The match for the United Kingdom Championship at NXT Takeover: Chicago is now official. Champion Tyler Bate will be defending his title against ‘The Brusierweight’ Pete Dunne.
Dunne defeated Tyler’s ‘Moustache Mountain’ tag team partner Trent Seven to solidify his place in the title bout on May 20th. Bate also had to earn his place on the Chicago card by defeating Mark Andrews in a title match the very same night.
WWE COO Triple H also confirmed that the two nights of Norwich tapings would be airing on the WWE Network ‘later this month.’
WWE COO Triple H is one of the most decorated professional wrestlers of all time. With 14 world title reigns to his name, the DX co-founder has had legendary feuds with the likes of Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, Mick Foley, Shawn Michaels, Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins and countless others.
For all of his accomplishments, The Game made history at Sunday’s WrestleMania 33 PPV, but it’s nothing he’ll be bragging about any time soon. With his loss to Seth Rollins, Triple H now holds the record for most losses at Wrestlemania at 12. Prior to Sunday, he was tied with Shawn Michaels with 11 losses at the biggest show of the year.
Here’s a look back at Triple H’s WrestleMania record:
Wrestlemania XII: Triple H was defeated by The Ultimate Warrior. This was before Triple H was referred to as The Game. He wrestled as Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
Wrestlemania 13: Still wrestling as Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Triple H defeated Goldust.
Wrestlemania XIV: Triple H defended his European Championship against Owen Hart and emerged victorious.
Wrestlemania XV: Triple H lost to Kane via disqualification.
Wrestlemania 2000: Triple H defeated The Rock, Mick Foley and Big Show in a Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match for the WWF Championship
Wrestlemania X-Seven: The Undertaker extended his winning streak at Wrestlemania by defeating Triple H.
Wrestlemania X8: Triple H defeated Chris Jericho to win the Undisputed Championship.
Wrestlemania XIX: Triple H defeated Booker T in a World Heavyweight Championship match.
Wrestlemania XX: Triple H lost his World Heavyweight Championship in a Triple Threat match against Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit.
Wrestlemania 21: Triple H once again lost his World Heavyweight Championship to Batista.
Wrestlemania 22: John Cena defeated Triple H in a WWE Championship match.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag_-yCjW9f8
Wrestlemania XXIV: Randy Orton defeated Triple H and John Cena in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship.
Wrestlemania XXV: Triple H defeated Randy Orton in a WWE Championship match.
Wrestlemania XXVI: Triple H defeated Sheamus.
Wrestlemania XXVII: The Undertaker defeated Triple H.
Wrestlemania XXVIII: The Undertaker defeated Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match.
Wrestlemania 29: Triple H defeated Brock Lesnar.
Wrestlemania XXX: Triple H was defeated by Daniel Bryan.
Wrestlemania 31: Triple H defeated Sting.
Wrestlemania 32: Triple H was defeated by Roman Reigns in a WWE Championship match.
Wrestlemania 33: Triple H was defeated by Seth Rollins in a Non-Sanctioned match.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has noted that Roman Reigns has been the top merchandise seller of all of the full time talent on the WWE roster and that there is nobody ready to take his place. There has been speculation about the WWE possibly turning Roman Reigns heel due to the negative reaction he has been receiving from WWE crowds. Even though the crowd reaction to Reigns is mostly negative, the WWE also believes that he gets the biggest reaction out of anyone in the locker room. Triple H recently did an interview with Sports Illustrated and discussed the fan reaction to Roman Reigns. It doesn’t appear that the WWE has any plans to turn Reigns heel and Triple H argues that he already is a heel.
Triple H on Roman Reigns turning heel:
“People can look at Roman Reigns and say, ‘The failed attempt that is Roman Reigns,’ but Roman Reigns sells tickets,” said Levesque. “Roman Reigns gets one of the loudest reactions every night, whether that reaction is a boo or whether that reaction is a cheer. The fans who say, ‘I don’t understand why they don’t turn Roman Reigns heel!’ Isn’t he already?
“If you believe what you believe, and you’re saying, ‘How can they not turn him heel? There is 70 percent of the crowd booing him out of the building!’ If that’s your belief, then isn’t he already the biggest heel we have? If 70 percent of that crowd is booing him, then he’s a heel. We’re just presenting him to you in a different way that makes you hate him.”
Shelton Benjamin was slated to make his return to the WWE last year but an injury prevented him from doing so. After a nine month rehab process, Benjamin is finally ready to return to the squared circle. Time will tell if his return to in-ring action will be in the WWE or not.
After 9 of the hardest months of my life, I'm happy to announce I have been OFFICIALLY CLEARED to return to action. Effective Immediately!
Triple H appeared on ESPN yesterday to promote WrestleMania, and found himself speaking on WWE’s current recruitment process. As the conversation moved to what WWE looks for in new talent, Triple H told a story of how whenever Enzo Amore’s review came up in developmental, HHH and Dusty Rhodes were the only ones who didn’t want to cut him.
“There’s been guys that have made it that over the course of a couple of years that were constantly on the cut list,” Levesque told espn. “Enzo Amore, when I brought him in, everyone at the tryout was saying, ‘Get rid of this kid!’ I was like, ‘He’s got a huge personality. If he can annoy us all this bad here, imagine what he can do on TV.’ … Every time he’d get his review, they’d be like, ‘I’d cut him.’ Dusty [Rhodes] and I would be like, ‘Keep him.’ Look at him now. … Is he ever going to make you money from an in-ring performer standpoint? Probably not. But he’s money on the mic.”
Triple H would also comment on what it is like to be both the COO of the company and a part-time talent as well.
“It’s probably the hardest thing I think I’ve done in my career — do the deal where you’re not in the ring for a year,” he said. “You can do all the cardio you want, You can look as great as you want, You can diet, You can do all those things, but then getting in there — when you do it every day, it’s automatic. There’s no thinking. You just do. When you haven’t done it in a year, you just think, and that’s what makes it tough.”
Triple H spoke with Sports Illustrated recently, and addressed criticism the company has faced because of how they push Roman Reigns.
“Roman Reigns gets one of the loudest reactions every night, whether that reaction is a boo or whether that reaction is a cheer. The fans who say, ‘I don’t understand why they don’t turn Roman Reigns heel!’ Isn’t he already?”
The most natural comparison for Roman Reigns is John Cena. Similar to Reigns, Cena is pushed as a top babyface but receives a heel reaction from fans. Triple H addressed this comparison:
“I spoke with John in 2004 when I was going to work with him at WrestleMania, and he was a little bothered by the fact he was getting booed. I said to him, ‘Dude, it’s sold out. What do you care? You are the Yankees and the Red Sox in the same game.’ You cannot dictate to people anymore.”
Triple H continued to discuss problems the company faces when segments of their audience want to see different types of pro wrestling.
“Raw and Smackdown have to be pop music,” HHH told SI. “They have to appeal to the masses most. There is always a subset of people who’d rather listen to Metallica or Jay-Z, so we give those people NXT and 205. I give them the cruiserweights. Go to the U.K., it’s a different style with different talent. Now you can follow a local talent work his way from the U.K. all the way to NXT and to the main roster. Now you feel like you’re a part of helping that kid succeed.”
The full interview with Triple H can be read here.
As we gear up for WrestleMania 33, WWE COO Triple H spoke with Peter Rosenberg this week for a special 1-on-1 interview on Rosenberg’s Cheap Heat Podcast. Here are some highlights of what Triple H said about:
His promo with Mick Foley to end last week’s RAW:
“It was great. It’s funny, there’s certain guys or women you have a certain chemistry with. When you get on screen with them, everything clicks and you just have magic. It’s that way with Mick. I think for both of us, we both felt it was a trip back 15 years in time. He and I haven’t been in the ring together forever. It was very cool to have that moment. He brings out an intensity in me, I think I bring that out in him, where he can get real emotional. It’s just a very cool place, we’re both really excited about it.”
Trying to get organic reactions from performers:
“To me, as a character, you look in the other guy’s eyes and you see what he’s bringing to you. I know what’s behind Mick’s [eyes] and I know if I move forward, I know the reaction I’m going to get. I’ll never forget, there was a time years ago when, sometimes a guy is not tense enough, you do something to them, you’re trying to get a reaction because it’s all about that reaction and that chemistry with each other. I had done something with a guy where I had kind of pie faced him in the ring because he wasn’t intense and I knew that would just infuriate him and make him fire up on me. It was actually my brother-in-law [Shane McMahon]. I knew it would just infuriate him and it did. It got the reaction I wanted to get and it made for a great TV moment.
I did that years later with another performer and the guy absolutely just shrank and looked at me like, ‘Why would you do that to me?’ It was the exact wrong reaction but I was taking a guess at it because he was giving me nothing. When you work with someone like Mick, when you work together so many times, I know when I press him what he’s going to give me and he knows what I’m going to give him back. That’s part of the chemistry.”
What are the main differences between his era and the current generation of up-and-comers?
“Part of it is just experience. It’s funny, Shawn Michaels and I have had this conversation because he’s been doing a lot of things with us down at the Performance Center. I have said to him every now and then, you just have to say to yourself, ‘These kids are learning. It’s developmental, right? When you’re working with them at that level.’ We forget sometimes how brief a period of time some of these guys have been doing this. Because they’re at WrestleMania or because they’re at RAW and it’s packed and it’s huge, you think these guys are the best in the world. But they’ve been doing it for like 2 years. Or they’ve been doing this for 3 years. Or sometimes you find guys who have been doing it for 15 years, but out on the independent circuit and nobody has been guiding them. They’ve been the best guy there forever and nobody’s been helping them get better. They don’t do a lot of TV interviews, they don’t do a lot of character stuff. They might have been physically in the ring.
One guys says, ‘I’ve been working for 10 years.’ But you’ve been working what, a couple days a month? So the level of skill is different and I think when you break it down to today vs. then, it’s an experience level. You get to the point where you know what you’re doing, but the experience where you can just feel it and be in that moment without having to think or worry about what to do or how to react. It’s a feel, it’s not a think. I think that only comes with experience. This job, you get better the more reps you do.”
Of the current generation, who got it the easiest?
“It’s hard to say ‘it clicked right away.’ There’s guys that you see came from ‘not having it at all’ but you could see it was there, I’d say Bray Wyatt. Seth Rollins, it took him a while to get comfortable. The Shield were all able to get comfortable together and support each other, while they were getting used to the system and the environment. It’s hard, if you’re by yourself and it’s all on you, it’s a difficult spot. If you have backup like that, those groups, and time to get comfortable.. It’s a comfort level. You get inside your own head, you question what you know, what you don’t know, you star thinking instead of reacting and feeling. That’s what it all comes down to. ”
Who are some of the guys who seemingly became great naturally?
“I’ll tell you the guy who sticks out most to me is Kurt Angle. It probably sounds convenient because he’s going into the Hall of Fame this year, but I remember when they first started talking about Kurt and he came in and he was super green. He just started, he didn’t know what he was doing, but he picked up the physicality of it second nature. But the entertainment component of it, the personality component, being larger than life .. Amateur wrestlers, Olympic wrestlers like that, they don’t want to show emotion, pain or excitement. They want to keep it on even keel and just do what they do and keep their emotions in check because it burns energy. It’s a different vibe. To be able to come in and flip that switch and go the other way .. A couple years into his career and he was main eventing WrestleMania, it was amazing, having this unbelievable run of success that he had no right to be having that early into his career …
Another guy is Randy Orton. I told him from the beginning, the only one that could stop him from succeeding is Randy. He can be a little bit of a self destructor, but he has everything it takes. I don’t know if that’s because he’s just gifted or because he watched his dad who was great for so long. I don’t know what it is, but he just has it all. I still think Randy doesn’t take advantage of all the tools he has. He does what he needs to do. I just think he’s that good. I don’t know if that’s me believing in him more than he believes in him. Don’t get me wrong, he’s great, I just wonder how great he could be.”
Is there a chance we’ll see Kurt Angle wrestle in WWE again?
“Yeah. I’ve been clear with Kurt in every conversation we’ve had on this topic. It’s a proving ground. He did a lot of great things, then there was a lot of time under the table, there was a lot of baggage, all of those things. It just comes back down to, ‘Let’s get back together. Let’s see how it goes. If it goes well for you, if it goes well for us and everything is great, we’ll see where it goes from there.”
How wrestling is different from all other contact sports:
“The difference between our business and all other sports is that the idea in all other sports, like in football, is to hit the other guy as hard as you can. [With us], safety is the firs thing you should learn. If you cannot protect your opponent, do not do it. The intent in our [sport] is the exact opposite. We want to make it look as good as possible with the least amount of impact as possible.”
Other topics discussed include the rise of Braun Stroman, what he’s most excited for at WrestleMania, The Miz earning his respect, the unpredictability of Goldberg vs. Lesnar and WrestleMania becoming an entire week of festivities.
Fight Club: Pro just held arguably the biggest weekend of the company’s existence with two nights in the illustrious Fixxion Warehouse in Wolverhampton, England. Dubbed ‘Rise Against’ and ‘The First Female of Fight Club’ the two nights showcased the best that Fight Club has to offer and made for a fitting farewell for one of the most beloved competitors ever to step foot in the Fixxion.
Here are the results from Friday Night’s Rise Against show:
‘Session Moth’ Martina b. Chief Deputy Dunne by Homicide.
Fatal Four Way Match: The Dunnedertaker (Damian Dunne) (w/Martina) b. Clint Margera, Dan Moloney and David Starr via Pinfall.
Candice LeRae b. Kay Lee Ray via Pinfall.
The Hunter Brothers (Jim Hunter & Lee Hunter) b. Joe Coffey & Omari via Pinfall
British Rounds Match: Jimmy Havoc b. Mikey Whiplash in Round 5.
Chris Brookes b. Nixon Newell via Pinfall.
British Strong Style (Pete Dunne, Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) b. Travis Banks, Will Ospreay & Wolfgang via Pinfall.
Before the British Strong Style match the three men (who have recently signed contracts with the WWE) re-enacted Triple H’s entrance in tribute:
— ‘The Bruiserweight’ Pete Dunne (@PeteDunneYxB) March 18, 2017
Here are the results from Saturday Night’s First Female of Fight Club show:
Fatal Four Way Match: David Starr b. Dan Maloney, Killian Jacobs and Omari
Triple Threat Match: ‘Session Moth’ Martina b. Kay Lee Ray and a Stuffed Giraffe (this is not a typo)
#CCK (Chris Brookes & Kid Lykos) b. Clint Margera & Jimmy Havoc
Mark Haskins & Will Ospreay b. Moustache Mountain (Trent Seven & Tyler Bate
Nixon Newell b. Candice LeRae
Fight Club: Pro Title Match: Travis Banks b. Pete Dunne (c)
This show was hugely notable for two reasons. 1) This was Nixon Newell’s final FCP appearance before she departs for the WWE Performance Center in April and 2) after an arduous journey to reclaim his title Travis Banks has regained the Fight Club: Pro gold.
The two shows will be available to view via the FCP Vimeo on demand service within the week and as soon as they are it is definitely worth taking a look: vimeo.com/fightclubpro.
It was an eventful evening, with Finn Balor (and Triple H) returning to action in the main event. Triple H tweeted this photo of his (and Finn Balor’s) return in the main event. The star-studded match featured Triple H, Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe teaming up against Finn Balor, Chris Jericho and Sami Zayn.
– WWE legends Edge and Christian are joining the podcast game. Following up on the success of their successful but short-lived WWE Network series, the former tag team champions and longtime friends will host “E&C’s Pod of Awesomeness” starting March 24th.
Starting Mar.24 it's @EandCpod exploding in your ear holes! Subscribe now wherever you get these podcasts thingshttps://t.co/Jaovwo2REw
Finn Balor returned from his shoulder injury at tonight’s WWE house show in Buffalo, NY. He teamed with Sami Zayn and Chris Jericho to get the main event win over Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens and Triple H, who was also making his return to the ring.
Balor has been out of the ring since SummerSlam 2016 where he was forced to drop the WWE Universal Championship the next night. Balor could be on this Monday’s RAW and is expected to be at WrestleMania.
The WWE posted a new video to their YouTube channel that highlighted the bizarre tweets of Luke Harper. Cathy Kelley called for the WWE Universe to try and figure out if there is a hidden message in Harper’s tweets. Kelley also said that it could just be the ramblings of a madman.
Triple H will be returning to the ring tonight at WWE live event in Buffalo, NY. Triple H posted a video of him training for tonight’s match. It is still unclear what Triple H’s role will be at Wrestlemania, as it all depends on the health of Seth Rollins. On Raw, Triple H said that if Rollins “calls Triple H out” at Wrestlemania 33, it will be the last thing he does in a WWE ring. It could wind up simply being a segment between Rollins and Triple H at Wrestlemania 33 if Rollins is not healthy in time for the show. Either way, Triple H is ready to go and will be performing tonight in Buffalo.
WWE COO Triple H will be lacing up the boots in a matter of weeks for a series of matches at live events leading up to WrestleMania.
The Game’s in-ring return takes place at WWE’s live event from Buffalo, NY on Friday, March 10th at the KeyBank Center. The following night, Triple H will take part in a 6-man tag match at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto.
BREAKING NEWS! See TRIPLE H live at KeyBank Center on Friday, March 10th when WWE LIVE ROAD TO WRESTLEMANIA comes to Buffalo!! #WWEBUFFALOpic.twitter.com/HCWMLD7uBm
It’s worth noting that Finn Balor is scheduled for the Toronto show.
Triple H is rumored to be facing Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 33. Whether or not Seth Rollins is medically cleared in time for the big show, Triple H has been training (see below) and will be ready to throw down on April 2nd.
– “Watch This” by Will Roush continues to be the theme song for the WWE Fastlane pay-per-view. It is the official theme song for the March 5th pay-per-view, but the same song was used for the 2016 Fastlane show.
– Earlier this week, WWE sent the New England Patriots a replica WWE Championship belt to commemorate their Super Bowl LI victory. The Pats had the belt in tow for Tuesday’s championship parade in Boston.
– Below is the latest Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer with former WWE Champion Batista as Drax the Destroyer. The trailer premiered during the Super Bowl on Sunday:
You can watch the official WWE Hall Of Fame video package for “The Rock ‘N’ Roll Express” Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson above.
The wrestling legends spoke with CBS Sports on Monday at this link and admitted that the call from WWE caught them off guard. Morton called it a dream come true and both expressed interest in wrestling for WWE again as they continue to work indy matches each week.
“It was a surprise,” Morton told CBS Sports. “I had a message on my phone [from WWE] to call the number back. I think they got ahold of Robert at the time. When they called, it was just like a suckerpunch. It just knocked us off our feet.”
“It’s an honor for Ricky and me to go into the hall of fame,” Gibson added.
Meanwhile, past and present WWE Superstars congratulated the guys on Twitter and spoke about the impact they had on the business:
– It looks like WWE is moving forward with plans to crown the first ever WWE Asia Champion. After the recent success of WWE’s United Kingdom Championship tournament, officials are now interested in holding similar events in other regions of the world. WWE officials have already begun scouting talent in Asia, with several wrestlers in talks with the company to iron out their eligibility and travel requirements. Any potential candidates would have to sign exclusive deals, and no outside bookings will be allowed if signed in the US, the UK, or Japan. Officials hope to avoid some of the confusion reported from the UK scene.
– We’ve reported how Samoa Joe vs. Triple H was one match discussed for Triple H at WrestleMania 33 now that Seth Rollins is injured. After this week’s RAW that match seems unlikely. PWInsider reports that one match that was at least discussed is Triple H vs. Shane McMahon. We also know that Shane vs. AJ Styles has been considered recently.
– The following Title Match Wrestling video from a recent Pro Wrestling Syndicate event in Sayreville, NJ features Scott Steiner facing indy wrestler Craig Steele. Steiner cuts a pre-match promo that is very NSFW and goes on to win the match when Steele taps out.
– We’ve reported how current WrestleMania 33 plans call for RAW Women’s Champion Charlotte defending against Nia Jax, Bayley and Sasha Banks in a Fatal 4 Way. It is unclear what WWE has planned for the SmackDown women’s division, but a number of former female WWE Superstars have been contacted for the show.
– This week’s NXT will feature a glorious NXT Championship celebration with Bobby Roode.
Speaking of Roode, Triple H called the recent NXT Full Sail tapings the first of the “Bobby Roode Era.” Triple H tweeted this photo with Roode after the tapings:
– Triple H recently surprised a group of kids from Make-A-Wish with WrestleMania 33 tickets at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. The Wish Kids will be a part of the WrestleMania festivities this coming April in Orlando. Below are photos:
– In the video below from TMZ Sports, John Cena shares his thoughts on the Shaquille O’Neal vs Big Show match at WrestleMania 33. Cena believes Big Show is in great physical shape and has really transformed his body. Cena has known Show for fifteen years and believes Show has something to prove this year, and a need to make his mark on WrestleMania, using the “please retire” chants from a few years back as motivation.
The latest on Seth Rollins’ knee injury is that it could be a torn MCL, which would keep him out of action for about 8 weeks. Rollins’ scheduled match against Samoa Joe at Fastlane on 3/5 is obviously off and it it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to work WrestleMania on 4/2.
WWE held a creative meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss alternate WrestleMania plans. Triple H has been training to compete at WrestleMania and he could face Shane MCMahon or even Samoa Joe if Rollins isn’t cleared in time.
Finn Balor, who is recovering from a shoulder injury suffered at the hands of Seth Rollins at SummerSlam, sent Rollins a get well soon card:
RAW Superstar Seth Rollins crashed Saturday night’s NXT TakeOver: San Antonio event and called out Triple H once again.
The Game did appear, but there was no face-to-face confrontation. Triple H sent security to the ring to get Rollins under control so the show could continue.
Rollins and Triple H are expected to face off at WrestleMania 33 in singles action. Expect to see more of Seth Rollins attempting to confront his former ally.
WWE cameras caught up with Triple H after NXT Takeover to get his thoughts on Seth Rollins’ surprise appearance.
Seth Rollins spoke to Sky Sports this week to promote Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view and said he’s still planning to get revenge on Triple H for costing him the RAW Universal Championship.
“I’ve been trying to find [Triple H] for two or three months now and if he shows up it will give me the opportunity to put my foot in his mouth! I have been calling him out on television and social media and can’t seem to get anything from him, so maybe he is comfortable in his suit and sitting in his penthouse. Maybe The Game, The Cerebral Assassin, the guy that wielded the sledgehammer is done and gone – we’ll see if he is the man and if he has the cojones to answer me and protect his legacy.”
Triple H betrayed his former golden boy the week after SummerSlam when a Fatal 4 Way match was held to determine the winner of Finn Balor’s vacated championship. Rollins will get his hands on Triple H sooner or later, with a lot of fans thinking it will happen at WrestleMania 33.
“One way or another I am going to get my hands on him – whether it’s in the ring, backstage or at WWE headquarters. I am going to find a way to make him pay for what he did to me. He deserves everything that comes to him and more and I would like a no disqualification match because I don’t want anyone telling me what I can and can’t do when it comes to getting revenge. There is some unfinished business and sooner or later we are going to get around to it – whether it’s at WrestleMania, before or after.”
Head over to Sky Sports to check out the full interview.
Goldberg did an interview with CBS Sports before last night’s episode of Monday Night Raw. Goldberg was asked about the possibility of returning to a full time schedule in the WWE.
“If that were to happen, it depends on your definition of full time. If you have the strap, the WWE title, you gotta be on TV to defend it. I guess we’ll cross that bridge if we get there.”
Goldberg also discussed the current WWE locker room and how respectful they have been to him.
“The respect is unbelievable. I feel like an elder statesman. I’m very happy for the business that such good people are in control of it now. It seems like they’re a great group of kids in the locker room. And that’s really nice to see, because in past years, that has not always been the case.”
You can check out he full interview by clicking here.
Seth Rollins is no longer in the WWE Royal Rumble Match after losing his spot to Sami Zayn on tonight’s RAW in Cleveland.
The finish saw Rollins get rolled up after Triple H’s music distracted him. It’s believed that Rollins vs. Triple H will take place at Wrestlemania 33.
Here’s the updated list of Royal Rumble participants:
* Sami Zayn
* Big Show
* Brock Lesnar
* The Undertaker
* Bill Goldberg
* Chris Jericho
* Braun Strowman
* Xavier Woods
* Big E
* Kofi Kingston
* Dolph Ziggler
* The Miz
* Baron Corbin
* Dean Ambrose
* Bray Wyatt
* Randy Orton
* Luke Harper
* Cesaro
* Sheamus
WWE COO Triple H recently spoke with IGN.com to promote the new Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania animated movie, which is now available on DVD & digital streaming services.
The Royal Rumble is just days away and it’s one of the most star-studded lineups in years. With big names like The Undertaker, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton and Seth Rollins involved, it’s also one of the most unpredictable Rumbles we’ve ever seen. Triple H thinks we’re going to see a surprise finish that nobody saw coming.
“Sometimes there’s a year in the Rumble where you think ‘Okay, I can see this or that happening. This seems like where the Rumble might be headed.’ But this year, it’s really tough to call. And I think that’s when the Rumble’s at its best, when you can’t really put your finger on what’s going to happen. I can see this year going a lot of different ways and I think it’s going to go in a way that nobody expects.”
Of course the big news of the past week has been the announcement of Kurt Angle entering the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 33 weekend. Angle has been away from WWE for a decade and Triple H says it’s the a very well deserved induction.
“We’ve had an association with Kurt for a long time but when Kurt was here in the WWE, he was one of the most impactful and memorable and iconic characters probably ever. One of the things that always stands out for me is that I was here when Kurt was coming out of the Olympics and training. And having never done this before, he went from zero knowledge of our industry to being one of the most incredible performers in the ring in the time frame of the Attitude Era where, you know, he was in there with some of the best in the world.”
He continued, “[Kurt] very quickly went from walking to the ring for the first time to being one of the best in the world himself. It happened faster than anyone else. And that’s what I do now mostly in my day to day job. Most of my day is focused on talent and recruiting and training and talent development. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen someone pick it up as fast as Kurt.”
Triple H said that on that basis alone, he deserves the induction. When you throw in everything he accomplished in WWE, what he’s accomplished since then and what he will continue to accomplish, it’s a no brainer.
– Batista recently took to Twitter to respond to a fan who said his 2014 run with WWE was a “complete waste.” Batista previously voiced his displeasure with how WWE handled his 2014 comeback, but he stops short of calling it a “waste.” The former WWE Champion pointed out to the fan that he helped put over Daniel Bryan and The Shield before he left again. Here’s what he had to say:
– Triple H continued his in-character war of words with Seth Rollins on the most recent edition of FOX Sports’ Wrestling Compadres podcast. When asked about Rollins calling him out, he joked that Rollins must not know where WWE headquarters is located.
“Look, sometimes you just go to the obvious places, and you go out in front of the camera and you try to call a guy out and appeal to his manhood that he will come out and fight you like a man. None of that stuff bothers me,” Triple H said. “I’m okay with not getting my suit dirty and just sitting in the back a little bit. But at some point in time, be careful what you wish for.”
You can listen to the full interview with Triple H at podbay.fm.
It’s been rumored for months and now WWE COO Triple H has confirmed that WWE is planning to present an all-women’s tournament later this year. During an appearance on FOX Sports’ Wrestling Compadres podcast, Triple said the tournament will likely take place this summer.
“That’s another one of my big passions, to go do a women’s tournament,” he said. He spoke about NXT’s growth, the Cruiserweight Classic, the UK Championship Tournament and scheduling being a big issue. “It’s really been a process with the women us finding the right time and space.”
Much like WWE did with the Cruiserweight Classic, WWE will scour the globe and hopes to find women who are unknown to the masses, “diamonds that are just waiting there” and bring them in, see what they can do.
As for the prospect of inter-gender matches, Triple H isn’t a fan. He says it’s exciting when the woman can take down the guy, but he doesn’t know if the world wants to see a guy kicking the crap out of a woman. It might work on a smaller level, but he considers it ‘shock entertainment.’ There’s a reason UFC and boxing don’t have men fighting women. There’s a reason why even WWE has weight classes. “Let women be the athletes that they are.”
The discussion regarding the women’s tournament begins around the 21-minute mark.
Discussion: What women currently competing on the independent scene would you like to see in a WWE Women’s Tournament?