, I think they’d do spectacularly in London. I also think we can go to Glasgow. We went to Cardiff, it was amazing. There’s so many places, and that’s just picking the places we already go to on a regular basis, I think when we get outside of those, start going to different countries and regions, oh my gosh.”

He continued, “And then you start talking about NXT here, like this NXT U.S. brand, any one of those places could kill it. You could go to Japan, you could go to Australia, it’s a big world. I’d love to look at all of it, I’d love to bring them to all of it. Trying to figure how to make that happen with live TV and everything else, that’s the trick.”

In recent years, WWE has branched out its NXT brand, starting with NXT UK. NXT UK has since hosted their own TakeOver events, but these were roster and brand-specific events. There have been discussions in the past regarding further brand extensions in different countries.

H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

It looks like CM Punk won’t be appearing on Tuesday’s episode of WWE Backstage on FS1, which may disappoint some fans. 

The WWE on FOX Twitter account announced on Monday night that Triple H will be appearing on the episode as he’ll be calling in live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida ahead of Wednesday’s episode of NXT. 

When the announcement was made, many fans got excited over the possibility of a conversation between Triple H and CM Punk on the show. However, Punk will not be appearing on the show this week in his role as an analyst.

This was claimed by the WWE on FOX Twitter account after one fan asked if Punk will be on this week’s show, as seen here: 

WWE Reportedly Wants Steve Austin To Interview CM Punk

Punk made his debut on the show two weeks ago and then was on the show for the full hour last week where he talked about a wide range of topics.

At the time, it was noted that Punk wouldn’t be appearing on the show every week. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on why he won’t be appearing this week.

There is some history between Triple H and Punk. This is one of the many things that Punk talked about during his appearance on Colt Cabana’s podcast a few years ago where at the time, Punk had some resentment towards Triple H.

Triple H, has shared some high praise for both “The Bruiserweight” Pete Dunne and the current NXT Champion, Adam Cole.

Taking to Twitter following their clash at last night’s Survivor Series pay-per-view, Triple H called their matchup “AMAZING.” He also highlighted Cole’s performance, labelling the Undisputed Era leader as NXT’s Iron Man.

“.@PeteDunneYxB. @AdamColePro. AMAZING. Adam Cole = #WWENXT’s iron man. #WeAreNXT #SurvivorSeries”

Given the hectic, physically demanding nature of Cole’s week leading up to Survivor Series, Triple H’s comment is more than justified. During Wednesday night’s episode of NXT, Cole faced off against Dominik Dijakovic in a ladder match. The winner of this match would determine which team received the advantage for their WarGames matchup on Saturday. Cole was able to emerge victorious, granting Undisputed Era that much needed edge.

Saturday saw the stable compete in the WarGames matchup. They clashed against the team of Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic and a returning Kevin Owens. Cole took a serious bump from the top of the cage through a couple of tables, courtesy of Ciampa’s Air Raid Crash. This move saw Team Ciampa able to secure the win.

Cole’s weekend was then capped off with an NXT Championship matchup against Dunne. “The Bruiserwight” had won the right at the belt during his triple threat match against Killian Dain and Damian Priest on TakeOver: WarGames. Cole successfully defended his precious NXT Championship.

Triple H and Stephanie McMahon have both addressed Lacey Evans and Natalya’s history-making match at Crown Jewel. The women will compete in the first-ever women’s wrestling match to take place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia later today for the WWE special.

Both took to Twitter to address the occasion. Stephanie McMahon stressed how proud she was of both Superstars, as well as all the women who helped pave the way to this “groundbreaking moment.”

“I’m so proud of @LaceyEvansWWE, @NatbyNature and all the women who have paved the way for this groundbreaking moment, the first-ever women’s match in Saudi Arabia. It’s time to make history again! #WomensEvolution #CrownJewel @WWE”

Triple H shared Stephanie’s sentiment, reiterating how it’s an incredible moment for Evans, Natalya, the entire women’s locker room and all those that came before.

“Incredible for both of these athletes, the entire @WWE women’s locker room, and all those who paved the way for this moment. Congratulations @LaceyEvansWWE and @natbynature, continue to show the world what you can do!!!”

Stephanie McMahon recently confirmed that both women will be competing in full bodysuits, in order to be respectful of Saudi Culture.

WWE Crown Jewel takes place later today from the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. WWE’s Kickoff show will start at 12PM ET.

Triple H Absent From WWE RAW

Triple H was a notable name that is not backstage at WWE Monday Night RAW in St. Louis, Missouri at the Enterprise Center, according to PWinsider.com. 

As of this writing, there’s no word yet as to why he wasn’t at the show. Two potential reasons could be him already being in Orlando, Florida for Wednesday’s episode of NXT or in Saudi Arabia for Thursday’s Crown Jewel pay-per-view event. 

WWE Announces Several New NXT Events

On Monday, October 28, WWE NXT announced through its official Twitter account several upcoming NXT live events.

The black-and-yellow brand will do a four-day tour starting on Thursday, Dec. 12, at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium. NXT will then take over the Visalia Convention Center on Friday, Dec. 13. 

NXT then goes to Santa Cruz on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, before wrapping up its road trip on Sunday, Dec. 15, at the San Jose State University Events Center.

Tickets for all four events will be available at NXTtickets.com starting this Friday, November 1, at 10 a.m. local time.

The Undisputed ERA – NXT Champion Adam Cole, NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong and NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish – NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler, Io Shirai, Matt Riddle, Bianca Belair, Tyler Breeze, Mia Yim and many more are all advertised for the shows.

Triple H and Lineal Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury recently joined Ariel Helwani for an episode of Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. During their conversation, both Triple H and Fury addressed the rumors surrounding Fury’s reported payday. He also spoke about WWE’s decision to return to Saudi Arabia for their upcoming event, Crown Jewel. 

“Listen, I can’t comment on moneys. So I’ve read [the rumors] but I don’t know where their information has come from but I’m not going to confirm or deny because I don’t want to breach my contract,” Tyson said.

Triple H added, “It is amazing how much other people count people’s money isn’t it? Look, you could make an argument that WWE right now – if you say one of the big 4 sports in America, you could make an argument that we’re right there. This is a moment in time and, to his point, I’m not going to confirm or deny but the positioning of what we are is no different from any other sport. We’re not the size of the NFL or anything like that but what we do is up there.” 

He joked that “If you want the king, you’ve got to pay for the king!”

Crown Jewel

Turning the conversation towards WWE’s return to Saudi Arabia, Triple H explained how they are, ultimately, an entertainment company with millions of fans in the Middle East that they want to entertain.

“They love what we do, they love the product and love to be entertained by us. This is an opportunity for us to go there like we have been doing for years, and years, and years and go there and entertain our fan base,” Hunter said. 

He continued, “I think that our talent especially have seen that when they go there, what they do is they see an event just like the other events that they do. They see tens of thousands of fans in the stadium going crazy for what they do. That’s what we do – we entertain. We’re not in it for politics or anything else, it’s about going there and entertaining our fan base and there’s millions of fans there.”

Fury added that not only is he a prizefighter, he is also an entertainer. Because of this, he will go where he has to in order to entertain fans.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.