Ahead of NXT’s debut on USA Network, Triple H took part in a conference call to address the many aspects involved with the black-and-gold brand.
During the call, Triple H addressed NXT’s creative team and whether there would be any significant changes made once NXT is on USA Network.
“From a creative side, [the process] doesn’t change [with the move to USA],” Triple H said. “We’ve had a team that I’ve liked for a long time that is central to doing this. They’ve been our team for a long time, and they oversee NXT and also have some oversight on the UK. That’s been core and part of that core is having guys like [Road Dogg] and Shawn Michaels down there. I can’t say enough of us being able to work together with the writing team and with William Regal, Matt Bloom and Sara Amato.”
Triple H stressed that NXT’s continuity will remain the same, and there are no plans to change what’s already working for the brand. There will, however, apparently be more integration between NXT and the input from USA Network and its sponsors.
NXT makes its debut tonight on USA Network at 8 PM ET.
WWE’s black-and-gold brand NXT debuts on USA Network this week. Ahead of the brand’s move, Triple H took part in an NXT media call. One of the topics brought up was the rumor that Kevin Owens may return to NXT after being fired from SmackDown by Shane McMahon.
During the call, Triple H added to the speculation to the rumor by commenting on how Kevin Owens is a great talent. He stated he would love to have him back on NXT, explaining that he doesn’t see any barriers that would stop him from appearing or moving back. That same media call saw Triple H state there is no up or down progression anymore, just lateral movement between brands.
Owens In Orlando
According to PWInsider.com, it is expected that Owens will be in Orlando this week for September 18th where he will appear for NXT.
It’s not known at this point in time whether his return is a long-term plan or a short stay to help shine main roster talent onto WWE’s development brand. Regardless, Owens is apparently a part of NXT’s plans for their USA Network debut.
Owens teased a return to the brand in a recent social media post. The letters he tweeted corresponded with the alphabet, translating to NXT.
‘The Game’ Triple H recently took part in a media call ahead of NXT’s debut on USA Network. One topic of conversation that came up revolved around NXT’s involvement with WWE’s upcoming draft planned for RAW and SmackDown.
Triple H explained how WWE wants to put on the best show possible every week. According to him, he’s interested in NXT putting on the best show “against RAW, against SmackDown, against anybody.”
He added, “I want to compete against ourselves to have the best show that we can. That competition – that’s what leads to the best stuff in the business. From a product standpoint, when you have competition, it makes everything good. So we create our own.”
NXT Draft Involvement
Regarding NXT’s involvement with October’s WWE draft, Triple H doesn’t foresee much NXT involvement.
“I think that right now, the main focus of the draft itself is RAW and SmackDown as October 4th comes along and moves forward. With FOX broadcast taking SmackDown and staying with our partners at USA and NBCU, those become two very competitive landscapes. I’m of the opinion that the NXT brand will continue to grow and I think that down the line, you will see. As much as I will say right now, NXT has grown to where it shouldn’t be referred to as a developmental brand even though we tend to debut newer stars.”
He explained how the draft is more about creating a subsequent brand split between RAW and SmackDown, giving the shows two distinct rosters once again. His goal for the future is to establish three distinct brands that will all have a “different feel and flavor to them” all underneath WWE’s umbrella, stating that there is no up or down progression anymore, just lateral movement between brands.
NXT debuts on USA Network this week on September 18th.
Triple H took part in a conference call on Monday with several media reporters to talk about WWE NXT and the company moving the show to air on the USA Network.
A question about initial ratings for the broadcast was brought up where he noted that viewership numbers are not as important as long term success.
“This isn’t about hot shotting, it’s about building a brand and a franchise.” He continued to talk about how he doesn’t want to load up the episodes in the first few weeks then trail off but rather he wants to keep increasing viewership and building momentum.
At the end of the day, he would be happy if stars can showcase themselves in the best way possible.
This Wednesday’s show, as well as the episode following this week, will be live from 8 PM – 9 PM Eastern on the USA Network while the second hour of those episodes will air live on the WWE Network.
It will air for two-hours straight on USA starting October 2nd.
Regarding the length of the new broadcast, Triple H was clear that he “didn’t want any part of three hours.” He noted that he thinks to have a one-hour show wasn’t working because they didn’t have enough time to promote all the talents at the Performance Center.
He thinks by having a two-hour format, there will be enough time for everyone on the roster and should create competition for spots.
Right off the bat, Angle was asked about working with Stephanie McMahon and Triple H as well as the McMahon-Helmsley storyline. This program was a fan favorite and many people considered this being a feud that helped Angle in his career with the promotion.
For Angle, he agrees with that belief and thinks that it helped him move into the main event scene during the Attitude Era.
“It was working with all of these guys like HHH, Rock, Austin, Taker, Jericho just to name a few. The McMahon-Helmsley storyline helped to elevate me to the main event level. It was fun to be relatively inexperienced and new, and each week was a learning experience for me. I literally had so much fun wrestling and doing promos and backstage interviews. I really got the opportunity to enhance my character. It wasn’t work, it was fun!”
Following his retirement from in-ring action, the legendary pro wrestler has a new role with the company.
He is serving as a producer (also called an agent) on the RAW roster to help the younger talent.
With such a legendary status due to his accomplishments and experience in the pro wrestling business, Angle is great for that role as WWE looks to have another top guy.
Triple H has addressed The Undertaker’s recent appearance at College GameDay. The EVP of Talent, Live Events and Creative explained how The Undertaker transcends WWE, allowing crossover appeal between wrestling fans and mainstream pop culture.
“There are certain people that transcend their industry and become cultural icons, and The Undertaker transcends the WWE,” Triple H said to SI.com. “This was Vince’s vision at WrestleMania I: the integration of pop culture. So this was an opportunity for us to reach out to new fans, to reach out to lax fans, to reach out to everybody and create that buzz about what we do.”
He then explained WWE’s crossover appeal, highlighting how Superstars such as The Undertaker and Becky Lynch appear on different shows outside of the wrestling world.
“WWE has crossover appeal. Whether you’re a fan or not, people all over the globe know who The Undertaker is. So whether it’s Undertaker on College GameDay or Becky Lynch on SportsCenter, talent appearing on Fallon or throwing first pitches at baseball games, our talent are integrated into every walk of life,” Triple H said. “That’s an opportunity to platform WWE to people and being relevant on a day-to-day basis in pop culture.”
Attitude Era Influence
Looking to the past, Triple H recalled how the Attitude Era “changed the way people spoke and trash-talked one another” with NFL players would do the DX crotch chop after a touchdown or use Austin’s “Oh, hell yeah!” catchphrase.
“That extends well beyond our business, and for our talent,” he said, “that’s when you truly know you’re getting to the place you want to be in this industry.”
WWE Clash of Champions takes place this Sunday from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Triple H stated in a recent interview that major changes are coming to how WWE handles their cruiserweight division. Speaking to Newsweek, Triple H said the WWE cruiserweight title is likely going to play more of a role in NXT and the 205 Live roster will be moving more under the NXT brand. Triple H was asked if 205 Live will begin to sit under the NXT umbrella and his response was as follows:
“You’ll start to see 205 begin to. I think it always existed as an island onto itself, a little bit, and it’s become lost in this limbo,” Triple H said. “You’ll begin to see it move more towards the NXT banner and the talent there. We have a lot of talent. For them to begin to compete either open against anyone or in the cruiserweight division, but have that title sit under the NXT brand is more meaningful. It creates more opportunities for more people.”
Triple H also spoke on how the NXT UK and 205 Live brands will sit under the NXT umbrella with the brand moving to the USA Network.
“NXT UK will sit under that NXT banner as well, probably 205 too breathing some life into it a little bit. That creates three distinct brands that talent, over the course of their career – which hopefully is long – where they can migrate from one to the other and be reinvigorated and have fresh starts and have longer, more meaningful and lucrative careers while staying within the same company.”
With news out that there will be no TakeOver event Royal Rumble weekend, Triple H also spoke about the future of his brand’s big events. He was asked if fans can expect more standalone Takeover shows presented independently of a main roster WWE show.
“I think you’ll see some changes there, but the other thing I don’t want to do, also, is flood the fanbase or overexpose the brand either. I want things to build organically and we have had success. We have the formula, the pacing, the timing and when the Takeovers take place that allows us to have more opportunities for a slower build. And when Takeover is done, we get a little bit of relief to promote the next thing. It allows you more chance to build and create epic stuff. To me that is the goal. I don’t see it changing dramatically.”
Triple H continues to talk about the upcoming competition that many people are calling a war between WWE and AEW.
Such competition hasn’t been seen in nearly twenty years as WCW was the last promotion to gain such marketplace within the pro wrestling industry as they landed a television deal with TNT.
“The Game” spoke with Yahoo Sports for a new interview where he talked about the evolution of the WWE NXT brand that has reached to the point where they will regularly air on network television via the USA Network.
Triple H noted that he’s heard AEW talent say that they want to be different from WWE but he thinks NXT started that years ago.
“We were that alternative five years ago. We opened the door for being an alternative, we opened the door to show people that it can be done on a bigger level and on a different basis.”
Triple H once again stated that he thinks AEW should go out and put on the best show that they can because that’s what NXT will do.
Fans will have to wait a few more weeks until the head-to-head competition begins between NXT and AEW. October 2nd will be when NXT airs on the USA Network and AEW will air on TNT at the same time.
Triple H has once again commented on the upcoming competition between WWE NXT and AEW.
He did so while making an appearance on the show of WWE NXT analyst Pat McAfee that airs on DAZN. He started out by stating that competition is great and understands that AEW is coming to Wednesday nights and want to put on the best show they can.
Triple H brought up how NXT has been airing on the WWE Network on Wednesday nights for five years as that’s their home.
He did acknowledge that they had been in discussions with various networks about moving NXT and growing it.
He thought it was the right time to make the move. He wouldn’t say whether it’s a war or not but he doesn’t see it being in a competitive nature.
Instead, he sees it being WWE putting on the best show possible and that at the end of the day, the winners are the fans.
“They will choose what they want to watch. I’m confident in NXT, I’m confident in the talent, there’s not one person I would trade anybody for. I can look at that show and say bring your best, we will and good luck.”
Although WWE NXT will start to air on the USA Network starting September 18th, the show will only move to the network for two hours starting on October 2nd, which is the same night as the debut episode of AEW on TNT.
How did @TripleH and @WWE win the Monday Night Wars? How do they stay on top with competition popping up on TV? “We’re willing to work harder than everyone else” #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE presented by @DAZN_USA pic.twitter.com/qy4eXISb92
Several WWE Superstars have recently been jumping between different brands including Kassius Ohno, Cesaro, Pete Dunne, and Rhea Ripley. Turns out that ‘The Scottish Psychopath’ Drew McIntyre would like to do the same.
In an interview with SPORTBible, McIntyre spoke once more about in his interest competing for NXT UK. In particular, he would love to have a matchup against the current NXT UK Champion, WALTER.
“There’s a bunch of people I want to work with,” McIntyre said, “but if we want to give people a show they won’t forget, then I guess me and WALTER would be quite the spectacle.”
In the run-up to NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff, WALTER addressed the idea of Drew appearing for NXT UK, saying:
“[…] somebody like him joining here would up the level of competition here, and I think you need competition to grow. So, for sure, [I would want him here].”
It appears that Triple H is well aware of Drew McIntyre’s interest in NXT UK. He commented on how McIntyre can see something special happening and wants to be a part of it.
“I think that the opportunity when you see guys like Drew McIntyre talking about a brand, it’s because that brand is hot. They see something that is on fire, and we all live for the adrenaline rush of fans being wild and passionate about things,” Triple H told SPORTBible.
He added, “When a guy like Drew McIntyre says ‘I see UK and I see it on fire and I want to step in a ring with WALTER,’ it’s because he sees something special happening and he wants to be part of it.”
Triple H has previously expressed his interest in levelling WWE’s brand hierarchy. This decision would allow Superstars to move freely between RAW, SmackDown, and even NXT. In an interview with Sportskeeda, he explained how he views NXT as WWE’s third brand, and that it outgrew its ‘development brand’ label a long time ago.
Three Brands
He confessed that the ‘development brand’ term has bothered him in some ways since the brand launched. Admitting that “the term developmental in some ways works,” he listed several current Superstars who first made their name in NXT including Braun Strowman, Alexa Bliss, and Charlotte Flair as homegrown talent. He highlighted that Strowman, in particular, had “never stepped through the ropes before he walked into the performance center.”
“At the same time, the developmental term makes it sound almost less than, and the, I don’t even like the word ‘call up.’ It just sounds, it’s wrong. There’s three brands to me within the WWE,” Triple H stated.
“There’s RAW, there’s SmackDown, and there’s NXT. There’s variations within NXT. There’s NXT, I feel like in a lot of ways the cruiserweights that are on 205 Live are a part of NXT. I feel like NXT UK is just an extension of the NXT brand. There’s here in their country doing their thing but I want to build this out and make it bigger but it’s brands. This doesn’t seem developmental, you know what I mean? Barclay’s Center, sold out. Chicago, sold out. LA. Every place we’ve gone, we’ve done it here in London. It’s just a different brand. There are three global touring brands. Legitimately. And that’s really what it is.”
He explained that, although the platforms are different, the steps of growth give Superstars the same opportunities.
Triple H was recently interviewed by Alexa McCarthy of talkSPORT where he spoke about the upcoming war between WWE NXT and AEW.
Not only do fans believe it but also it’s been reported that the decision by WWE officials to move NXT to the USA Network was due to AEW inking a television deal to air a weekly show on TNT starting October 2nd.
Thus, with NXT already airing on Wednesday on WWE’s streaming service, WWE Network, it was a wise decision to air NXT on the USA Network. Although it’s easy to read between the lines, Triple H has defended the move and tried to downplay the notion that AEW is competition.
“To me, people can say what they want, how they want. I don’t approach it like as a competitive thing or it’s anything else, we’re just going to put on our shows. We’re going to put on our shows when we need to put them on, in the best places we need to put them on, in the right time slots for them and the best talent
I can find in the world – and we already have them. I’m confident in that. When I look across the board at NXT in general and NXT in the UK here, we put on show after show of the highest caliber – not one match or two matches, the entire show. So I have no doubt.”
Triple H made it known that for him it’s not competing against anyone or anything but rather, he’s trying to put on the best show for the fans of NXT.
He thinks it’s funny that a few years ago they were doing this and wowing people while there weren’t competitors in the space. He questioned the idea of making the move for competitive reasons.
The Wrestling Observer recently reported that the USA Network is paying WWE $60 million over two years for the NXT TV rights fees. Which would be $30 million a year or $600,000 a week.
Triple H took part in an interview with Alex McCarthy of talksport.com where he talked about the infamous Undertaker vs. Goldberg match that led to a discussion about negative fans on social media about the WWE product.
“The Game” started out by noting that people can say what they want to say about Saudi Arabia or the match but he takes his hat off to them as it was a bad situation.
He brought up wrestling in the bad conditions as it was about 105 degrees and 100 percent humidity at ringside. He added that there were moments in his match that he wanted to change gears but couldn’t.
“It’s humanly impossible in this moment. It was like wrestling in a sauna, it really was. And there was those moments like when you step out of a sauna and you’re like ‘jeez, I’m lightheaded I might pass out’ – it was so ridiculously hot. And you put pressure on yourself and everything on top of that, so it’s a lot.”
He added that no one cuts anyone slack on anything in wrestling. This brought up the negativity on social media.
He talked about how he has to remind himself with social media that it’s people reacting with passion and the negativity is because they’re passionate. He thinks fans love it so much and that they will say the worst thing in the world on Twitter.
“But yet if they saw Goldberg or ‘Taker they would be like in awe and speechless. It’s just the craziest thing.”
He thinks it’s weird that people will say negative things online yet would be amazed to see them in real life and not say hateful things.
Some interesting excerpts from Triple H’s interview with Alex McCarthy of talksport.com that will be released in full on Monday has surfaced online.
In this interview, Triple H talked about a report that Enzo Amore and Big Cass could be on their way back to WWE as well as Vince McMahon’s involvement with NXT.
First up is the theory that the WWE Chairman and CEO will get involved with NXT once the show starts airing on the USA Network starting September 18.
The reason for this theory is due to NXT now airing on network television and going up against AEW on TNT starting in October.
“Let’s be honest, there’s a lot of things that people like Dave say don’t make sense. In simple terms, he won’t be involved.”
Moving along to Amore and Cass, this report not only caught fans off guard by WWE officials as well. According to “The Game,” there is no interest on WWE’s end to bring back the former tag team.
“I immediately told our PR to shoot down the Enzo and Cass rumors. Absolutely zero interest. Congratulations to Enzo, I’m sure spreading rumors is working well for him but I want no part of it.”
It’s no secret that the two stars left the company on bad terms. Despite the fact that McMahon likes to bring back past stars even if they have a history with the company, many thought it was too soon for Amore and Cass to come back.
WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative Triple H did an interview with The Irish Mirror and talked about one of the hottest NXT UK stars, Jordan Devlin. He heaped praises at the 29-year-old and complimented his growth on the brand.
Speaking about Devlin’s contributions to NXT UK, Triple H said, “His transformation and what he has done in the NXT UK brand with the guidance of the people around him has taken him to a whole new level. He is a different performer from the guy that I saw when we first started this was very good and had a lot of potential.”
Triple H said that he sees Devlin as a global star and it’s just the beginning: “The guy I see now is a global star on every level and he is really just getting started.”
Devlin, known as The “Ace” of Over The Top Wrestling, had a memorable feud with WALTER in the promotion, and put on some great matches that are considered one of the best matches in OTT’s history. Triple H said that he wants to bring that rivalry for WWE television.
“I want to see the best face the best. I believe styles make fights, it’s what makes them great.”
Triple H expanded on the fact that Devlin is now on a higher level and if the rivalry comes to fruition on WWE television, then it would be even better than before.
“The thing people also need to keep in mind is that as hot as that has been locally, Jordan is at a much higher standard to where he was a year ago and a year before that. When you see that rivalry on NXT UK, it’s going to be nothing like what you’ve seen before because we will take it to another level, as good as it was before, you’ve seen nothing yet!”
While Devlin is not scheduled for a match at NXT UK Takeover: Cardiff event which is streaming today, he will be paying attention on the WWE UK Championship Match between Tyler Bate and WALTER. Make sure to check back SEScoops.com for coverage of the event.
With WWE recently confirming that their black-and-gold brand NXT will be heading to USA Network in September, people are still clamoring for information on what it might mean for Superstars, on-air talent, and the future of NXT.
In a backstage interview posted to WWE’s YouTube account, Triple H discussed what the move to USA Network means for the brand and its long-term plans.
“It’s been a crazy journey of something that I don’t think most people thought would never happen,” Triple H said. “But this was kinda the vision of it.”
Regarding the move to USA Network, Triple H confessed he couldn’t be prouder to see the brand move to television, extending to a new two-hour run time in the process.
“I couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t be more proud. I said it in the beginning, this was gonna be their brand. That’s why we hashtag it ‘we are NXT,’ he said.
He then promised that “As good as NXT is now, it’s only gonna get better. This is gonna expose a whole new side of NXT that people haven’t been able to see yet. I can tell you this about it: as excited as everybody is about this moment, this is the start. This isn’t the destination, this is the start. This brand is just getting started.”
WWE NXT debuts on USA Network on September 18th at 8/7 C.
WWE recently announced the return of the King of the Ring tournament. Opening round matches for the tournament are set to begin on RAW this Monday and the finals are set for Clash of Champions on September 15th.
Triple H is a former King of the Ring winner himself. He spoke to WWE.com about the importance of the tournament.
“King of the Ring is one of those moments in time where if you have it, it can be a complete career-changing moment,” Triple H said in the video.
“Winning King of the Ring can put you on a trajectory in your career to being a top player in the WWE for years to come and you don’t have to look any further than the list of people that have won it that have gone on to do just that. It was a launchpad for ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, it was a launchpad for me, it was a launchpad for Bret Hart, for a lot of talent that it just took them to a whole other level.”
Triple H took part in a media call today to promote Saturday’s TakeOver show from Toronto. During the call, he was asked about Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff’s new roles with the company and whether he himself was up for either of their positions.
Triple H on his role with WWE compared to Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff’s
“No, you have to understand the way it’s laid out, their scope of what they are doing are very specific to those shows,” Triple responded when asked if he was up for or interested in the positions given to Heyman and Bischoff. “While I’m still at those shows, there’s many weeks where due to my schedule and other commitments I can’t be at every single show, I can’t be at every single RAW or I can’t be at every single Smackdown. The scope of the things that I do is way beyond that.”
Triple H Says He Already Sees Positive Changes, Talks Working With Heyman & Bischoff
Triple H continued to say he’s already seeing the positives from the changes made backstage.
“I’m thrilled and I already see the positives and the changes,” Triple H said. “As this whole thing continues to grow, it’s really a lot of it comes down to organizational processes.”
“I’m thrilled that it’s those guys and I think they are going to knock it out of the park,” he continued. “I’m excited to work with both of them. Heyman I’ve been working with for awhile. Bischoff it’s been awhile but this is the first time I’ve worked with him in this manner. So far, it’s an exciting process. So, I’m really happy and I’ve already seen positives from it.”
WWE seems to have continued their attempts at global expansion during their recent tour of Japan.
The promotion reportedly met with officials from both Dragon Gate and Stardom, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
At the time of writing, there is no indication as to what these meetings involved. But with Triple H representing WWE during the sessions, it’s possible that WWE is interested in developing a working relationship with either, or both, Japanese promotions. This would likely work in a similar fashion to their ties with PROGRESS in the United Kingdom.
Global TakeOver
WWE branched out with NXT UK back in 2016. This was the first step of their long-term plans to launch brands alongside their main NXT offering. NXT UK would have its first tapings during July 2018, debuting on the WWE Network on October 2018.
NXT UK is the first step in WWE’s grander plans to launch Performance Centers in different countries, further extending their international reach and talent feeder system.
Rumors have circulated Japan, Australia, and Canada may receive their own NXT shows and Performance Centers.
The company were also recently in China, hosting an international WWE tryout that was led by the WWE Performance Center staff and coaches.
With Triple H’s belief that talent will be able to jump between brands in the future, this would lead to unique opportunities for NXT Superstars to tour the world, and engage in fresh rivalries.
WWE will be in attendance at the 10th annual VidCon convention this week in Anaheim, California. This is the first time the promotion has ever attended the YouTube-centric convention.
It has been revealed that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon will both be present. Joining them will be a number of WWE Superstars and talent including Charlotte Flair, Cathy Kelley, and Xavier Woods.
Triple H, Woods, Kelley, and Flair will participate in a panel entitled “From The Top Rope: A Look Inside the WWE Content Innovation Lab.” The panel is scheduled for one hour. It takes place today at 1PM inside Ballroom A within the Anaheim Convention Center.
The official synopsis highlights how the WWE Content Innovation Lab can be thanked for helping WWE Superstars to grow their fan bases “faster than ever due to the unique content they’re creating.”
Additionally, they will “discuss how WWE is using the Content Innovation Lab to foster the next generation of Superstars and how it’s using content to expand into global markets.”
Stephanie McMahon will be participating in a Fireside Chat with Hollywood Reporter Digital Media Editor Natalie Jarvey. They will be discussing WWE’s growth and strategy for breaking into new markets while “while staying true to itself and its the existing fans that made the company so successful.”
Batista recently made an appearance on Chris Jericho’s podcast, Talk is Jericho, where he spoke about wide range topics.
During the interview, he talked about wrestling Triple H at WrestleMania 35 in a No Holds Barred Match. In this interview (at the 58:00 mark), Batista talked about how WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon turned down their idea of having a Hell in a Cell Match.
“Originally, we wanted a have a Hell In A Cell, but Vince, because of the pay-per-view, he didn’t want to have a Hell In A Cell, and we really wanted Hell In A Cell. They’re just great matches, they’re violent. We needed bells and whistles.
We’re two older guys, we hadn’t wrestled in a long time and we needed the drama. We’ve already got the history, so we just needed the violence.”
He noted that had to fight for this match to happen and felt so relieved once it was over due to the pressure he put on it as he knew it was going to be the final match of his career.
He talked about how he wanted to finish out his career with one final match with Triple H due to Triple H putting him over at three straight PPV events in 2005.
All Elite Wrestling has become the most trending commodity in the world of professional wrestling and everyone has thoughts about it. A particular event made more waves during the company’s Double or Nothing show during which Cody Rhodes smashed Triple H’s throne while making his entrance.
WWE Hall of Famer and Legend Ric Flair who is close friends with AEW President Tony Khan, spoke to WrestlingInc. on their WINCLY Podcast and gave his opinion on Cody smashing the throne with a sledgehammer.
Flair believes that Cody went straight for Triple H because The Game is a top guy. “If you are going to make a statement, Hunter’s a top guy,” said Flair.
“Hunter is a disciple of the business and could not have come along at a better time in wrestling than he did. Then of course marrying Stephanie and he’s got a work ethic just like Vince has. In my mind, if something ever happens to Vince, God forbid, Hunter will be the one running the company.”
And that is how a statement is made, according to The Nature Boy. “So, that’s how you get someone’s attention. You jump on a guy. When they are talking about you, you’re doing something good. That’s a good saying in this business.”
WWE announced this week that Paul Heyman will be the new Executive Director of RAW and Eric Bischoff will fill the same role for Smackdown. Triple H, who heads up WWE’s NXT brands, recently commented on what the two men have contributed to the wrestling industry throughout their careers.
He sent the following out on Twitter in response to the news:
Triple H briefly worked for Bischoff in WCW. Then wrestling as Terra Rizin, Triple H left the company in 1995 to go to WWE. Bischoff spoke about their brief working relationship recently during an episode of his 83 Weeks podcast.
“When Hunter came in it was at a time in WCW when we were really cutting costs. Expenses were a really big issue. I think it was Terry Taylor who first introduced Hunter to us. My biggest concern with him was that he lived in the Northeast. At that point, things were so tight financially that we were looking to concentrate on the talent that lived in Atlanta, Georgia because we couldn’t afford to fly people all over the country, so that was one big issue.”
Triple H will be sending the NBA Champion Toronto Raptors a custom WWE Championship title. The Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals last night in Oakland. Triple H sent the following out on Twitter earlier today:
Later this summer, WWE will spend 4 straight nights in Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena where the Toronto Raptors play their home games. NXT TakeOver Toronto II, SummerSlam, and the following nights of RAW and Smackdown will all emanate from Toronto August 10th to 13th.
Wrestlers React To The Toronto Raptors Winning The NBA Championship
Several wrestlers or wrestling personalities have commented on last night’s NBA Championships.
Renee Young is from Toronto and got her start working for TheScore just a few blocks from where the Raptors play. Young documented her return to Toronto to celebrate this week.
Hi Toronto I’m here. No pressure. Just saying hi and bringing a real f%?!ing good juju. #WeTheNorth
Josh Alexander and Ethan Page are the North in Impact Wrestling. Both have wrestled extensively on the independent scenes around the Greater Toronto Area.
Triple H is slated to work his first match in Japan since 2008 when he steps into the squared circle.
WWE will hold live events in Japan on June 28th and June 29th at Ryogoku Kokugikan. The company recently announced a series of matches taking place at these shows.
Triple H will team up with AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows to take on Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, Baron Corbin, and Samoa Joe.
Cards
More matches for these shows are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Here are the cards:
June 28
WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Triple H & AJ Styles & Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Drew McIntyre & Baron Corbin & Bobby Lashley & Samoa Joe
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The IIconics vs. Asuka & Kairi Sane
WWE RAW Tag Team Champions Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins vs. The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson)
Braun Strowman vs. Robert Roode
Ricochet vs. Cesaro
June 29
Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman & AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin & Drew McIntyre & Bobby Lashley
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss – Triple Threat Match
WWE RAW Tag Team Champions Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins vs. The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson