SEScoops

Tag: Triple H

  • Triple H on NXT Stars Jumping to AEW: \”I’m Happy for Them\”

    Triple H says he\’s happy for former NXT talent who have jumped to AEW. He keeps in touch with \”almost all of them\” and thinks the WWE machine gave them the tools to be successful \”over there.\”

    Earlier this month, Triple H was interviewed by Chris Vannini for The Athletic. During their discussion, he spoke at length about AEW, including whether or not he views Tony Khan\’s promotion as true competition for WWE.

    A staggering number of former NXT performers now work for AEW. Adam Cole, Kyle O\’Reilly, Bobby Fish, Andrade, Malakai Black, Keith Lee, Swerve Strickland, Samoa Joe and William Regal are just some of the names on this list.

    Triple H worked closely with all of them and he\’s thankful for that opportunity.

    \”I like all those guys,\” said Triple H. “They helped us get where we needed to get, and I’m thankful for it. The truth is there was a period of time where we were trying to build NXT. We built NXT. Then we were trying to build a brand that could get a television show and sustain it. All those names helped us get there.\”

    Ultimately, Vince McMahon decides who belongs on the main roster. Triple H says he\’s happy for the NXT alumni who have moved on to AEW.

    \”If they have great gigs, I’m happy for them. I stay in touch with almost all of them. I like to think they came into us here, we taught them a lot, got them to (a higher level) where they learned how to do television, how to be professionals and all that to be successful there.\”

    Triple H says some of the people he worked with in NXT may come back to WWE at some point. Some may not and that\’s ok.

    The Adam Coles and Keith Lees of the world got NXT where it needed to go, at one time. However, Triple H says the show must go on. He likened today\’s wrestling landscape to football. \”People leave football teams, move to different teams all the time, and it’s great.\”

  • Adam Cole Comments on Triple H\’s Recent Health Issues

    All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star and former NXT star Adam Cole has offered his comments on Triple H\’s recent health scare.

    \”The Game\” recently opened up about his near-death experience and also admitted that he is now retired from in-ring competition as a result of his health complications. Cole, who worked closely with Triple H in NXT over the years, offered his thoughts on the situation during an interview with Fightful.

    Cole noted that he thinks the world of Triple H after the time they spent together at NXT, saying he learned a lot from him and considers him a mentor. He added that he was very disheartened to learn that Triple H was forced to retire due to his health concerns because he knows how much wrestling means to \”The Game,\” however, his health is what\’s most important.

    “So truth be told, with the way stuff has been going lately, I’m just happy he’s okay,\” Cole said. \”But yeah, I mean, everything that he’s given to the wrestling industry and the wrestling business will never be forgotten, whether it be his in ring career, or the countless amount of people he’s influenced within NXT and the countless people he’s taught within NXT. So I really do, I love Triple H. I admire the hell out of him, and I’m glad he’s alright.”

    Adam Cole left WWE back in 2021 after his contract with the company expired. He later made his debut for AEW at their All Out pay-per-view (PPV). During his run with NXT, Cole became an NXT Triple Crown Champion, winning the promotion\’s World Title, North American Title, and Tag Team Titles.

    As for Triple H, the 13-time World Champion can hang his hat on a career that will surely go down as one of the greatest of all time. After helping shape the professional wrestling industry in the ring, he now helps shape it behind the curtain, playing a huge role in molding the stars of the future.

    Quotes via WrestlingNews.co

  • Matt Hardy Reflects On Triple H\’s Career: \”One Of The Smoothest Workers You\’ll Ever Be In The Ring With\”

    Matt Hardy enjoyed his time working with Triple H.

    \”The Game\” announced to ESPN\’s Stephen A. Smith that he has retired from in-ring action. Triple H has a defibrillator in his chest due to heart failure. Fans got to witness 30 years of Hunter.

    Matt Hardy Lauds Triple H Following Retirement Announcement

    During an episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, Matt detailed what made Triple H special inside the ring (h/t Wrestling Inc).

    “It is what it is, we all have to retire one day. I remember I reached out to him after I heard about his condition, and spoke to him briefly. Obviously, I have known Paul for a very long time, and worked with him many, many times, and had good experiences with him.

    \”He’s incredible in the ring, one of the smoothest workers you’ll ever be in the ring with. Really smart, a student of the game, loves the business. Obviously, I love this insane sh*t, so I really bond with anybody who has that much of a love for it.”

    Triple H got night two of WrestleMania 38 started by leaving his boots in the middle of the ring. He received a standing ovation from the crowd inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

  • Kevin Owens: Triple H Has Done More For Me Than Anyone In My Career

    Kevin Owens has spoken out on Triple H\’s retirement.

    HHH revealed to ESPN\’s Stephen A. Smith that he has a defibrillator in his chest due to heart failure. As a result, he has officially retired from in-ring action.

    Owens grew close to HHH during his time in NXT. The bond followed him all the way to the main roster when Triple H handed KO the WWE Universal Championship back in 2016.

    Kevin Owens Wanted To Wrestle Triple H

    Appearing on The Ringer\’s MackMania podcast, Kevin Owens lauded Triple H for doing so much for him in his career and revealed he wanted to wrestle \”The Game.\”

    \”Obviously, it sucks that he didn\’t get to retire in the ring the way he should have but he\’s obviously making the best decision for himself and his family. So, nobody can — that\’s not a bad thing, that\’s a good thing. I selfishly — he\’s done more for me than anyone\’s ever done in my career.

    \”I can say that safely and I always wanted to get in the ring with him. I always wanted to wrestle him. I got to team with him a few times, which was awesome. Never got to be on the opposite side of the ring and now I know I won\’t get to.

    \”Honestly, people would ask me a lot about, \’Well, who would you like to face at WrestleMania?\’ My answers were always, I\’d love to have a singles match with Sami Zayn, that happened last year. I\’d love to be in the ring with Finn Balor at WrestleMania because next to Sami he\’s the guy I\’m the closest with, so I\’d love to share that experience with him.

    \”And then obviously, I never thought it would be remotely possible but being in the ring with \’Stone Cold\’ Steve Austin at WrestleMania is incredible. Besides those three answers, if I could\’ve had a dream WrestleMania match it would\’ve been with Triple H.\”

    Please H/T SEScoops if you use any quotes from this article.

  • VIDEO: Triple H Appears At NXT Stand & Deliver, Gives Tommaso Ciampa Proper Sendoff

    Triple H made a surprise appearance during NXT Stand & Deliver.

    The event took place inside the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas just hours before night one of WrestleMania 38. On the card, Tommaso Ciampa was pinned by Tony D\’Angelo, seemingly marking the end of his NXT run and the start of a transition to the main roster.

    As Ciampa was walking up the ramp after the match a familiar theme song played. Triple H made his way out and hugged Ciampa.

    \”The Game\” recently announced his retirement from in-ring action during an interview with ESPN\’s Stephen A. Smith. The WWE Hall of Famer (as a member of DX) has a defibrillator in his chest as a result of heart failure.

    Fightful had reported that Triple H surprised talent by showing up at a meeting before the WrestleMania festivities began.

  • Triple H Reportedly Makes Surprise Appearance At WWE Talent Meeting

    Triple H made a very special appearance during a WWE talent meeting in Dallas, Texas this week. The report comes from Fightful, which notes that \”The Game\” was introduced by WWE Talent Relations head John Laurinaitis to kick off the meeting Thursday night. This was quite the treat for talent, as most hadn\’t seen the WWE Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development since August.

    The scene was said to be very emotional, with Hunter discussing his recent health struggles, which led to him making the decision to retire from in-ring competition for good. \”The Game\” then introduced WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan, who he described as a friend of over 10 years. Khan offered up some news to the talent regarding pay. Specifically that they will earn additional compensation on top of their Superstar contracts for any revenue generated via third-party platforms.

    This includes the likes of services such as Cameo, autograph signings, scripted and un-scripted programming. The meeting was reportedly described as overwhelmingly positive by several Superstars, with one going as far as saying it was a great way to kick off the WrestleMania weekend.

    As for Triple H, he has been steadily increasing his involvement in public appearances as WrestleMania 38 approaches this weekend. He was present for WWE tryouts in Frisco, Texas this past Thursday, and also appeared for The Undertaker\’s life-size statue unveiling this week. The former WWE Champion had taken time away from the business after suffering a cardiac episode this past fall.

  • Roman Reigns Reacts To Triple H\’s Retirement

    WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has shared his thoughts on Triple H walking away from in-ring action.

    Back in Sept. 2021, WWE issued a statement revealing that \”The Game\” suffered a \”cardiac event\” and was expected to make a full recovery. As it turns out, things are a lot more serious than WWE led the public to believe.

    Hunter revealed to ESPN\’s Stephen A. Smith that he has a defibrillator in his chest and will never wrestle again. He also essentially said that he was on the brink of death.

    Roman Reigns On Triple H\’s Retirement

    During an appearance on The Tonight Show, Roman Reigns said he\’s always been fond of Triple H since his days in developmental (h/t 411Mania.com).

    “H was very critical in this process to guide me along. Before I met Vince and built a relationship with him, it was Triple H, he was the one down there in developmental, helping guide talent along. He was the one that overlooked it.

    \”He was huge in guiding me along. I think he recognized [my] potential and he was always good to me. Early on, I was the type that was asking for raises. ‘Can I get some more money?’ ‘Yeah, go ahead.’

    \”Two months later. ‘Can I get some more money?’ ‘Yup.’ Then there’s a point where they are like, ‘No.’ I was like, ‘Can you ask Triple H?’ The next morning, you get more money. H has hooked me up and always looked over me. Inside and outside the ring, he’s the best.“

    Wrestling fans got to witness 30 years of \”The Game.\” Hunter began his career back in March 1992 and ended it in March 2022.

  • Triple H Thanks Wrestling World For Reaction to His Retirement

    Last week, multi-time world champion Triple H officially retired from the squared circle. In an appearance on First Take with Stephen A. Smith, Triple H detailed his health struggle last year relating to issues with his heart, including a near-death experience.

    Due to his condition and the fact that he now has a defibrillator, Triple H will no longer be able to participate in any wrestling matches moving forward. The news stunned some in the wrestling world, but pretty much universally, people reacted to the announcement by celebrating Triple H\’s career.

    After seeing the outpouring of support from the industry as a whole, as well as fans and family, Triple H took to social media on Sunday to react.

    The post starts with a quote from author Louis L\’Amour.

    \”There will come a time when you believe everything is finished; that will be the beginning.\”

    Triple H then wrote, \”I am truly humbled by the texts, calls, posts and all the kind words. I\’m grateful to each and everyone one of you. I wish I could respond to each of you, but I type so slow I\’d never leave the house again. Please know how much they all mean to me. Stay healthy, be grateful for all you have and seize the day……. I know I am!\”

    During the interview with Smith, Triple H confirmed that he is back at the office working now though he has taken a step back in recent months. He mentioned he has been focusing on recruitment and development for the company, talking about the pending arrival of NCAA star Gable Stevenson, as well as the propect of opening more WWE Performance Centers in the future.

    Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube. 

    Photos: WrestleMania 38 Artwork Goes Up on AT&T Stadium

  • Triple H On His Future In WWE After In Ring Retirement

    After months of rumors and speculations, Triple H finally opened up about his cardiac event from last year during his appearance on Stephen A’s World. The Game announced his retirement from in-ring competition, leading to an outpouring of posts about his influence on the business from both WWE and AEW stars.

    The interview made people wonder about the future of his current role with the company. Talking about it, Triple H claimed that his foot is not off the gas:

    “No, my foot’s not off the gas, I suppose in some manner I’ve got to step back a little bit. I’m still in recovery and my endurance is not exactly quite what it used to be before. But right now I’m back, I’m at the office. I am fully focused on recruiting and developing of our talent in the future.\”

    The King Of Kings claimed that his focus is on finding potential future stars such as Gable Steveson. It\’s about making sure WWE is a success for generations to come:

    “It’s finding that, it’s creating that future. That’s the biggest focus for me and as we move forward from there, it’s making sure WWE is a success for generations to come.”

    During the talk, the former world champion also revealed that WWE had plans for him to be part of the WrestleMania 38 event before his health scare.

  • WWE And AEW Stars React To Triple H\’s Retirement

    While many people saw it coming, the official announcement of Triple H\’s retirement from in-ring competition still hit the wrestling world hard.

    The whole of wrestling industry came together to thank The Game for his contributions to the business on the occasion. This included not only his friends but the many talents he helped bring the spotlight on during his time as the head of NXT.

    Alexa Bliss noted that it was Triple H who came up with the idea for Alexa\’s Playground. She thanked the former world champion for everything.

    Rhea Ripley revealed that The King Of Kings was the reason she started watching WWE. The former NXT UK women\’s champion also mentioned how he helped her get further in the business.

    Mustafa Ali posted a photo of Triple H addressing a room full of Cruiserweight Classic talents. He noted how the WWE EVP gave chances to many dreamers.

    The Miz thanked the wrestling veteran for the wealth of knowledge he has shared over the years. He also advised H to enjoy the extra time he will have with his daughters.

    The names reacting to Triple H\’s retirement also included Ric Flair, Miro, Adam Cole and many more. You can check out some of the reactions below:

    https://twitter.com/SwoleWorld/status/1507512301510868998

  • Triple H Says There Were Plans For Him At WrestleMania Before His Health Issues

    On Friday, Triple H announced his retirement from wrestling after dealing with viral pneumonia that led to cardiac issues which resulted in a defibrillator being put into his chest. He won’t be able to actively compete in the ring again.

    In the full interview with Stephen A. Smith on Stephen A\’s World, Triple H revealed that there were plans in place for him to compete at WrestleMania 38. However, his health scare nixed those plans. 

    \”I was already at a place in my career, as far as the in-ring goes, where I was comfortable being done and finished. If the right thing came along, I hadn\’t really said much, but if the right thing came along and they wanted me to do it.\”

    He continued, \”I had a conversation with Vince McMahon about doing something at WrestleMania this year in Dallas. We had talked about and there were plans for. Obviously, when this happened, it shut all that down. As far as the schedule, WWE is an intense place, it\’s 24/7 and you\’re running, running, running. It put things in perspective for me.”

    Triple H did not give what the exact plans for WrestleMania 38 were. He did note that he is back in the office and now focused on recruitment. His endurance is not quite what it used to be before, but working his way there. He wants to make sure that WWE is a success for generations to come. 

    H/T to Fightful for the transcription

  • Triple H Retires, Details Near-Death Experience

    WWE executive Paul Levesque (Triple H) has provided an update on his health and future after undergoing a \”cardiac event\” in late 2021.

    The 14-time World Champion spoke with Stephen A. Smith for ESPN this week. A portion of the conversation aired on Friday\’s episode of First Take.

    Triple H said, \”I had a viral pneumonia. My lungs were inflamed, as the next couple of days went on, it got increasingly worse, and my wife saw some blood and stuff that I was coughing up. I went and got checked, and it was coming from the viral pneumonia, but I had fluid in my lungs, fluid around my heart.\”

    Doctors performed a thorough examination, including an EKG. Ejection fraction is the way your heart pumps blood and 55-60 is considered a healthy range. Triple H was down to 30.

    \”I got a quick text message saying \”Don\’t take time, pack your bag and head to the emergency room… by the time i got to the emergency room, my ejection fraction got down to about 22, which… I was in heart failure, bad. By the next morning, they figured that out, by the time I was going in to get a heart catheter my ejection was down to 12. I was nose diving and sort of at the 1-yard line of.. where you don\’t want to be, for your family and your future.\”

    https://youtu.be/o5N1AurWE3I

    As a family man, Triple H got emotional talking about his medical emergency.

    \”Let me tell you, its 99% .. it gets real, we have three young girls, 15, 13 and 11. Suddenly I come home, I\’m a little bit sick, and their dad who is strong, always, suddenly is in the hospital. I don\’t know if they understood the consequences of it, but there\’s moments in there where .. when they\’re putting you out for stuff and you think, \’Is this it? Do you wake up from this?\’ That\’s tough to swallow and makes you think differently… it makes you think differently about life. It doesn\’t make you any less driven for the things that you do, but it certainly makes you appreciate the things that you have more, your friends, your family.\”

    Triple H then confirmed he will never wrestle again because he had a defibrillator pacemaker installed in his chest.

    \”For me, as far as in-ring, which I get a lot, I\’m done. I will never wrestle again. I have a defibrillator in my chest, which .. It\’s probably not a good idea for me to get zapped on life tv.\”

    Stephen A. Smith\’s full interview with Triple H premieres Friday night on Stephen A\’s World, which streams on ESPN+.

  • Chris Jericho Thinks Triple H May Have Kept Him Out of the WM2000 Main Event

    Chris Jericho made his WWE debut in 1999 and he instantly become a big star in the company. Jericho believes he could have even had his first WrestleMania main event within a year, if it wasn\’t for Triple H. Y2J was interviewed on the latest episode of The Kurt Angle Show where they discussed the various stages of Jericho\’s career.

    During the talk, the AEW star claimed that he was originally supposed to be a part of the fatal four-way main event of WrestleMania 2000. He was going to be the fourth participant of the bout instead of Mick Foley:

    \”The original plan for that WrestleMania if you remember, it was a four-way title match with a McMahon in every corner. It was [The] Rock, Big Show, Triple H and Mick Foley. With Vince, Shane, Linda and Stephanie with whoever they were with. The original plan for that match was Hunter, Rock, Big Show and Jericho. And if you think that I\’m just saying that because I heard rumors or someone told me, they actually made promotional pieces for the match.\”

    Chris Jericho showed a press kit for WrestleMania 2000 which featured his photo with the other three participants. He also recalled seeing a billboard on Sunset Boulevard with the same picture. However, he thinks that Vince McMahon didn\’t believe in him enough at the time to put him in the spot:

    \”I think Vince just didn\’t have the belief in me, I guess to put me in that spot yet. So he brought Mick back. That was after Mick had retired. I think Mick told me that Vince offered him enough money to pay his kids\’ college educations. So he came back.\”

    \”There Was A lot Of Politics At That Time\” Says Chris Jericho

    \"Chris

    Interestingly enough, Jericho believes that his heat with Triple H during the early days might have cost him the opportunity. He mentioned how he is cool with The Game now but it wasn\’t always the case:

    \”There was a lot a lot of politics at that time. When I say this, it\’s not from a bitter point of view or an angry point of view. It\’s just the way it was. So to come in, there was a lot of legit heat between Hunter and myself. [It] Involved China, [It] involved a little bit X Pac as well. But Hunter and I just didn\’t like each other and I think Hunter had such a pull at the time, such power that if he didn\’t like me of course, [he could have gotten me removed]. Even if he\’s not going out of his way to bury me to Vince, I am sure every time my name came up he would be like \’ugh, that guy? come on.\’

    It\’s just kind of the way the business worked at the time. So I think that might have had a lot to do with it. [Hunter probably said] \’You don\’t want Jericho, is that a big enough name? Bring back Foley or see if Austin\’s available.\’ Or whatever it may be. That kind of [was] one of the reasons. Once again, I\’m not saying that I\’ve heard this. I just can tell. I can read the room for the past that we had. We\’re really cool now but at the time we just fucking didn\’t like each other, [it] just didn\’t work.\”

    If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription.

  • Report: Triple H\’s \’Top Executive Assistant\’ Gone from WWE

    Lisette Pineda, Manager of Global Talent Strategy and Development for WWE, recently left the company. The news was first reported by PWInsider.

    Pineda worked closely with Paul Levesque (Triple H), with some describing her role as his \”top executive assistant.\”

    Levesque has yet to return to working full-time since suffering a \’cardiac event\’ last year. There is no timeframe for him to return, but Pineda\’s release indicates it won\’t be any time soon.

    Levesque has made very few public appearances over the past few months. Back in November, he was spotted touring the building that will serve as WWE\’s new headquarters.

    In January, he appeared on NBC\’s Nightly News to discuss WWE\’s NIL (“Next In Line”) program and the company\’s initiative to recruit collegiate athletes.

    Lisette Pineda\’s departure has led to speculation about Levesque\’s future with WWE. PWInsider\’s report states:

    \”Many who used to be in constant communication with him haven\’t spoken with him in some time and there\’s no indication he\’s anywhere close to stepping back into his former roles for the company.\”

    Pineda had been with WWE for two years. According to her LinkedIn page, she previously spent 6 years at Goldman-Sachs.

  • Update on Triple H\’s Status for WrestleMania 38

    WWE is looking to do things outside the box this year for WrestleMania 38 in hopes of boosting ticket sales to the two-night event in Arlington, Texas.

    Vince McMahon is being rumored for a match of some kind with Pat McAfee, and Stone Cold Steve Austin is reportedly considering a return to the ring to face Kevin Owens. This would be Austin\’s first match since 2003.

    However, don\’t expect to see Triple H in the ring this year despite all of the names from the past who are returning. Triple H experienced a scary health issue this past September, characterized at the time as a cardiac event, and a return to the ring this year is not in the cards.

    “No, Triple H would be a terrible idea,” Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingNews.co). “His heart situation is, he can’t. I don’t want to say never because that’s because that’s unfair because maybe he can do something but that would be a horrible idea for him and that’s not gonna happen this year. There’s no way.”

    Triple H has remained mostly out of the spotlight since his health situation. He\’s reportedly no longer involved in a major way at NXT, with Shawn Michaels now taking over his previous duties with that brand.

    Michaels spoke about his new role with NXT during an interview with Denise Salcedo last December.

    \”I’ve now stepped out of the physical coaching aspect and into the Vice President of Talent Development and focusing more on television, the live show, and creative,\” Michaels said. \”The talent pool has gotten very big. To me, the biggest advantage of all of that is the freshness, the newness. When I went from a tag team to a single competitor, I wasn’t given a cookie-cutter ‘this is your character, this is what you’re gonna do.’\”

    WrestleMania 38 Card Update

    The matches which have been confirmed so far for WrestleMania 38 are:

    • WWE Universal Championship vs. WWE Championship
      Roman Reigns (c) vs. Brock Lesnar (c)
    • WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship (Main Event for Night One)
      Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ronda Rousey
    • WWE Raw Women’s Championship
      Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bianca Belair
    • Dominik Mysterio and Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz and Logan Paul

    Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

  • Jim Ross Defends Triple H\’s WWE Booking

    As Triple H rose to the top of WWE in the early 200s, a criticism often heard were allegations that Hunter\’s spot on the card had as much to do with his relationship with Stephanie McMahon as his own talents.

    On this week\’s episode of Grilling JR, Jim Ross addressed those allegations head on.

    “Oh, I don’t think so. I don’t think so,” Jim Ross said of politics being behind Triple H\’s booking. “It’s better for this conversation to say, ‘oh yeah man, it blew up the locker room and you’ve never seen any controversy like this, it was not horrible’. No, sorry, let’s rewind that one. I knew he was going to be a star and if you couldn’t figure that out, you were just being unobjective and being a typical paranoid wrestler.

    “He was going to take some spots because he was willing to put in the work to see that, that got done. Some of his mannerisms and how he navigated the political waters were not universally accepted by a lot of guys that Triple H’s power base affected.”

    Ross went on to discuss why he felt Triple H was a great heel and one of the best workers in the business.

    “He was a great heel and he ended up being an excellent worker. Anybody, If people don’t like Paul Levesque’s work, it’s because of politics. You can’t tell me he was a bad worker, that’s b*******. C’mon, If you don’t like him, say you don’t like him. He always had great potential because he was always going to be prepared and educated and I always thought he had great abilities. Some of his best matches were as that heel, that continued to advance and grow,\” Ross said.

    Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcript.

  • Triple H\’s Reaction To WWE Gutting His Version of NXT

    The NXT that Triple H spent years developing is no more. NXT 2.0 is a radical departure from his vision.

    Stars like Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, Keith Lee, Karrion Kross and more are no longer with WWE. The management structure that Triple H spent years to build no longer exists. With William Regal, Samoa Joe and “Road Dogg” BG James and many others getting axed by WWE this week, the ’black and gold era’ of NXT is dead and buried.

    Unsurprisingly, WWE’s decision to gut Triple H’s version of NXT are said to be quite upsetting to him, according to Wade Keller of the Pro Wrestling Torch.

    Keller spoke about Triple H\’s reaction to the latest cuts during a recent audio update behind the PWTorch VIP paywall site.

    “I’ve talked with people who had said Triple H was building his team that he would bring with him to the main roster. And if his day came to run the main roster he wanted his group of people,\” Keller said.

    \”At some point, it was thought that it would include William Regal and Gabe Sapolsky and Road Dogg and they’re gone.”

    Keller added, “NXT just isn’t what it once was. I’ve heard just a little about Triple H’s reaction to all of this and nothing super reportable other than it sounds like he’s bummed out.”

    In addition to the releases of Samoa Joe, Road Dogg, and William Regal, numerous others were let go. These include Timothy Thatcher, Danny Burch, Scott Armstrong, Allison Danger, Hideki Suzuki and more. Reports are that morale backstage in NXT is at an all-time low.

    H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the above transcriptions.

  • Watch: Triple H Discusses WWE Recruiting College Athletes

    Paul \”Triple H\” Levesque has made his first public appearance since undergoing heart surgery following a \’cardiac event\’ back in September.

    Triple H appeared on the New Year\’s Day edition of NBC\’s Nightly News broadcast to discuss WWE\’s new NIL initiative to recruit collegiate athletes.

    A new era for college sports is underway after the National Labor Relations Board authorized NCAA athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness.

    College sports are an $18 billion industry, so there are many new (and lucrative) opportunities for the athletes responsible for generating this money.

    WWE\’s NIL Program

    WWE recently launched the NIL (\”Next In Line\”) program and signed 15 athletes they believe could be the Superstars of tomorrow.

    WWE Unveils Inagrual NIL Class

    Triple H Comments

    Triple H is the Executive Vice President of WWE\’s Global Talent Strategy & Development division. He has a big influence recruiting and developing these athletes.

    \”To allow college students to sort of monetize and utilize their name, image and likeness it\’s opened up an avenue for us,\” said Triple H. \”This allows them to have that open door to earn money while in college.\”

    Recent WWE signee Joe Spivak, a football player at Northwestern University, was also interviewed for the segment.

    Watch Triple H\’s appearance on NBC\’s Nightly News:

    https://youtu.be/-BexsJl4MEU?t=964

    Triple H spoke with Fast Company in December and had this to say about the WWE NIL program:

    “We immediately saw it as an amazing recruiting tool for us because it allows us to show athletes a path to WWE, and engage with them in a way where they can learn more about it, we can learn more about them, all while working together, and finding out if it’s a good fit before they’re even finished college, and before they need to make any decisions about what they’re going to do in that next stage of their life.\”

  • Shawn Michaels On How Triple H Is Adjusting To Time Away From WWE

    After working non-stop for many years, Triple H has had to take an extended break from WWE recently due to his health scare in September. According to his best friend Shawn Michaels, the game has finally started to embrace the time off and he has started realizing that it\’s not such a bad thing. Michaels recently had an interview with Denise Salcedo of Instinct Culture.

    During the talk, HBK was asked if he has been keeping in touch with the WWE vice president and how he has been doing. Replying to it, Shawn discussed how Triple H has worked so much over the last several years and explained that it takes a while to get used to the free time:

    “Most of it is me bothering him to be perfectly honest, he has worked so much over the last several years and I don’t think he understood that it becomes your normal. For him to step away for a little bit, look, that takes getting used to. I went through it obviously; I am one of the rare people that was ready to do it and embrace it. But when it just happens out of the blue and you’re not expecting it\”

    Shawn Michaels Says Triple H Is Adjusting To New Schedule

    \"Shawn
    Shawn Michaels & Triple H at WWE Crown Jewel

    Shawn Michaels continued to explain how going from a lot of work to nothing is an adjustment. Though according to him, the holidays have helped Triple H realize that the time off is not that bad:

    \”For him to go a hundred miles per hour to nothing was an adjustment. But I think he is, especially around this time of year, he’s now starting to realize like ‘hey this isn’t too bad.’ I think he’s bordering enjoying himself now to be perfectly honest. It’s a well-deserved break for him, for sure.”

    Apart from this, Shawn Michaels also talked about the talents that have left NXT in recent times such as Adam Cole, Kyle O\’Reilly and more. He revealed how he feels about their departure. You can check out his comments on the matter here.

    Shawn Michaels Says It’s Impossible For Him To Fill Triple H’s WWE NXT Role

    H/t to WrestlingInc for the transcribed quotes

  • Former WWE Ref: McMahon Family \”Torn Apart\” Over Triple H & Shane\’s Falling Out

    Former WWE referee Mike Chioda recently shed some light on the rocky dynamics within the McMahon family.

    During a recent Q&A session on his podcast with AdFreeShows, Chioda was asked if Triple H was ever warned against dating Vince McMahon\’s daughter, Stephanie. He revealed that Shane McMahon did exactly that – to the detriment of his relationship with The Game.

    “Yes, Shane did,\” said Chioda. \”Shane McMahon did. That’s why the feud fell out, that’s for sure,\” Chioda said. \”It was a thing from Vince Sr. that came around many years ago. They didn’t want anybody dating talent, none of the kids and none of their family.\”

    \"Vince
    Vince McMahon, Triple H & Shane McMahon

    Chioda continued to say that the falling-out between Shane and Triple H had a negative impact on Shane\’s standing in WWE.

    \”I think Shane really had a big part of that and that’s why Shane and Triple H had a falling out for many years, and that’s why Shane was exiled for 10 years. Shane is still not on top of the list. Where is he at now? Is he in the office? Is he running things?\”

    Shane McMahon departed WWE in 2009. He announced his resignation from the company in October of that year. Shane would not return to WWE until 2016 when he was named the General Manager of Smackdown.

    McMahon Family \”Torn Apart\”

    \"Triple
    Triple H & Shane McMahon

    Chioda continued to say that the McMahon family is torn apart. Perhaps they are not torn apart completely but they are definitely severed to some degree.

    \”It gets more interesting, believe me. It’s sad because when I started working for this company, there was Linda McMahon, Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon and now it seems to be all broken apart.\”

    He continued, \”All the money in the world probably can’t fix it. They have all the money in the world, a publicly traded company, which is ok. The family is torn apart at this point I think. Maybe not torn apart all the way, which I hope not, but it’s torn apart.”

    In WWE storyline, McMahon has won several titles in the promotion. He is a 1x European Champion and a 1x Hardcore Champion. Upon returning to the WWE in 2016, he won the Smackdown Tag Team Championships along with The Miz once.

    At 2018\’s Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia, Shane replaced The Miz in the finals and won the Best in the World tournament.

    H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcriptions.

  • Stephanie McMahon and Triple H\’s Oldest Daughter Has Begun Wrestling Training

    Stephanie McMahon and Triple H\’s oldest child has begun in-ring training. According to comments Stephanie made to Talk Sport recently, Vince McMahon\’s granddaughter has big ambitions in the sports entertainment business. Not only has she begun in-ring training, apparently she wants to be the boss of the whole company someday.

    “We have three daughters, Triple H and I do, they are 15, 13 and 11,\” Stephanie said. \”Our oldest said when she was eight years old ‘Momma, I don’t want your job. Daddy, I don’t want your job. I want Pop’s [Vince McMahon] job.\”

    \”So, just like her grandfather, she wants to be the boss so we’ll see what happens with my oldest daughter who has already started training in the ring.\”

    Stephanie continued to say that their youngest daughter is also very interested in getting into the business.

    “My youngest daughter is also very interested but she is all about the personality [laughs]. Oh my goodness, I can’t wait to see what she is going to do.”

    Stephanie also noted during the interview that her husband is doing great following a cardiac event back in September. Triple H was recently spotted touring the new location for WWE headquarters as well. More on that story below:

    Watch: Triple H Spotted Touring New WWE HQ

  • Watch: Triple H Spotted Touring New WWE HQ

    Triple H has been seen publicly for the first time since his health issue was revealed.

    Back in September, WWE announced that its EVP of Global Talent Strategy & Development suffered a cardiac event. The company said that Triple H\’s episode was caused by a \”genetic heart issue.\”

    At the time, WWE noted that Triple H is expected to make a full recovery.

    Triple H, Vince & Stephanie Visit the New WWE HQ

    TikTok user danielledesma410 has posted footage of \”The Game\” walking around the new WWE HQ, which is being worked on.

    https://twitter.com/JoelPearl/status/1461721700643528706

    It\’s a welcoming sight for wrestling fans to see Triple H moving around after his health scare. Shawn Michaels has been filling in for HHH in the backstage role for NXT 2.0.

    Back in October, \”HBK\” told Sports Illustrated that filling Hunter\’s shoes is impossible.

    “Trying to step in and fill his role is impossible to do. Everybody here misses him unbelievably, especially me. But I always go back to this—everything in real life takes precedence over everything else. This was a situation where my best friend needed my help and needed me to step in, so I look at this as an opportunity, in a small way, to thank him for everything he did for me earlier in my career.\”

    It was reported that WWE talent was asked not to contact Hunter about any business dealings while he was recovering. Of course, sending him well wishes was welcomed.

  • Shawn Michaels Says It’s Impossible For Him To Fill Triple H’s WWE NXT Role

    Triple H hasn’t been present at the WWE NXT 2.0 events since he had undergone a procedure for a genetic heart issue in early September. 

    Shawn Michaels has been filling in for Triple H while running things backstage at the events. The WWE Hall of Famer spoke to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to promote the Halloween Havoc edition of NXT 2.0 on Tuesday night and during it, spoke about it. 

    Michaels views it as a situation to step in for his best friend as a way to pay him back for years of friendship. 

    “Trying to step in and fill his role is impossible to do. Everybody here misses him unbelievably, especially me. But I always go back to this—everything in real life takes precedence over everything else. This was a situation where my best friend needed my help and needed me to step in, so I look at this as an opportunity, in a small way, to thank him for everything he did for me earlier in my career.

    Taking over the responsibilities here is a drop in the bucket compared to what he did for me all those years back. I’m honored to at least have the opportunity to pay him back a little bit and be there for him. That’s what this whole company does—this whole relaunch has been everyone pulling together, and I’m energized and inspired to keep this NXT territory going strong during his absence.”

    For the last few years, Michaels has been the right-hand man of Triple H, who had been overseeing the creative process of the brand, in addition to being a coach and Producer.

  • Triple H Didn\’t See Anything Special In Seth Rollins At First

    Triple H wasn\’t initially impressed by Seth Rollins.

    Rollins is one of the biggest stars in WWE today. He is a multiple-time world champion under the WWE banner. Things weren\’t all rosy for Rollins in the early going, however.

    Speaking to WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin on Broken Skull Sessions, Rollins detailed the time Triple H scolded him for not following the WWE ideology.

    \”Hunter took me aside and was like, \’Look, I don\’t see anything special in you. If you don\’t want to play ball and don\’t want to work with us, you can go back to Ring of Honor and do things your way, but you need to start doing things our way.\’\”

    Seth Rollins went on to say that he later told Triple H that he wanted to become the first-ever NXT Champion. Rollins got his wish but it may have been his final chance to prove himself.

    \”Three months later, I\’m sitting in a room with Hunter and I\’m saying, \’I want that NXT Championship. I want to be the first one to hold that title. Put it on me and this brand is off and running. If you go in another direction with it, I don\’t know where you\’re going to be in a couple of years.\’ I told him that, \’I\’m the right guy for this. You know that, I know that, let\’s bury this hatchet and make this work.\’ It was close, it was a lesson I had to learn the hard way. It was one more slip up from, \’that\’s it for you.\’\”

    Today, Rollins views Triple H as a mentor. At one point, Rollins even used the Pedigree as his finisher. He credits \”The Game\” with his ability to grow and do things by the book. Along the way, Rollins has also been able to mix in his own style and hasn\’t had trouble switching up his character over the years. It\’s why he has remained a top star for so long.

    Prior to entering the WWE Universe, Rollins competed as Tyler Black in ROH. He even captured the ROH World Title. Rollins appeared to be on his way to TNA Wrestling, but he decided to sign with WWE instead. The rest is history.

  • Triple H Speaks Out Following Heart Procedure

    Triple H, the Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development at WWE, has issued a statement following his heart procedure.

    The WWE legend recently needed to undergo surgery following a \”cardiac event.\” WWE issued the following statement on Sept. 8.

    “Paul Levesque, a.k.a. Triple H, underwent a successful procedure last week at Yale New Haven Hospital following a cardiac event. The episode was caused by a genetic heart issue and Paul is expected to make a full recovery.”

    Triple H appears to be in good spirits. He issued the following statement.

    \”I’ve been blown away by the outreach and support from so many people. I’m recovering, doing well, & deeply grateful for all the love in my life. Especially grateful for Shawn Michaels & all the Superstars & crew at NXT! (Steph and the girls loved the snacks). See you soon.\”

    It was reported by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Shawn Michaels was in charge of the debut episode of NXT 2.0 in Triple H\’s absence. The outlet has also reported that WWE talent have been told that while they can contact \”The Game\” to send their well wishes, they are not to speak business matters with him during his recovery.

    Time will tell when Triple H will be able to resume his duties at the WWE offices. In the meantime, the multiple-time world champion will be resting to ensure his recovery goes according to plan. As WWE\’s statement makes note of, he\’s expected to make a full recovery.