Tag: Triple H

Triple H On Potentially Moving NXT To FS1: ‘Everything Is On The Table’

Image result for Triple H NXT

Triple H took part in a media call on Wednesday where he answered some questions regarding the future of NXT once WWE’s new contract with Fox Sports begins in October 2019. WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events, & Creative said “everything is on the table” when asked about the idea of bringing NXT to FS1.

“I don’t know,” Triple H replied. “Right now we’re concentrating on the deals we have and where we’ll be next year when SmackDown moves to Fox. I think time will tell and time will see right now NXT has a very good home on the [WWE] Network. People seem to enjoy it, but who knows? I would never want to say never, especially around here.”

WWE’s $1 billion deal with Fox Sports will see SmackDown Live move to Fox on Friday nights, but Fox Sports wants even more programming from WWE. As UFC’s deal with Fox expires, Fox Sports is losing many hours of programming, especially on FS1 and FS2. WWE’s new deal could open up the opportunity to move NXT onto a larger platform which is something Triple H is open to once discussions begin.

Triple H was then asked about possibly splitting the NXT brand up into two one-hour shows with one show on FS1 with another remaining on the WWE Network.

“I feel like you’re setting me up for a payday off a nifty idea I end up using there,” Triple H replied. “In that scenario, there’s a lot of speculation, right? Even things where I go, ‘yeah I could see that there’s a lot of TV channels and distribution platforms out there and they all need content and they should all call me. You know it really comes down to who wants what and when. I know we say it a lot, but we’re open for business and ‘never say never’ so I always kind of look at it with fresh eyes. The [NXT] show is an hour, it’s a great length. Are there weeks when I wish it was a little longer? Absolutely. There are other weeks when I’m really happy it was one hour, absolutely.

“You know I think it just comes off to where the right fit is at the right time. A lot of that is going off your guts, right? So look, we have a lot of talent, we have some time, we have the ability to shoot this, and as technology changes those costs of shooting comes down, hopefully, and you’re changing how you do things. So, there’s a lot of opportunity there. I don’t ever want to look at any of our programming — this is just me personally speaking — and say ‘this is just how we do it. This show is this long, this show is this long and it sits here, this show’s that and it sits here. It should constantly ebb and flow and change and times and all those things.

“Once we get into the Fox deal, you know certainly as we begin to get closer to October next year we’ll all be beginning to have conversations and we’ll see what those conversations bring up. We’ll see where it should be, how long it should be, all those things, but everything is on the table.

Source: WrestlingINC

Triple H Says The UK Will Eventually Get A WWE Pay-Per-View Event, Talks Issues With UK WrestleMania

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Triple H recently spoke with Sky Sports and said the UK will get a WWE pay-per-view event down the road.

“It (the event in Saudi Arabia) was an open opportunity for all of the markets outside of the United States,” he said. “Obviously the time frame of when we run things in the US doesn’t work for a lot of markets and this gives us a chance to look at things in their time frames. That’s especially the case in the UK, where the desire is very high. We’ve attempted things there in the past and as technology improves and we can get things down to doing them in a reasonable manner and at a reasonable cost, is really what it’s all about.

“It’s definitely something we’re looking towards but when people say ‘just do it’ – we do 560 live events a year, we do an average of 9-10 live events a week and they’re planned out a year, sometimes longer, in advance. One change dramatically affects the entire puzzle so it’s a process we’re going through. But we will get there. For everybody that’s waiting it seems to be forever but we will get there, I promise.”

The Sun pointed to the biggest two issues with running a live pay-per-view from the UK – the time difference and NFL season, but Triple H said he’s confident those issues can be worked out.

“There are a lot of aspects to it,” Triple H said. “It’s about getting the right people in the right places to be able to put on a strong event with a good calibre and for it to be meaningful to the rest of the globe. To be able to do it in a cost-effective way in a business sense, having the infrastructure to do it internationally, these are all factors which come into consideration.

“There are a lot of balls in the air and it’s just a matter of organising them. You’re trying to do all of that while running pay-per-views, live television and everything else we do. It’s not a matter of if we can overcome those obstacles but when we can, and getting them all lined up.”

Triple H relayed the same message to fans that he told a live crowd at a WWE event in Wembley Arena last November – aim high.

“If you’re going to set an ambition, set it high,” he said. “As we always say, never say never. WrestleMania is a week-long series of events and the logistics of executing that week along with the week leading into it and the week after it are extraordinarily difficult in our own back yard. Doing them internationally with international crews and international support systems and everything else is a factor of difficulty way beyond what we have in the US.

“Can we get there? Sure, maybe over time. We would take steps in that direction and those steps are probably other pay-per-views. From my point of view I’d like to bring other meaningful events through WWE, whether that’s NXT or the United Kingdom championships, taking international brands and putting them on in those markets. As the world becomes smaller and more technologically advanced, it becomes easier to do these things live from different places. From my end, that’s what I’m working towards.”

Source: WrestlingINC

Triple H On Creating NXT Brands Around The World

Triple H

During WWE’s annual Business Partner Summit over WrestleMania 34 weekend, Paul “Triple H” Levesque revealed in a presentation about coming up with the term “Global Localization” and how the company wants to create NXT brands around the world.

Triple H described this plan as a global territorial system, something WWE had been considering over a decade ago and never fully committed to.

WWE has posted the full summit on the company’s corporate website.

https://twitter.com/iamjohnpollock/status/989225600706490368

Source: WrestleView

Triple H Talks Women Not Competing At Friday’s ‘Greatest Royal Rumble’ Event

Image result for Triple H Talks Women Not Competing At Friday's 'Greatest Royal Rumble' Event

Triple H spoke with The Independent about this Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Game addressed criticism regarding women not wrestling at the event, and said that he believes that they will be in a few years. Below are a couple of highlights:

Women not wrestling at the event this Friday:

“I understand that people are questioning it, but you have to understand that every culture is different and just because you don’t agree with a certain aspect of it, it doesn’t mean it’s not a relevant culture. You can’t dictate to a country or a religion about how they handle things but, having said that, WWE is at the forefront of a women’s evolution in the world and what you can’t do is affect change anywhere by staying away from it.”

Women eventually wrestling in Saudi Arabia:

“While, right now, women are not competing in the event, we have had discussions about that and we believe and hope that, in the next few years they will be. That is a significant cultural shift in Saudi Arabia.

“The country is in the middle of a shift in how it is dealing with that – the position is changing, and rights are changing, as are the way women are handled and treated in society. We think that’s a great thing and we’re excited to be at the forefront of that change.”

Triple H also discussed the worldwide cultural shift regarding women, WWE stars being recognized worldwide and more. You can read the full interview here. Also, new subscribers can sign up for the WWE Network today by clicking here and get their first month for free, which includes The Greatest Royal Rumble this Friday and Backlash on May 6th.

Source: WrestlingINC

Triple H Provides Medical Update On AJ Styles, “We’re Hoping For The Best”

aj styles medical update wrestlemania 34 triple h interview

AJ Styles is still waiting to be cleared by doctors before his anticipated WrestleMania 34 match against Shinsuke Nakamura … this according to Triple H.

While speaking with a french publication called Catch Newz, Triple H was asked about WWE Champion AJ Styles’ recent undisclosed injury and if the company had a Plan B in case he can’t defend his title against Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania. Triple H said:

“You always have to have a Plan B, [and] just in case you have a Plan C,” Triple H said. “AJ is an incredible performer. Replacing AJ Styles would be very difficult. [He’s] not necessarily a replaceable talent, but we would do our best.”

Triple H noted that they are working with AJ to get him medically cleared for WrestleMania “if that’s possible.”

“AJ is working diligently on rehabbing his injuries and getting himself in tip-top shape for WrestleMania. We are trying to help him with that process of getting the best care and the best rehab and everything else possible. And, you know, we’re hoping for the best.”

Triple H added, “Right now he says he’s feeling a lot better and that we’ll be ready to go, and obviously we’ll get him doctors to make sure that he is ready to go and get him medical clearance if that’s possible. But he’s working very hard at it, so we’re hoping for the best.”

For those who missed it, AJ is apparently suffering from a leg injury and only made one house show appearance over the weekend.

Styles hasn’t wrestled since working a match against Rusev on last week’s episode of SmackDown Live. He appeared at last Friday’s live event at Madison Square Garden where he was scheduled to team with Nakamura, but an injury angle was done at the beginning of the show to take him out of the match. He missed the remaining SmackDown live events over the weekend, where he was announced as injured. Styles told Catch-Newz earlier this week during a media call that he still planned on defending his title against Nakamura at WrestleMania.

“If my leg got cut off I’d find a way to make it to Wrestlemania,” Styles said. “I will be wrestling Shinsuke Nakamura at Wrestlemania, don’t worry about it, it’ll be fine.”

Sources: Catch-Newz, WrestlingINC and Pro Wrestling Sheet

Listen to the quick interview clip with Triple H below:

The Rumored Ronda Rousey WrestleMania 34 Match Officially Announced On RAW

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Last night on WWE RAW, the rumored Ronda Rousey match at WrestleMania 34, partnered with Kurt Angle vs. Triple H & Stephanie McMahon was finally announced and made official.

WWE Teases Ronda Rousey RAW Angle

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While not officially advertised, WWE is teasing Ronda Rousey for Monday’s RAW in Milwaukee. They posted the following teaser for Rousey and Monday’s show:

How will Ronda Rousey repay Triple H and Stephanie McMahon?After Ronda Rousey forced Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon to apologize for slapping her at WWE Elimination Chamber, Triple H laid out Raw General Manager Kurt Angle with a cheap shot that left The Olympic Hero laid out on the mat.

Following the altercation, Rousey took to social media to remind Stephanie and The Game that “This is far from over,” hinting that retribution for their actions was forthcoming.

Whatever Rousey does next, you won’t want to miss it.

Source: WrestlingINC

Backstage Talk On Triple H Taking Over Vince McMahon’s WWE Duties

There continues to be talk within WWE about Triple H taking over the main duties of the company from Vince McMahon, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The talk is that Triple H has been assembling his team in WWE NXT to have them ready when the time comes. We’ve noted how Triple H recently took over the WWE 205 Live duties. It was also noted how Triple H and Stephanie McMahon negotiated Ronda Rousey’s WWE contract, not Vince. While Triple H made the announcement, The Observer reports that Vince is the one who negotiated the deal for WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar but there’s no word yet on if Vince will re-negotiate Lesnar’s deal when it comes up or if Triple H and Stephanie will handle the talks.

Source: WrestlingINC

Triple H Expected To Have More Control In WWE, Vince McMahon On His WWE Role After XFL Relaunch

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On today’s WWE earnings call, WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon addressed the relaunch of the XFL. He once again noted that his near-$100 million stock sale will not be enough to fund the league, and that the venture will require more investment capital. He also reiterated that the league will not affect his role in WWE, and that there will be a separate management team for it.

Despite Vince’s comments, Dave Meltzer reported in The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the feeling is that Triple H will be given a lot more control in the company, simply because of the realistic demands in running both a pro wrestling company and a football league. Triple H has been putting his own team together, which includes Jeremy Borash, who left recently Impact Wrestling to come on board. Meltzer added that there have been others talked about recently to join his team to eventually fill key roles when he is in charge.

As noted, PWInsider reported this week that Vince recently stepped aside to put Triple H in charge of running 205 Live, which explains the different feel of the show the past couple of weeks. That change, however, was done more to reboot the brand as opposed to a workload issue with Vince. While the original Cruiserweight Classic concept, under Triple H, did very well on the WWE Network, 205 Live usually struggles to make the top 10 episodes of the week on the streaming service. Vince had been trying to make the show more character-driven, while Triple H is now bringing back some of the original aspects of the Cruiserweight Classic, including more of a focus on the in-ring work and the original presentation of the talent.

Source: WrestlingINC

Vince McMahon Steps Aside And Puts Triple H In Charge Of ‘WWE 205 Live’

There are major behind-the-scenes changes going on with the WWE 205 Live brand as Vince McMahon has stepped aside and is no longer personally producing the show, according to PWInsider. The changes began with last week’s episode, which featured new 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick and kicked off the 16-man tournament that will end at WrestleMania 34 with the crowning of a new WWE Cruiserweight Champion.

Triple H is now overseeing 205 Live and he has brought back some of the aspects of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic tournament, including the style and presentation of the wrestlers. Vince had personally worked with the 205 Live Superstars to bring out their personalities to present them in a certain way but there has been more focus on the in-ring work under Triple H.

There has been a lot of internal talk over the past few months about why 205 Live wasn’t succeeding like they had hoped. Vince reportedly believed that a character-driven show was the best way to get the brand over, which is why former WWE Superstar Enzo Amore was brought over to be the top star of the brand. Enzo’s arrival helped with viewership and buzz for the show but there were still people in the company that wanted to present the show like the Cruiserweight Classic was presented. Their feeling was that having smaller talents that were just echoing the Superstars from RAW and SmackDown was not going to showcase what made the cruiserweight talents unique, and it wasn’t going to help 205 Live grow into its own brand, more than just a weekly WWE Network TV show.

The product we’ve seen over the last few weeks is said to be very much in line with the original plans for 205 Live before Vince became personally involved with the direction of the show and the development of the cruiserweight talents.

While WWE is still considering non-televised 205 Live live event shows in the future, there are currently no plans to run more cruiserweight-exclusive events as the plan is to focus on re-building the brand by presenting strong athletic characters with strong in-ring competition.

Vince finally made the decision to let Triple H run the show back in mid-January as a way to reboot the brand, or fix it. Triple H is running the show, making all decisions, while Jonathan Baeckstrom is the current lead writer. Baeckstrom has worked on the WWE creative team since August 2013 and has been a lead writer since November 2016. Former WWE Performance Center Coach Adam Pearce is still working as the lead producer for the brand.

Regarding roster changes, there may be more additions in the coming weeks. WWE NXT Superstar Roderick Strong was brought up to help freshen the roster and the show. As noted, Strong defeated Hideo Itami last night to advance in the 16-man tournament.

Source: WrestlingINC