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Tag: Triple H

  • Updated: Triple H Was Absent From This Week\’s WWE Programming

    Update: In an update to the situation, Dave Meltzer noted the following about Triple H\’s absence from TV tapings:

    \”His situation is being kept secretive but it was said he was quarantining, but not that he has COVID.\”

    Original: WWE Executive Vice President Triple H was not present backstage at this week\’s episode of Raw and he missed this week\’s episode of NXT as well according to reports from Wrestling Observer Radio.

    Though there is no word yet on why the former world champion was absent from the shows and there is no confirmation on whether or not he will be at Sunday\’s Fastlane event.

    Triple H was not the only name who missed the Black and Yellow brand\’s weekly show and several other names who were expected were not seen on WWE programming this week either.

    The company had announced Leon Ruff vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, and Imperium’s Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner vs. Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher for the episode but both these matches were nixed.

    Ciampa ended up facing Barthel in a one on one match. After the changes, Leon Ruff and Isaiah Scott were not seen on the show at all and Timothy Thatcher also missed the episode.

    Both Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae were not present in the arena either but they did appear via a pre-recorded segment from their home where the duo checked in with Austin Theory.

    There have been reports of a recent COVID-19 outbreak in NXT though there is no confirmation on if any of these changes were related to the outbreak.

  • Triple H On Why Vince McMahon Was Hesitant About His Documentary

    WWE executive vice president Triple H recently appeared on Roz & Mocha where he talked about a number of things including the upcoming Netflix documentary on Vince McMahon. The Game revealed that the Boss had always been hesitant to agree to a documentary on himself because he thought that nobody was interested in knowing about him:

    \”Prior to now, Vince was always hesitant to do it. With Vince, he really doesn\’t see himself — while Mr. McMahon is one of the most epic characters ever, he doesn\’t see himself as part of the programming. when you ask him about those things, he goes, \’Nobody is interested in me. They want to know about the stars and performers.\’\”

    Triple H continued by claiming that the story of the WWE chairman is amazing and every chapter of his life is unbelievable. The former world champion explained that no one gives Mr McMahon the credit for all the things he has been through and most people only see him as the evil tyrant businessman:

    \”The truth is, they do (want to know about Vince). The most difficult thing with Vince\’s life is making it succinct. Every chapter of his life is a whole other unbelievable story. His story is amazing, all the things he\’s been through, the trials and tribulations of getting to where he is. No one gives him the credit; they just see this billion-dollar global empire he\’s created and see him as the evil tyrant businessman,\”

    WWE announced back in October 2020 that Netflix will be producing a multi-part documentary focused on the chairman of the boards. The director behind Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, Chris Smith will be directing the series while Bill Simmons will be serving as the executive producer. The documentary series is set to be one of the highest budgeted Netflix documentaries of all time, though no timetable for its release has been revealed so far.

  • Conor McGregor Teases Match With Finn Balor, Triple H Comments

    Conor McGregor, the former UFC Champion has expressed interest in pro wrestling and working with WWE over the years, with many wrestlers offering their takes on whether he would be a good fit at the company or how he would fare as a champion with some even expressing their desire to work with him in the squared circle. While it doesn\’t appear that McGregor has any plans of walking away from MMA for pro wrestling yet, he teased another possible link-up with WWE involving none other than current NXT Champion Finn Balor.

    On Friday, Finn Balor uploaded a photo on Twitter of action figures of himself with the NXT Championship, Conor McGregor with the UFC titles, and Triple H in the center of both inside a toy WWE ring. McGregor took notice of the post, and retweeted it with the quote, \”No more mr. nice guy!\”

    This caught the attention of Triple H, who responded by saying, \”Just say when.\” Triple H has talked about Conor McGregor working with the company many times before.

    Triple H has always been interested with the idea of Conor McGregor working with WWE. Speaking on how he would be a good fit with the company, Triple H said: “I think Conor McGregor versus Vince McMahon with the billion-dollar walk on the line, I think that’s a match made in heaven.” Triple H joked. “I think the nature of what we do — even being entertainment — it lends itself to combat sports. It lends itself to people like Conor McGregor or Ronda [Rousey], as it does with Tyson Fury. It did in the past with Mike Tyson and Floyd [Mayweather]. Entertaining people are what makes those fights, a lot of times.”

    Back in 2016, Triple H said Conor McGregor could come to the WWE anytime he wants to, stating that one doesn\’t need to be huge to be a big star anymore. “He could come over, he’s got it all, man — he’s got the personality, the skills, the talk. He’s an entertainer, for sure. What does he walk around at? 180lbs? I have smaller guys now in the WWE. We have 200lb guys who are stars. You don’t need to be 300lbs anymore,” The Game said of McGregor.

    WWE has seen many MMA stars join the company in the past — namely Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler and Matt Riddle. Conor McGregor could also have a good stint at the company with someone like Finn Balor who has expressed interest in working with him before too.

  • Ric Flair Reveals Gift Triple H Gave Him After His Son\’s Passing

    Two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair was recently a guest on the WINCLY podcast to discuss several professional wrestling topics.

    One topic touched on during that conversation was the passing of Flair\’s son, Reid, back in 2013. Reid Flair passed away from an apparent drug overdose in March of 2013 at the age of 25. While discussing the issue, Ric Flair noted that he buried Reid with one of his two WWE Hall Of Fame rings. This prompted his longtime friend Triple H to gift him a new Hall Of Fame ring with his late son\’s name inscribed on it.

    “I’ve moved on. Trust me, I’ve had words with Hunter, and I’ve had words with Stephanie,” Flair said. \”I’ve argued with them, and we’ve had tough times too. I was drinking a lot, and Steph and I had a bad argument.

    \”I said something terrible, but they’ve forgiven me and so has Hunter, and Vince has never left my side ever since the day I met him. And they couldn’t have done more for my son. I can remember after we buried Reid, I put one of my Hall of Fame rings on Reid. At NXT one time, Hunter said, ‘I need to talk to you,’ and I maybe thought I had done something wrong.

    \”And he called me into his office, and he had a duplicate ring with Reid’s name engraved on it. That’s someone who cares. I spent half the time with Hunter than I did with those guys (the Horsemen).”

    Ric Flair In WWE Today

    Flair continues to play a role in WWE today, even after his official in-ring retirement with the company back in 2008. He\’s actually locked in a storyline with his daughter, Charlotte Flair, on Monday Night Raw. Ric Flair was previously managing Charlotte\’s rival, Lacey Evans, before her real-life pregnancy forced her out of the ring. Now, Ric will likely continue his storyline with Charlotte heading into WrestleMania this April.

  • Pat McAfee Responds To Triple H, Addresses WWE Future

    Former NFL kicker and one time NXT performer Pat McAfee recently addressed his future with WWE. Speaking on his Pat McAfee Show podcast, the man who looked extremely impressive in his debut against Adam Cole last year discussed where he goes from here with the company.

    NXT head Triple H recently addressed Pat McAfee\’s status in WWE during a recent media call. “Pat’s limitations are…he’s a busy guy,” Triple H said. “Pat is one of the most successful… I hate to put a title on what he does because I feel like it’s limiting to him, but like you say… podcaster, media personality, sports world personality… almost every weekend that I look online during football season Pat seems to be trending on the weekends. His coverage of football, his association with FanDuel, just everything that he does.”

    Pat McAfee on NXT/WWE Return

    “I was talked about in the wrestling community yesterday by Triple H, actually, about my future plans. It was interesting,” McAfee began on the Pat McAfee Show. “I mean, all very nice things he said there, but me learning about being written off TV did happen live on the air. He’s a very nice man, Mr. H, for everything he said. He did say, basically, like, ‘Pat has been very busy. Kind of a fat a– right now. He’s going to have to get back into shape,’ basically is what he said. And then maybe we’ll think about something.”

    “I’ve not heard anything, by the way,” McAfee continued. “Have not heard anything. No ideas. But I do believe the first step would be to have the diet match the amount of conditioning I’ve been doing in the Oculus. And when that happens, look out.”

    There\’s currently no confirmation on when or where Pat McAfee will return to WWE or NXT programming.

    h/t to 411Mania for the transcription

  • Triple H On Velveteen Dream\’s Absence, Pat McAfee\’s Future With WWE

    Velveteen Dream hasn\’t been seen on NXT programming since his match with Adam Cole in December and Triple H was recently asked about his status.

    The Game held a media conference call ahead of the NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day which is scheduled to take place this Sunday, on February 14.

    During the call, the former World Champion was asked about Dream, who has been a controversial figure since he was accused of inappropriate behavior with minors, and Triple H said that he has nothing to add:

    “There’s really nothing to add with Velveteen Dream. We’ve gone over it a million times. Status update – he’s still training. He had a little bit of a physical thing here for a bit. But, still there, still with us, still PC, still training, still on the roster.”

    Triple H has previously claimed that the company has looked into the accusations about the 25 year old star and they have moved on from the controversy because they didn\’t find anything.

    Triple H On The Status Of Pat McAfee

    The King Of Kings also provided an update on the status of Pat McAfee and explained that the former NFL player is just taking a break from his busy routine:

    “He’s a busy dude. We’ve been talking about it. He had said, ‘Look, give me a moment to breathe when the Super Bowl is over.’

    He just got married not that long ago. He’s like, if I don’t take a breath for a minute after this Super Bowl, I might not be married for much longer. My words, not his. I think he just needed to take a breather.”

    McAfee has been away from WWE programming since December as well and he hasn\’t been seen on NXT TV since his team lost the WarGames match to Undisputed Era.

  • Vince McMahon & Other Top Executives Increase Amount Of WWE Stock They Own

    Vince McMahon was among a few top WWE executives to buy more WWE stock in recent days. 

    WWE has uploaded several SEC filings to their corporate website regarding Vince, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Kevin Dunn, and WWE President Nick Khan increasing the amount of WWE stock that they own. All of the purchases were done on February 5th. 

    Vince has picked up 19,875 shares for a total of 89,496, which totals over $4 million. 

    Vince\’s daughter, Stephanie, added an additional 5644 shares of WWE to her name and has 82,042 in total stock, which is over 3 million dollars in worth. 

    Triple H, the son-in-law of Vince and husband to Stephanie, picked up 5644 shares, which now sees him have a total share of 87,046. His total stock is also worth a little over $4 million. 

    Khan also acquired 15310 shares of stock. Dunn, who is one of WWE’s longest-tenured employees, added 7552 shares bringing his total number of shares to 81,411.

    This comes at a time where WWE is at its most profitable due to the increase in TV rights fees. The company has also recently signed a United States streaming deal with NBCU to move its US rights of the WWE Network to Peacock. 

  • Triple H Invites NFL Star Darius Leonard To NXT

    Triple H recently reacted to comments made by NFL Indianapolis Colts Linebacker Darius Leonard. The Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development was called out by Leonard on this week\’s episode of The Bump on WWE Network.

    Appearing on The Bump, Darius Leonard stated that he wanted to take Triple H\’s \”belt.\” The NFL Linebacker also said “I don’t think you want any smoke with the Maniac.”

    \”Interesting, you really must have ALL the smoke!\” The Game wrote on Twitter. \”If you ever need to find me, I’ll be at the CWC every Wednesday for WWE NXT. Pat McAfee can give you directions. Just be sure to bring your helmet, so as The Rock says, I’ll turn it sideways & ah.. you know the rest!\”

    Triple H then appeared on the NFL Network and again offered Darius Leonard the chance to back up his recent comments. You can see Triple H\’s remarks to Darius Leonard in the video player embedded below.

    Discussion: Do you think that we\’ll see Darius Leonard appear in NXT?

  • John Cena Has \”Earned The Right\” To Be A Part-Time WWE Superstar – Triple H

    There was a time when John Cena was heavily critical of The Rock for his part-time schedule but the Cenation leader has since taken the same path and Triple H believes that he has earned his current spot.

    The Game was recently a guest on The Michael Kay Show where he talked about things like having fans at the upcoming WrestleMania 37 event and more.

    During a discussion about John\’s status for WrestleMania, the host Michael Kay pointed out how Cena himself has become a part timer now. Replying to it, Triple H said that he has earned it:

    “You find yourself when you’re in the thick of it being that guy that says, ‘I’m here every day. This is my house and my place,’ but then you get to where John Cena is, you get to where The Rock is. You get to where Taker is or [Ric] Flair or anybody else where you’ve earned the right with fans to come back every now and then and tip your cap and for them to say, ‘man, thank you for all of that’ and for you to re-live those moments.

    John has earned that. Whether he spoke badly about it in the past and meant it, or whether he didn’t,\” said Triple H, \”he earned that right. He’s earned that right to pick his spots.”

    John Cena had a feud with The Rock back in 2012-13 when the duo main evented two consecutive WrestleManias. The 16-time world champion at the time criticised The people\’s champion for leaving the company for Hollywood.

    However, the former champion has since followed the Great One\’s path and he has admitted that he was wrong about his opponent and he was ignorant.

  • Triple H On Brock Lesnar\’s WWE Future, Reigns vs. Rock Dream Match

    Triple H spoke with the Hindustan Times this week to promote WWE Superstar Spectacle. During the discussion, The Game spoke Brock Lesnar\’s WWE future, a potential Roman Reigns vs. The Rock \’dream match\’ and more.

    Triple H recently returned to the ring on an episode of WWE Raw. This has prompted questions about his status for April\’s WrestleMania 37 pay-per-view. Triple H gave the famous \”never say never in WWE\” reply.

    WWE Champion Drew McIntyre was recently diagnosed with Covid-19. McIntyre\’s absence resulted in him being called upon to lace up his boots on short notice. He says, \”you hate to pass up that opportunity\” to entertain WWE fans. As for WrestleMania, \”we\’ll see.\”

    Triple H on Brock Lesnar’s Future

    Brock Lesnar is no longer under contract, but WrestleMania season is upon us. WWE likes to reach out to part-time legends to fill out the top matches on their biggest show of the year. When asked about Lesnar\’s status for WrestleMania 37, Triple H says it really comes down to what Brock Lesnar wants to do.

    \”One of the things I have learnt about him is Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do,\” said Triple H. \”Nobody can talk him into doing things differently. So time will tell. If wants to show up at WrestleMania he will, if he doesn’t he won’t. The only way to get that answer is to call Brock Lesnar.”

    Roman Reigns vs. The Rock

    \"\"

    Roman Reigns vs. The Rock is a WrestleMania dream match that both men are interested in. There\’s no question that Reigns vs. The Rock is the biggest marquee match WWE could assemble. However, The Rock is the biggest movie star in the world with a very busy schedule. Much like Triple H said about Brock Lesnar, The Rock\’s in-ring future is entirely up to him.

    \”If The Rock can make it happen, he looks in shape, I am sure he would love to do it if his schedule permits. He works hard. The only person that works more than The Rock is Vince McMahon. If there is a will and a way, he will make it happen and WWE will do everything. If fans want to see it, we will make it happen. But it really comes down to does The Rock want to it and does he have the time to do it.”

    Triple H added that whatever adrenaline rush The Rock gets from making movies, there\’s no way it compares with the rush he\’d get from competing in the ring.

    Visit Hindustan Times to check out the full interview with Triple H.

  • AJ Styles Wants To Face Triple H At WrestleMania 37

    AJ Styles faced The Undertaker in a highly praised boneyard match at last year\’s edition of WrestleMania and he wants to face another legend at this year\’s edition of the show.

    The former WWE Champion recently spoke to WWE Now India and answered fan questions such as the origin of the Styles Clash and more.

    During the interview, the former champion was asked which star he wants to face next at WrestleMania after his match with The Dead Man and Styles took the name of Triple H:

    “Triple H is definitely the next guy I’d like to face at some point if it could happen, maybe not. But it was an absolute pleasure to be in the ring, or not necessarily the ring, the Boneyard with the Undertaker.”

    This is not the first time AJ Styles has expressed interest in a match with the King Of Kings and the Phenomenal One has previously listed him alongside people like Edge and Drew McIntyre as potential opponents.

    Triple H also made a brief return to the ring earlier this week during Monday\’s episode of Raw and the Evolution member seemed to be in pretty good shape.

    With the probability of the Undertaker not competing at WrestleMania this year being high, it\’s very much possible that Triple H could be brought in as a special attraction. It would be interesting to see if all this talk leads to an actual match between him and AJ Styles.

  • Triple H Fights Randy Orton In WWE Raw Main Event

    Triple H kicked off Monday’s episode of WWE Raw to do a promo in the ring. This was done to create buzz around the show following the news that WWE Champion Drew McIntyre tested positive for COVID-19 and had to pull out of his non-title match with Randy Orton on the same episode. 

    This segment saw Triple H welcome everyone to the show before being interrupted by Orton, who said the office decided to show up because McIntyre couldn’t. Orton asked him whether he will rule that he will enter the Royal Rumble Match last or hand him the WWE Title. Triple H wasn’t interested in doing either. Triple H brought up Orton’s history with attacking and talking down to various legends over the past few months. Triple H called him a prick for doing so. 

    Orton challenged him to a fight and Triple H said no because there’s no benefit to him. Orton threw a jab at Stephanie McMahon for having Triple H’s balls and she wasn’t there for him to get them. Triple H punched him then accepted the challenge. 

    Triple H fought Orton in the main event of the show. It started with six minutes left in the show. They brawled around the ring with no referee. Triple H grabbed a sledgehammer then as the lights started to go out, it was put on fire and then Triple H disappeared. Alexa Bliss showed up and threw a fireball in the face of Orton to end the show. 

    There had been a rumor earlier in the day of this happening. It turns out that the future WWE Hall of Famer hadn’t worked a match on Raw since 2016 when he went over Dolph Ziggler in a singles match. 

    Since 2010, Triple H has greatly reduced his in-ring schedule. He worked 9 matches in 2016, 14 in 2017, 4 in 2018, and 4 in 2019. 

    Before this match on Raw, the latest contest that Triple H competed in was in June 2019 when he teamed up with Shinsuke Nakamura to defeat Robert Roode & Samoa Joe in a tag team match.

  • Finn Balor Talks Working With Triple H & Shawn Michaels in NXT

    WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor was recently interviewed by Vicente Beltran of the ViBe & Wrestling podcast. The Irish Superstar would discuss a number of topics during his time on the show, including working with Triple H and Shawn Michaels in the \’developmental\’ brand.

    \”For me? I feel very fortunate that I\’ve gotten to work very closely with some of my heroes in the wrestling business\” Finn Balor began. \”Shawn Michaels and Triple H being two. Obviously, I\’ve worked very closely with Triple H for many years since I began at NXT. And of course William Regal.\”

    \”Then more recently in the second run with NXT? Shawn Michaels is heavily involved behind the scenes\” Finn Balor then continued. \”So, getting to know him and learn from him and pick his brain on what he feels is a good direction to take the business? I\’ve learned so much from.\”

    Balor finished by talking about how surreal it has been to work work with some of the wrestling legends he grew up idolizing.

    \”It\’s always very surreal to be working with these guys that you idolized or you grew up watching and had their t-shirts or had their action figures. Now you\’re having a discussion or debate on what you think is a good direction to go. I feel very fortunate to have that kind of environment in NXT.\”

    Listen to audio of the full interview with Finn Balor in the player embedded below:

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcribed quotes

  • Triple H Talks John Cena\’s Shock Royal Rumble 2008 Return

    Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development for WWE Triple H recently appeared on WWE\’s The Bump. The Game was appearing on the show as part of the \’Royal Rumble Royalty\’ segment of the show, discussing historic moments and memories from Rumbles past.

    During the show Triple H was asked about the shocking return of John Cena back in 2008. When Cena appeared at number 30 in the Royal Rumble that year it was a huge shock; Cena was injured and the timetable for his return was far past the Rumble in Madison Square Garden that year.

    Triple H was one of the men in the ring during that match and he lasted to the final two with Cena. \”When you\’re in there with a guy like John [Cena]? The energy is up anyway, the excitement level is up. You know what you\’re about to go do.\”

    Triple H on Royal Rumble 2008

    \”And you know, as we\’re coming down to that moment? And John\’s about to come out? I know where we\’re going and I know this place is about to become unglued\” Triple H would continue. \”I knew if we play it right? They (the fans) won\’t sit down, like if we can, if we can deliver on it in this way? It will just be incredible.\”

    Triple H would also discuss why moments like that are why some performers find it difficult to leave the ring and retire. \”You know how when you get to the end? It\’s all about how hard it is to walk away, how hard it is to walk away from the camaraderie and the limelight of it, the meaning of it, you know? It is incredibly difficult because you know what it meant to you in those moments, that energy and adrenaline. And you know what it means to those other people and then even when you can be a part of that for them.\”

    \”It\’s incredible. I think it\’s part of the buzz even now that I get\” Triple H continued. \”Whether it be NXT, and putting stuff together and watching new talent or new talents have that moment. That moment when the light bulb goes off, that moment when they have their, sort of arrival, and their big moment.\”

    If you\’ve never seen the match and Triple H facing off with John Cena check the whole thing via the video below.

  • Triple H: \”Charisma Is King\” For WWE When Recruiting Talent

    Paul \”Triple H\” Levesque says charisma is the top factor the company looks for when recruiting talent.

    WWE\’s Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development spoke at this week\’s Learfield IMG College Intercollegiate Athletics Forum. There are other factors such as athleticism and physical attributes, but charisma, heart and hunger are what sells him on signing people to WWE and NXT.

    \”For us, charisma is king,\” said Levesque. \”I\’m looking for that person, male or female, that walks into a room and you\’re drawn to them. That just has that charisma factor.”

    Charisma is the x-factor when signing wrestlers, but WWE employs the same outlook when hiring executive employees.

    \”You\’re looking for the people that have the skillset … but it\’s funny for me, I\’ll take heart and hunger. … They\’ll work a lot harder and they might make mistakes, but in those mistakes you\’ll find excellence. And they\’ll go above and beyond to prove themselves.”

    Triple H spoke very highly of the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, calling it the \”key to th future\” where WWE creates the superstars of the next generation. He said 95% of the rosters of Raw, SmackDown and NXT came up through the PC.

    He added that WWE is still looking to build Performance Centers all around the world, especially in the Middle East and India.

    \”Over time our intent is to build a Performance Center in India and to have people training there and build an NXT brand.\”

  • Mark Henry Names Company He Thinks WWE Should Work With

    WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM\’s Busted Open Radio Mark Henry recently discussed the working partnership between IMPACT Wrestling and AEW. With those two names working together for the time being, Henry would discuss WWE and the potential for them to work with outside brands.

    Triple H recently stated that WWE are \”open for business\” is it is the \”right opportunity,\” saying that there\’s an incorrect perception that WWE won\’t work with outside companies. WWE seemingly has working relationships with British promotions PROGRESS, ICW, Irish promotion OTT and Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan.

    Mark Henry on WWE Partnerships

    \”The right opportunity\” Mark Henry began on Busted Open Radio, discussing what Triple H revealed. \”Not every opportunity. He didn\’t say \’we\’re gonna jump in the bed with anybody and everybody.\’ Because if you sleep with dogs? You\’re gonna get fleas.\”

    Henry would then reveal the company he believes WWE should be working with. \”I think that the biggest one would be MLW, because you got family and lineage already. The Von Erichs, you\’ve got Brian Pillman, Jr, although I have seen him at AEW. So, the guys or girls \’moving\’ around right now? They are allowed to [within MLW], so they are, they got to go where they can make money.\”

    Mark Henry would finish by saying that Jacob Fatu is also a name he wants to see in WWE. With the ongoing Samoan Family storyline with Roman Reigns and Jey Uso, Henry believes that Fatu would be a major asset for WWE as part of that feud.

    Do you agree with Mark Henry? Who do you think WWE should work with, if anyone? Let us know in the comments

  • Triple H And The Undertaker Have Discussed Performance Center Position

    Triple H has commented on what The Undertaker\’s next role in WWE could be following his \’Final Farewell\’ at November\’s Survivor Series event.

    Speaking on an NXT TakeOver: WarGames post-show media call, Triple H opened up about what could be next for \”The Dead Man,\” indicating he could be bound for the WWE Performance Center.

    Triple H praised The Undertaker\’s impact on everyone he works with. He noted how anytime he \”walked through these doors, everybody that\’s here is better for it.\”

    He explained how the people \’Taker helps all leave with a \”different perspective\” and viewpoint.

    \”[…] he\’s one of the most knowledgeable guys in and that has ever been in the business. I believe, you know, myself I learn from him every time I\’m around him.\”

    Triple H: \”It Involves Being Here. It Involves The Future.\”

    \”The Game\” then explained how The Undertaker is ready to \”move into the next phase of his life.\”

    It\’s a discussion Triple H claimed the two have already spoken a lot about. He explained how their discussions revolved around \’Taker being directly involved with the WWE PC.

    \”It involves being here. It involves the future,\” Triple H teased. \”I would like to believe he has earned the right to take a breath off of his retirement for a moment […].\”

    He added how he had spoken with the The Undertaker recently. Triple H promised how \”[…] coming out of the holidays, we will certainly be talking about in 2021, which is just one more reason to be excited about next year with everything else that\’s happening is having him involved. I just can\’t stress enough how impactful that will be to everybody.\”

    Heading into his \’Final Farewell\’ at Survivor Series, WWE hosted a series of Undertaker documentaries on the WWE Network. These episodes, alongside his Last Ride docuseries, all reflected and celebrated his historic career.

  • Trey Miguel Reacts To Triple H Comments About WWE Not Signing Him

    WWE announced several new signees last week. Among them were Dezmond Xavier (now Deveon Aiken) and Zachary Wentz (now Zachary Green) of the tag team, The Rascalz. Trey Miguel, the third Rascal, was conspicuously absent from the list.

    Trey Miguel has issued a statement addressing his whereabouts since the trio finished up with Impact Wrestling. Miguel wrote on Monday morning:

    \”I feel like it is worth mentioning AGAIN that a mont and a half ago my Nephew was born prematurely and is in isolated care until what would have been his actual due date. Meeting a healthy baby boy is more important to me than anything else. I\’m sure you can all respect that.\”

    Trey Miguel\’s comments come the day after Triple H was asked about why WWE has not signed him. During Sunday\’s NXT Takeover: WarGames post-show media call, Triple H said you have to be \”all in\” to get an offer from WWE.

    “Well look, I do not want to talk about why people are or are not here, there’s obviously a lot that goes into all of that, but for me, the people that do come here, it’s seeing the heart and the passion. That’s really what it comes down to—it’s a passion business, you have to be all in.\”

    Triple H continued by saying that talent has to be fully invested. \”Sometimes, I’ve seen a few people that have been at it a long time and it shows. They’ve been at it a long time and I don’t know, sometimes that passion isn’t there. I’ve seen people that are new to it, like ‘oh, they like this’ but it’s not everything to them.\”

    In addition to the signings of Deveon Aiken and Zachary Green, the latest class of recruits also includes Alex Zayne (now Alex Brandenburg), Russ Taylor (now Taylor Rust), Sojiru “Ikemen” Higuchi and former pro basketball player Anriel Howard.

  • Triple H Compares Undisputed Era To DX

    The Undisputed Era has been one of the top factions of the wrestling world for the past few years and during a recent interview, Triple H compared the group to one of the most iconic factions in the history of the business, DX.

    The Game recently had an interview with Ryan Satin of FOX Sports where he discussed things such as the legacy of the late legend Pat Patterson and more.

    Talking about the Undisputed Era, Triple H explained that the reason for their success is the real-life connection among the members of the group. He went on to compare it to the connection he shared with his teammates in DX:

    \”That [authenticity] to me is the magic of it, when that magic is there, it\’s next level. They have that magic. It\’s real to them. There\’s no show. I think that\’s what worked with DX. It wasn\’t a show. We were just us. We all got along in that manner. When it\’s magic like that, it really works.\”

    Triple H continued by saying that the group is a unit which gets along and then explained what kind of content he thinks resonates with people the most:

    \”In a way, I always feel like that stuff resonates the most when you can see a bunch of people that are on some level legitimately have that connection to where as a viewer watching, you think to yourself, \’Man. I\’d just like want to hang out with those dudes. I\’d like to be at that dinner and just have dinner with them and hang out with them because it looks like it\’s so much fun.\’\”

    The Undisputed Era entered the WarGames match as babyfaces for the first time this year. You can check out the results of the event at this link.

  • Triple H Talks Cancelled Plans For Rhea Ripley After WrestleMania

    Triple H had said after WrestleMania 36 that Rhea Ripley\’s loss to Charlotte Flair is part of a larger story they are trying to tell but as everything else this year, the coronavirus pandemic has forced these plans to be changed as well.

    During his recent media call ahead of the Takeover: WarGames 2020 event, the WWE VP was asked about the plans for the former NXT women\’s champion.

    Replying to the question, Triple H confirmed that the plans have changed. However, in the wake of Ripley\’s recent revelations about her struggles with mental health this year, the Game claimed that he still believes it\’s a valuable lesson for the former NXT women\’s champion:

    \”Is it where it was going? No, and it won\’t, the whole world changed, but I do still believe that that is a valuable — there\’s a lot of valuable lessons for her to be able to go through to find herself to pick herself up.

    The Rhea Ripley that I\’m watching right now is a way better Rhea Ripley than it was in January-February of last year when she was on the high or even December of this time last year.\” said Triple H \”She\’s a way better performer, way more mature, her understanding, all of it, and all of that came through that process. It is what it is.\”

    The WWE EVP also talked about the spotlight the women\’s division has received in recent times and he said that female competitors of NXT have delivered every time they have been put in the spotlight position.

    The NXT TakeOver: WarGames event will be taking place from the Performance Center on December 16 live on the WWE Network.

  • Triple H On Promotional Relationships: WWE Is \’Open For Business\’

    WWE\’s Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development Triple H has claimed WWE is \”open for business\” to potential promotional working relationships.

    Triple H broached the subject during a recent media call to promote this Sunday\’s NXT TakeOver: WarGames event. He explained how WWE is open to \”the right business opportunities.\”

    Triple H Discusses People\’s \”Misperceptions\”

    Triple H noted how people have \”misperceptions\” on WWE\’s attitudes towards promotional working relationships.

    He added how \”their perceived knowledge\” of how WWE considers partnerships is often \”greatly misinterpreted and not accurate.\”

    \”Are we open to the right business opportunities? Yeah, at any given time we\’re open to things. It just depends on what they are and if they\’re beneficial to us in the long-term.\”

    Triple H explained how WWE\’s definition of long-term doesn\’t mean three months. According to him, WWE\’s idea of long-term can be as long as ten years.

    \”Open for business, I think Vince says that a lot and I\’ve been around him long enough that if it\’s the right thing and meaningful to business, he\’s open to anything.\”

    Working Relationships

    Triple H\’s comments come in the wake of AEW\’s Winter is Coming. Following the main event, it was revealed that AEW had apparently developed a working relationship with Impact Wrestling.

    This is in conjuncture with AEW\’s already pre-existing working relationship with the National Wrestling Alliance.

    Newly crowned AEW World Champion Kenny Omega will make an appearance on next Tuesday\’s episode of Impact Wrestling.

  • Triple H And Stephanie McMahon React To NXT Halloween Havoc

    Stephanie McMahon and Triple H have reflected on last night\’s special edition of NXT. The black-and-gold brand resurrected the Halloween Havoc concept for the first time in twenty years with last night\’s show.

    Triple H tweeted throughout the show\’s entirety, hyping how so much action had already taken place during just the first match. NXT Halloween Havoc opened with an NXT North American Championship matchup between Damian Priest and Johnny Gargano.

    \”The first spin of the wheel, a deflated pumpkin, and absolutely BRUTAL #DevilsPlayground match, and a NEW #NXTNATitle Champion… AND THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST MATCH! #HalloweenHavoc #WWENXT\”

    He also noted how NXT Superstars Rhea Ripley and Raquel González were able to showcase an \”entirely different side\” of the NXT Women\’s division. Triple H called their bout the \”most physical fight\” from any division in NXT.

    Triple H also praised the work of NXT Halloween Havoc\’s host, Shotzi Blackheart. He described her commitment as a \”BREAKOUT performance\” before stating how Blackheart is a bright star with \”even bigger [star emoji] potential.\”

    He added a final congratulations and thanks to everyone involved with NXT Halloween Havoc. Triple H also gave props to the crew who made an \”incredible set to honour the legacy of #HalloweenHavoc\” before thanking the fans at home for tuning in.

    Stephanie McMahon shared her thoughts after the show had concluded. She stressed how the entire show was \”INCREDIBLE!!!!!\” Stephanie also congratulated all involved in the production, stating how she wanted to retweet all of the praise she had seen complimenting the show.

  • Bobby Fish Talks About Triple H\’s Pro Wrestling Aptitude

    Undisputed Era member Bobby Fish has shared high praise for Triple H, noting how \”The Game\” has an undeniably incredible \”aptitude\” for the pro wrestling business.

    \”[…] he saw something that I would think Adam, Kyle and I would like to write for ourselves, and he saw it and was like, \’Yep. Those three,\’\” Fish explained to Wrestling Inc. Daily.

    Fish noted how he\’s been able to witness how Triple H works behind-the-scenes at NXT for three years now. These lessons have allowed him to know how Triple H \”operates.\”

    Regarding the Undisputed Era, Fish believes that Triple H\’s \”aptitude\” always meant a plan was in place to add Roderick Strong to the group:

    \”I feel like he had an idea long before that and maybe that was the plan regardless. Four peas in a pod,\” Fish said. \”Triple H was smart enough to see that and recognize that. It\’s a little bit of a humble brag I guess, but WWE now gets to benefit. We as the four individuals get to benefit being this brand that nobody has given a name to. Triple H did. Now, along with Shawn Michaels, between the two of them. They have their influence on helping us become who we are. You can\’t put a price on that.\”

    Undisputed Era members Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong were unable to participate in a scheduled NXT Tag Team Championship matchup last week. They were replaced by Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan, who would go on to win the titles from Breezango.

    It was recently revealed that Pat McAfee had been orchestrating recent attacks against Undisputed Era, including last week\’s attack on Fish and Ridge Holland\’s attack on Adam Cole.

  • Reason Why Triple H & Stephanie McMahon Didn’t Get WWE Executive Director Positions Last Year

    Last year, there were some fans curious why WWE didn’t give Triple H and Stephanie McMahon the positions as Executive Directors of SmackDown and RAW. 

    Instead, Eric Bischoff took the role on SmackDown and Paul Heyman on RAW. Fightful Select reported today that the married couple wasn’t given the roles for different reasons. 

    It was stated that many people backstage were “shocked” that Paul Heyman was put into this role as he was under Vince McMahon. It was noted that Heyman had been “the loudest voice in the RAW writer’s room” before getting the Executive Director position.

    It was said that Stephanie “didn’t want that spot” as she is happy with her current role in WWE. On the flip side, Triple H didn’t get the spot as most believed that “if Triple H wanted the role, he’d have it.” Thus, he wasn’t interested as he’s in charge of the NXT brand. 

    Of course, both Heyman and Bischoff are no longer in these roles. In both cases, Vince McMahon made the decision to remove them. 

    After a few months of Heyman being on the sidelines, he was paired with Roman Reigns while Bischoff hasn’t been in WWE or on television since his departure. 

    Backstage News On If Paul Heyman Has Creative Influence On Other SmackDown Storylines

  • Jim Ross Talks Negotiations With Triple H As a Talent and COO

    WWE Hall of Famer and AEW Commentator Jim Ross recently discussed WWE RAW from 2005 on the Grilling JR podcast.

    This week\’s episode of the show was a watch-along of RAW from 10/10/05. That episode was eventful for JR as an on-screen character as he was \’fired\’ on television. As is usually the case, Jim Ross would discuss players and events from the timeframe, including former WWE COO Triple H.

    Jim Ross on Triple H

    \”Triple H, he has a great heel too. Great deal, he was…he felt it. He lived it, You know?\” Jim Ross began on the podcast. \”He really was an extension of his own personality, or what he perceived his personality to be. He did a good job. I never had too many issues with him.\”

    JR would then add an interesting little tidbit into the conversation. The Man in The Black Hat would admit that he found negotiations with Triple H difficult once \’The Game\’ moved into a position higher than JR in the company.

    \”When he became an administrator? We didn\’t have…we didn\’t have a lot of successful negotiations. I was kind of always disappointed in that a little bit because I was…I always went to bat for him and got him the contract that he wanted.\”

    JR has mentioned in the past how he had to be the liaison between talent and management in the then WWF. JR was the Head of Talent Relations at the time Triple H was becoming a major player in the company (1999 onwards), and Jim Ross said that he helped get him a huge deal. \”That was important to him, to have the same million dollar downside guarantee that all the other guys had.\”

    Not Reciprocating

    Co-host of the podcast Conrad Thompson would then ask \”are you saying that when those roles reversed and then he was sort of moving up the food chain, he wasn\’t willing to reciprocate for you?\”

    JR then finished by admitting that he felt Triple H was just \’following Vince McMahon\’s lead.\’ Alluding to how the industry had changed to a more corporate style in the years since JR stopped working in talent relations.

    \”Well, I\’m just saying that…I think he just took Vince\’s lead. \’JR\’s just an announcer.\’ And then they found out over the years that to the audience [that wasn\’t the case].\”