Triple H gave some interesting comments while doing a brief interview with TMZ Sports while on the street signing autographs and taking photos with fans.
Right out of the gate, Triple H was asked about whether he’ll be back he will make a ring return.
“It’ll depend. Hopefully not, I’m too busy right now. It takes a lot of work to get in the ring. Yeah, still training all the time, but a lot of work.”
Triple H’s last match came back in June while working tag team matches on a tour of Japan.
His last televised match was when he lost to Randy Orton in a singles match at the Super ShowDown event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Triple H was also asked about the future of former WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey.
This is where he noted that she’s doing phenomenal and has the bug for the pro wrestling industry. “The Game” added that she’ll be back at some point but she’s getting a lot done right now.
Rousey was last seen in action in the main event of WrestleMania 35 in April.
Triple H continues to make the media rounds with boxing Lineal Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury to promote WWE Crown Jewel.
Triple H and Fury recently appeared on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show where they spoke about a wide range of topics.
At the end of the interview, Helwani asked Triple H about CM Punk’s possible return to WWE as a performer or on-air personality. This is where “The Game” implied that any past issues between the two sides have been put to rest.
“That’s a ‘could be’. Vince will say it all the time, ‘We’re open for business’. The past is passed, today is today and you never say never in WWE.”
Punk possibly working on the WWE Backstage show for FS1 that premieres next month has been a hot topic over the last several weeks. The reason for that is due to Punk having a tryout by filming some test material.
Renee Young will host the show with WWE Hall of Famer Booker T being part of the panel. As of this writing, WWE nor FOX has confirmed whether Punk has the gig.
The weekly hour-long studio show is set to premiere on Tuesday, November 5th. Fury will take on Braun Strowman in a singles match at the Crown Jewel PPV later this month.
Tyson Fury has impressed some key WWE figures as he prepares for his in-ring debut against Braun Strowman at WWE Crown Jewel. Speaking with Bleacher Report, WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative, Triple H, shared his thoughts on Fury’s progression in the squared circle.
“I was blown away,” Triple H admitted. “I sent Vince [McMahon] a video of him about 45 minutes after the first day he was at the Performance Center, and I said, ‘You’re not going to believe this, look at what he’s already doing.’”
He reflected on how Fury is a fast learner, adding that he is “laser-focused” on succeeding in-ring. Triple H has previously shared that he believes Fury is a custom made fit for WWE.
“He picks it up so quickly because he’s so laser-focused on it. He wants to put on this epic show,” he said. “He has the desire for it to be great. He’s asking for more; he wants more; he’s jumping in with both feet. It’s almost like having to pull the reins back a little bit to get him to slow down and say, ‘maybe we don’t want to do that quite yet.’ It’s amazing to see that level of dedication.”
Fury faces off against Braun Strowman later this month at WWE Crown Jewel on October 31st. The event takes place at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
WWE had announced prior to the preview special of WWE Backstage that Triple H will be revealing an additional draft trade which has been made after the initial draft concluded on this week’s episode of Raw.
The former World Champion then appeared on the show and revealed that the new Executive Director of SmackDown, Bruce Prichard has managed to acquire former Women’s Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross for his show.
Though it wasn’t revealed which stars Raw will be getting in exchange for the two female stars and instead, it was said that the trade has been made in exchange for some “future draft picks.”
Both Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross were originally chosen by USA Network for Raw but the two were drafted as singles competitors, meaning that the USA Executives exhausted an extra draft pick on the duo just to trade them back to SmackDown Live.
The interview also featured Triple H’s comment on the
appointment of Bruce Prichard as the new Executive Director of SmackDown Live
after the release of Eric Bischoff.
While H did not comment on the departure of the former WCW President, he did say that he is excited for Prichard to take on the role.
WWE aired a special preview of their upcoming show WWE Backstage on Tuesday. During the preview, the Game Triple H commented on the appointment of Bruce Prichard as the new Executive Director of SmackDown.
Talking about the change the Game revealed that he doesn’t
know the specific details of the same but claimed that Prichard can bring the
Blue Brand where it needs to be:
”I don’t know all the details exactly [as to how he got the
job]. I’m excited for it. Bruce has been a key figure in this industry over the
past 40 years … having Bruce at the helm of SmackDown, he can bring it where it
needs to be … He’s going to be making some big moves.”
Eric Bischoff had also recently commented on the matter via a tweet and while he didn’t address the reason for his release from the company, Bischoff praised Prichard as a great producer and good friend.
It’s unknown what led to the departure of Eric Bischoff but reports say that the news was not a shock for the people backstage. You can check out a report with additional details on this change here.
Triple H has spoken about WWE’s mainstream crossover appeal in the past. Recently, WWE secured two top names to appear for them in heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez.
In an interview with the Not Sam Roberts Podcast, Triple H addressed their signing to the promotion, claiming that “it’s great for WWE.”
“I also think it’s great for boxing and MMA. People forget that this is a global company, you talk about household names: Brock Lesnar, WWE Superstars are in many ways the biggest superstars athletically in sports out there because WWE kind of transcends language and nationalities,” Triple H said.
“It’s kind of the one true sport that is everywhere so the aspect of this that crosses all those boundaries with Cain Velasquez, even in places where MMA is not necessarily as big or boxing is sort of everywhere, it’s that crossover that makes the appeal for everybody. It benefits us and benefits them. To me, it’s awesome to bring in this level of talent. Tyson Fury is one of the greatest boxers ever; Cain Velasquez, his career in MMA kind of represents itself well. There’s nothing you can say.”
Transitioning To Pro Wrestling
Athletes from outside of wrestling have often transitioned into the world of the squared circle. Triple H has previously stated that the WWE Performance Center has become instrumental in how they help talent adjust and learn to become sports entertainers. He commented on the journey both Fury and Velasquez are on in the run-up to WWE Crown Jewel.
“It’s a funny thing, as I spoke with Cain Velasquez about a year, year and a half ago he came down to the Performance Center and saw what we did and got in the ring. And obviously from an athlete’s standpoint he was there but it was a question of him as an entertainer, what can he do? But, he has sort of reinvented himself over the last year and has shown that he can do more than just be the fighter.”
He continued, “Tyson Fury I think was born to be a sports entertainer who just ended up in boxing in a way because of his background. But if you look across boxing right now it is hard to find someone as entertaining, not only in promotions for fights, but actually in the fights. He is a consummate showman at all times. He is made for this and I can tell you just from the few times that I have seen him step into the ring already just doing what we do, it’s like a fish in the water. He is going to be awesome.”
Both Fury and Velasquez are scheduled to make their WWE debuts at WWE Crown Jewel on October 31st. Fury will face off against Braun Strowman. Velasquez, meanwhile, will compete against Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship.
Triple H says that Ronda Rousey is part of the WWE family and will be back with the company at some point. Hunter was interviewed recently by MMA Junkie and mentioned that Rousey is still in contact with many people in WWE and will likely be back “sooner rather than later.” He also mentioned she has been pitching ideas for her return.
“Don’t have a specific timeline but she’s with us,” Triple H said when asked if Rousey would return. “This is family for her, she’s coming back. She has said it, she calls us all the time. I think the biggest tear for her right now is trying to do what she wants in her personal life and just missing this. It’s hard to explain, this is like a family and there is a brotherhood and a sisterhood here that’s deep with people.”
“I don’t think she understood that walking in the door, but when she got here, she said to me multiple times, ‘It’s like the family that I never knew I was missing, and the group of friends and the environment I never knew I was missing.’ I think she misses that greatly. She talks to everybody all the time, she’s constantly with us, and she’s constantly pitching her return. So, if I had to guess, it would be sooner than later, but who knows?”
Triple H spends most of the conversation with MMA Junkie discussing Tyson Fury and Cain Velasquez. His comments regarding Rousey come in at the 9-minute mark:
What Is Ronda Rousey Up To These Days?
Ronda Rousey has been gone from WWE since WrestleMania. In that time, she has kept her fans up-to-date with what she’s been doing on her YouTube channel. She released a mock trailer for a non-existent horror movie titled “Tables” along with D-Von Dudley:
Rousey can also be seen on the latest season of Total Divas.
Triple H opened up on where things stand with former WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey.
“The Game” did so when he spoke with the media after the press conference that took place on Friday in Las Vegas.
When asked about when she’ll return, he stated, “Don’t have a specific timeline but she’s with us. This is family for her. She’s coming back.”
Triple H stated that Rousey has said the same thing and she calls them all of the time. He thinks the biggest tear for her right now is trying to do what she wants in her personal life and just missing WWE as the company is like a family and that’s deep with their talent.
Triple H doesn’t think that Rousey understood that walking in the door when she got here and how she never thought that she would miss being here and the environment that comes with that.
He added that Rousey talks with everybody and that she’s constantly pitching her return.
“If I had to guess, it would be sooner rather than later, but who knows?”
Rousey is currently on hiatus from WWE as she was last seen at WrestleMania 35 following an incredible first-year run with the company.
It’s not uncommon for athletes from different sporting backgrounds to try professional wrestling. Whether it’s from professional football or mixed martial arts, numerous sports stars worldwide have attempted wrestling. Speaking with Sam Roberts’ Wrestling Podcast, Triple H discussed this crossover appeal as well as the transition period and struggles people have encountered entering the squared circle.
“I am a big believer in athletes. No different than you see Baron Corbin, I know he gets a lot of heat, but he’s a phenomenal performer. He was an NFL player. He was a fan but came into this a little bit later as a performer,” said Triple H. “You see Braun Strowman coming in from Strongman competitions, so you see athletes coming in from all different backgrounds.”
He credited the WWE Performance Center in being instrumental, explaining that the concept of the WWE PC was to create a pathway for these people into sports entertainment.
“I would meet people all of the time in various sporting events or entertainment where they talk to us about saying that they have always dreamed about being in WWE. They are such fans and would love to do it but how would they get into it? There was no clear path to do this. I would meet guys that were in the NFL thinking that they had another year left to play but I’m 23 and I want to continue to be an athlete. I have always dreamed about two things: NFL, which I had done that and WWE. How can I get there? To create a pathway for them and create a place where they can go train so that they can make that transition.”
Triple H then highlighted Ronda Rousey’s successful foray into pro wrestling. He shared that without that system in place, it would have been a lot harder and less likely for outside athletes to succeed.
Triple H recently opened up how executives at the USA Network reacted to the viewership numbers for the premiere episode of WWE NXT.
He did so while speaking with TV Insider where he noted that he talked with USA executive Chris McCumber, President of Entertainment Networks, after the show.
“When those ratings came out after the first episode came out, I spoke to Chris McCumber at USA, and they were thrilled beyond what they were hoping for and expecting,” Triple H said.
Triple H continued by noting that now becomes what they do and how to grow it bigger as he learned things along the journey of the brand.
He brought up how he used to balk at the idea of doing a TakeOver event at a big arena such as the Barclays Center as he was resistant to doing that. The show sold out right away.
“It made me get to thinking outside the box and thinking bigger than this. I want to this every bit as a brand to where in some manner I want it to be bigger than Raw and SmackDown on a certain level.”
The premiere edition of WWE NXT averaged 1.179 million viewers last month. However, after the premiere episode of AEW Dynamite that airs at the same time on TNT, NXT saw a big drop in viewership.
This head-to-head competition is real as last week, NXT averaged 891,000 viewers while AEW pulled in 1.409 million for the premiere episode. Thus, AEW won the night.
Triple H is a believer that WWE can hold a second WWE Evolution pay-per-view.
He did an interview with DigitalSpy this week about this possibility. Triple H thinks it can happen as 2019 has been such a transitional year with WWE that in the process of a lot of things happening.
He listed various things such as SmackDown going to FOX and NXT moving to the USA Network.
He claimed that they have so many things planned and do not have the bandwidth to do a few of the things that they would’ve liked to have done this year.
“(Evolution) is still on the table, still up in the air as to what will happen and what will go down. I think it might be a little bit on a delay from when we would have liked to have done it, just because there’s only seven days in a week and 24 hours in the day. There’s only so much we can accomplish and have it be done correctly. You don’t want to half-ass it.”
This was the first-ever women’s pay-per-view event under the WWE banner, which took place on October 28, 2018, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, in Uniondale, New York.
FOX Sports President Eric Shanks and Triple H have spoken on the decline of WWE ratings in recent years as part of a new article posted by the Associated Press ahead of the Friday Night SmackDown FOX premiere and the 20th Anniversary celebration.
Shanks believes SmackDown has the potential to do big things for Friday night TV as he thinks it as the chance to rejuvenate it.
Triple H stated that he thinks to have the chance to go to a broadcast platform with partners like FOX that wants to take what WWE does and embrace it by helping it increases the value of the brand. He thinks fans will see changes right away.
This is where “The Game” downplayed the decline in WWE’s television ratings.
“I think any show that has been on the air as long as RAW and SmackDown have, you’re going to have moments in time where things ebb and flow,” Triple H said. “When you look back over it, you hope that as you look back 10 years from now, you go, ‘oh, there was a little dip there but it wasn’t for long and they corrected course and got right.'”
Shanks chimed in by stating that WWE hasn’t had the programming and awareness that they will have on FOX. FOX is hoping it will grow after the anniversary show.
It’s been noted how FOX has been heavily promoting the move of SmackDown from the USA Network to the network. This is due to the big money television deal that WWE inked with FOX.
Posted October 4th, 2019 in WWE. Tagged: Triple H.
Triple H recently appeared on the Sports Illustrated Podcast where he talked about a wide range of topics including CM Punk possibly working on the WWE Backstage show for FS1.
Triple H stated that he read about the reports and made it clear that Fox is doing the show where they to have personalities talk about the WWE Universe and everything going on in it.
Triple H brought up how Fox had a long list of people they’ve been interviewing and everything.
“As far as for us, one of the things I think this company has shown over and over again, is never say never. If the opportunity is right for everybody and it’s right for our fans, then we are willing to put the past behind us and move forward. So, I would say, never say never, but that’s also probably a long way from coming to. I don’t know. That’s also a little bit outside of my purview at the moment, but like I said, never say never.”
As noted, Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE has the impression that Punk wants to be back with the company but the two sides have yet to talk.
WWE Backstage, which is a weekly hour-long studio show, is coming to FS1 starting Tuesday, November 5th and will be hosted by Renee Young and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T.
Triple H once again discussed the fear by many fans of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon getting involved with WWE NXT.
He did so when he spoke with Sports Illustrated to promote Wednesday’s WWE NXT episode on the USA Network.
According to “The Game,” while McMahon has his fingerprints on everything in WWE and there is no NXT without him, he doesn’t want to get involved with the brand.
“He wants NXT to be different, something for the more passionate fan base. It’s a darker, grittier feel, it’s different. He totally understands that. But he has no desire to be in the day-to-day operations. Vince has a lot of other things on his plate.”
The fear is based on the belief that he’ll step in if NXT starts to fall to AEW (All Elite Wrestling) in viewership.
Starting this Wednesday, there will be head-to-head competition between both shows. NXT airs on the USA Network and AEW Dynamite will air on TNT at the same time.
Time will tell whether changes are made to NXT as it will come down to whether they can beat AEW in the weekly ratings.
“Here’s what I equate that to,” Triple H said. “If you’re an old dude, sometimes a movie comes up like Iron Man and you go, ‘are you serious? Cartoons? Comic books? Are you serious?’ That’s where people were 20 years ago and now it’s the biggest thing in movies.”
Triple H then implied perhaps Olbermann needs to get with the times or he’ll be extinct too.
“Dinosaurs die out. The world changes and if you don’t change with it then you become extinct, just like the dinosaurs. So Keith, don’t be a dinosaur or you’ll be extinct too.”
Yea I know right it’s unreal how good I looked on the show today!!!!!!
Mark Henry and Bully Ray from Busted Open Radio also reacted to Olbermann’s comments. They posted the following reactions on Twitter:
I would love to bash @KeithOlbermann but it would be a waste of time. I will cast judgement on who he works for if no apology comes soon. The WWE doesn’t deserve his contempt. If WWE fans boycotted his network management would slap his hand.Wake up Keith! @WWE@BustedOpenRadio
AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes has been doing the media rounds to promote AEW Dynamite on TNT.
During a recent long-form interview with Jonathan Snowden for Bleacher Report, Cody reflected on his WWE departure in 2016.
He also talked about how Triple H took his exit personally due to his relationship with Cody’s father, the late great Dusty Rhodes.
“Hunter [Triple H] took it very personally because he had done so much for my dad at NXT. There was one conversation where he said, ‘I’m shocked that you feel this way after everything I’ve done for your family.’
But I told him, ‘I’m not my dad. I can’t stay here out of loyalty to you for giving my dad a job in 2005. I get it, and the little boy in me really appreciates what you did for my dad. But I’m not him. He’s not here anymore. I’ve got to be me.’”
Rhodes continued by stating that he thinks Triple H has been been in wrestling long enough that Triple H knew that he’s being for real as he’s not asking for more money or a title shot.
There was nothing that would matter to him at this point. He thinks he let the burn get too bad before he said anything.
Rhodes is expected to open the premiere episode of AEW on TNT this Wednesday as he’ll be in action when he takes on Sammy Guevara in a singles match.
Triple H has discussed the latest comments made by Kenny Omega.
“The Game” continues to make the media rounds to promote WWE NXT on the USA Network. He did so again when he spoke with Brian Fritz of Sporting News where he spoke about a wide range of topics.
During the interview, he was asked about Omega stating that fans will see real stars on TNT with AEW Dynamite whereas NXT offers “developmental talent.”
“It doesn’t matter to me. I’m not sure if you’re aware of social media and that landscape. It’s a fairly negative place (laughs). If you’re going to get thin-skinned and read into stuff and get angry about stuff that people say, it’s gonna be a rough life. There’s a statement about opinions over the years I’ve heard. Everybody it entitled to their opinion. Everybody is entitled to put an executive tag on the front of their name and think that’s a cool thing.”
Triple H continued by nothing that if that’s the way that Omega sees it then bring their best show because he’ll bring his and that the winners in this war are the fans.
Triple H thinks that fans will choose what they want to watch and how. He continued by noting that it doesn’t matter to him and it’s not his interest but rather putting on the best show possible is his interest.
The war between NXT and AEW starts this Wednesday night.
WWE Executive Vice President Triple H recently talked to State Of Combat Podcast in light of NXT’s debut on USA Network, where he discussed a number of things.
The move to USA Network is a big news for all NXT stars as it will give them a bigger stage to showcase their talent and help them reach a much wider audience compared to their previous home at the WWE Network.
Revealing how the talent felt about the news of the show moving to TV, Triple H said that they are thrilled. He explained that they are excited about being on live TV and nervous about it as well:
“The talent are thrilled and in some ways. It’s one of
those things where you’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is so awesome! We are going to
be on cable TV, live every week for two hours.’ And then they go, ‘Oh my God,
we are going to be live on cable TV for two hours!'”
Though H went on to say that the reality begins to sink in with time and the NXT stars are chomping at the bits to show who they are and what they can do.
The Game also explained how NXT will be the third brand of WWE and said that talents from all three brands of the company will be able to go back and forth among the shows.
He detailed his comments saying that talents who have been on Raw and SmackDown for years can come to NXT to revamp their characters. They can work in an environment with a different vibe to reinvent themselves.
NXT UK is a brand which has been growing at a rapid pace. With its growth, people have been wondering what’s the next development for the show and recently there has been some discussion of a possible mid-card title for the program.
During a recent media call, Triple H who is the in charge of
the brand talked about a number of things and he also commented on the talks of
a possible new title for NXT UK.
The Game first said that he doesn’t like the term mid-card title because it sounds terrible and he then went on to claim that he doesn’t see the need of an additional singles title for the show at the moment:
“I don’t see the need for [an additional singles title] at this time. I know that’s been speculated a lot about because, I don’t know, somebody put the idea on the internet, I think, and then everybody just ran with it.”
Though later the WWE VP explained that he doesn’t see the necessity of it at the time but he is also not opposed to it and he said that there could be an opportunity for the same shortly down the line.
Triple H also talked about the NXT UK brand sitting under
the NXT umbrella and explained that we are going to see a lot of stars from the
show on the USA Network.
NXT had a successful TV debut with a highly praised show and
impressive TV numbers and it appears that the Boss Vince McMahon is also happy
with how things went down.
During the interview, the WWE VP also talked about Mr. McMahon’s reaction to the show. He revealed that the Boss watched the whole episode of NXT and sent him massive congratulations after it was over:
“He watched the entire thing. I’m sure he’s at the office, probably at a meeting while he was doing it, but he enjoyed it, he loved it, he thought the talent did a hell of a job, thought they knocked it out of the park. He was excited. He sent me a massive congratulations after it was over and was thrilled with the product,”
Triple H went on to claim that The Boss was texting him throughout the day. He was excited about the show and he wished them luck before the episode went on air.
NXT’s debut on USA Network featured an hour of nonstop action with a new #1 contender being determined for the Women’s title and the crowning of a new champion. You can check out the results of the show here.
WWE has issued an official apology after numerous fans suffered from technical issues using the WWE Network.
After the first hour of NXT aired live on USA Network, fans could continue watching the action on WWE Network. However, some allegedly had problems tuning into NXT’s second hour with the service not accepting their account details.
Acknowledging the issue, WWE apologized to fans who were unable to continue watching, writing:
“You may have experienced a technical issue with WWE Network earlier this evening. The matter has been resolved, and you can now access the Network and watch tonight’s episode of NXT on demand. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
Triple H acknowledged the issues in a post-show conference call. He admitted his team had made him aware of the problems but believed that the issues weren’t as wide-spread as social media implied. He added that it’s something they will be looking into for future broadcasts.
NXT Pride
Despite the issues affecting a certain percentage of the WWE Universe, Triple H was incredibly proud of the show. He mentioned how this first show wasn’t the finish line for them, it was the starting line.
“I just stood in front of talent and said, hard to follow up what they just accomplished without saying anything that doesn’t sound trite other than to say how proud I am of all of this,” he said.
Triple H added that his sentiment extended to all those working behind the scenes, as well as the talent in front of the cameras.
Tommaso Ciampa has been out of action since suffering an unfortunate neck injury. This injury would require surgery, forcing him to vacate the NXT Championship in March 2019. Now, Triple H has given an update on Ciampa’s progress and information regarding his potential in-ring return.
“He is getting very close,” Triple H said following NXT’s debut on USA Network. “When you come down to the end of-unfortunately I’ve been through a lot of these, when you come down to the end there is this point and time when you are just chomping at the bit.”
He continued, explaining that “You’re ready to go, you feel like you can move the world. And yet, the doctors are still like, ‘Give it a bit more, take it slow.’ That last couple of percent to getting to 100% is the most frustrating part for an athlete because you feel like you can take on the world but you can’t just quite yet. He’s ready, he’s as close as he can get. He is the racehorse right now, stomping and pulling at that gate. When that doctor tells him to go, he’s going to come flying out of there.”
With NXT seemingly being treated as WWE’s third brand now, the previous main roster planned for both Ciampa and Johnny Gargano may be shelved in favor of a continued NXT run.
Following NXT’s premiere on USA Network, Triple H took part in a media call to discuss the brand’s first episode on their new network, at one point sharing how proud he was of all the talent involved for the show they just put on.
“I just stood in front of talent and said, hard to follow up what they just accomplished without saying anything that doesn’t sound trite other than to say how proud I am of all of this,” he said.
He continued,” It’s taking a long time to get here. This was a starting line, not the finish line. We went out there tonight on the number one network on cable television, USA, amazing partners for us for years and put on what I feel was an epic hour of programming on USA. Number one trending in the USA the entire time, number one in the world the entire time, and number 4 in the world the entire time. Tough to say more than that other than I thought it was a hell of a night and thought it was an epic performance on everybody’s part.”
Triple H added he is just as proud of the team behind the scenes as he is of the talent in front of the cameras. He thanked WWE’s partners at Full Sail University, stressing that without them, the show doesn’t happen.
Rush Returns
Last night also saw the return of Lio Rush to in-ring competition. When asked about Rush’s return, Triple H admitted that working on his comeback had been in the works for a while.
“This whole thing with NXT on USA, we’ve been talking about doing it for a year and a half, two years, then when it finally happens it’s a recent development. Until it actually happens, it hasn’t happened. Until we knew what was going on there was a bit of a lag there. I’m just really excited, Lio Rush won. He’s just a phenomenal, energetic, and money performer to me. Thrilled that we get to put him on the show and have him showcase what he does. He and Oney tore it up and that’s what it’s about.”
Lio Rush’s victory over Oney Lorcan grants him a championship opportunity against current Cruiserweight champion, Drew Gulak.
Triple H continues to speak out on the potential involvement of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon with the WWE NXT product.
He did it again when he appeared on CBS Sports’ State of Combat podcast to promote WWE NXT moving to the USA Network starting Wednesday night.
Many people think McMahon will get involved due to NXT now airing on network television and going up against AEW on TNT starting in October.
He noted that he always wants the product to change and get better, which is something that he’s hopeful to see.
“Will Vince McMahon or anybody else’s involvement change the core? No. The intent is not for them to be involved. You know, one thing that people don’t give Vince McMahon credit for is that none of this would happen without him.”
Triple H continued by noting that the idea of it being an alternative brand doesn’t exist without McMahon, which is part of what makes it great. He praised McMahon for his ability to make them do that and take a step back without his involvement.
He thinks McMahon understands there’s a reason for NXT’s success and wouldn’t want to change the formula.
“Truth is, everything with WWE has his fingerprints on it, even NXT. I have sat under his learning tree for 25+ years and a lot of things that I do were taught directly from him.”
Triple H stated that the company isn’t looking to change NXT and McMahon isn’t looking to get involved because he’s got enough stuff going on. Triple H reassured that NXT is going to be what it is and what it has been as an alternative.
He understands that fans of NXT are super passionate and really into what the company does compare to a casual fan.
Triple H took part in a conference call on Monday ahead of NXT’s debut on USA Network. As well as speaking about NXT’s creative team and whether the black-and-gold brand would be involved in WWE’s October Draft, Triple H also discussed NXT TakeOvers no longer being a part of WWE PPV weekends.
“The TakeOvers will continue, but there’s a schedule shift going on,” he said. “That is an opportunity to better serve our Network subscribers to give them more live content on a more regular basis. So NXT TakeOvers will continue… but there are opportunities to do other content.”
He spoke about putting on a Worlds Collide show in January, calling them “fun and spectacular events’ that create “an opportunity to cross combine and make some interesting content without having to take away from what they’re [RAW/SmackDown/NXT] doing individually.”
Although NXT is getting longer by an hour, Triple H coyly addressed the idea that TakeOver events would become longer, too. He explained that if he’s watching a movie and looks at his watch, then there are obvious cuts that needed to be made. This is something he doesn’t want for NXT.
“It’s about the content and the build, and if you build it right, then it’s not about the length of time, and hopefully you’re not even considering it when the show is over. You’re just like, ‘Man, that was good!'”
NXT makes its debut tonight on USA Network at 8 PM ET.