WWE COO Triple H held a conference call on Tuesday with members of the wrestling media to promote tomorrow night’s NXT TakeOver: Respect live special on the WWE Network.
Here are the highlights from the call.
Triple H apologized to start the call for the late start to it, he just got off a plane to get there and to wish Bruno Sammartino a happy 80th birthday.
Triple H touted TakeOver: Brooklyn, the upcoming NXT tour of the UK in December, noting they have all nearly sold out. Triple H said he was proud of the WWE 24 special on NXT that aired on the Network last night.
Triple H touted this past weekend’s successful live event tour in Nashville and the Louder than Life music festival in Louisville.
Triple H began hyping up tomorrow night’s TakeOver: Respect special, specifically the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic finals and Bayley vs. Sasha Banks in the Iron Man Match for the NXT Women’s Championship. Triple H touted the upcoming Breaking Ground series looking at NXT that will soon debut on the WWE Network.
It then went to questions from the wrestling media.
Wrestleview.com was able to speak to Triple H during the call about a few topics.
On how important the Bayley vs. Sasha Banks match at TakeOver: Brooklyn was to revitalizing women’s wrestling in the WWE:
“I think its huge and its gonna be massively important, but I think there are other moments that are massive and important and accomplishing the same thing. To say that one moment in time changes everything, it may seem that way when you look 10 years into the future, but when you’re in the middle of it, this has been a long time coming, all of it has. Building from Nattie being a part of it and Charlotte being a part of it and Sasha being a part of it and Sara Del Rey coming on board and just the way it was presented, the way fans were willing to accept it and also the way the world changed. Ronda Rousey and the UFC, the US Women’s Soccer team, just all these things and events happening at the same time that were empowering women. We happen to be in that mix in having the right people to execute, I think its one of the greatest matches I’ve ever seen and I’m not just saying for women. I think the reality of the situation is that all these bits and pieces are all cogs in a wheel of women taking that spot back and the world, whether that be the WWE Universe or anyone else, realizing that these are phenomenal athletes that are every bit as dedicated, passionate, invested and willing to do what it takes and make the sacrifices neccessary with themselves, their personal lives, their bodies as much as the guys are and recognizing them as such. To say that’s the moment that made it happen, negates all the stuff that happened before then to get them there to get that spot and I would hate to do that. Absolutely an important spot, but its not one moment, its this giant wheel of momentum and so many people are a part of that. Its funny I hear the bickering of the storyline-wise of ‘Well, I created the Divas Revolution, no I did.’ Its great fodder for storylines, but the reality of it is, they all did, they all started it, they all were a big piece of it and will continue to be.”
On Bayley helping out backstage at a recent NXT live event and if other NXT talents have asked to help and learn things behind-the-scenes:
“I think that’s a common thing, there are some people and its not a positive or a negative to anybody, there are some talent that wanna do what they do in the ring, they wanna be a performer, they wanna do it and that’s it, they don’t wanna think about it, they don’t wanna get into any other parts of it, they don’t wanna see anything else. And then there are some that are very inmersed into what the product is and wanna learn everything. ‘Well, why would you do that? Why would you do this? How does that work? Why are you guys on those headsets?’ They just wanna know everything. I think when you’re at RAW or Smackdown, sometimes those opportunties aren’t there, its crunch time and its just very involved and there is a lot of pressure and a lot going on and you can’t just have somebody sitting there just trying to listen to what’s going on. Here, you can and I try to encourage talent, I say to guys all the time, ‘Look, if you’re smart and you wanna learn the other side of the business too, this business doesn’t have to end for you when you’re done taking bumps, it can continue.’ I was always fascinated with the inside operation of the business, how it was worked, how things were created, all of it. And I think its why I now love doing what I’m doing, but some people gravitate towards that. Sami Zayn, when he was injured, was like, ‘Hey, when I’m at the shows, can I come and sit by where you guys are and listen to what is going on?’ Absolutely. I want him to understand that side of it and if that makes him see what he does in a different way and if he never thought of it in that way before, then that’s great if it makes him a better performer. Some are very interested in that, some are not. That’s a great thing, its no different when we’re here at the Performance Center and some talent want to be told what to do and they wanna train and they wanna bust their ass for their coaches and they wanna be done with it and others are fascinated with that coaching process and then if they are at an advanced level, they’re then trying to coach down to these other talent and trying to help them along the way and kinda be coaches themselves. And that’s just kinda a personality thing, but I encourage it, I think its great and I know we put timekeeper down there for Bayley, but she was just on the headset, listening to the show production as it was going on and to be honest, its a fascinating way to learn about the things you never thought of because you just see it on your side.”
Other questions that were asked on the call by the wrestling media included:
* The comparison in crowds in Brooklyn between NXT and the main roster and what can be learned from that
* What lessons can be learned with the things NXT has done to branch out in 2015
* Who has filled in for NXT promo class in the wake of Dusty Rhodes’ passing
* If there will be a continued working relationship with New Japan after using Jushin Liger at TakeOver: Brooklyn going forward
* Thoughts on Finn Balor crotch chopping outside the TNA offices in Nashville prior to the NXT live event there this past weekend
* The debate over calling the Bayley vs. Sasha Banks match tomorrow night an Iron Man match or an Iron Woman match
* On Vince McMahon not having final say over the booking of NXT and the rare instance of watching TakeOver: Brooklyn backstage as a fan
* On Asuka’s debut tomorrow night against Dana Brooke
* The Four Horsewomen Curtain Call at TakeOver: Brooklyn
* If there is anything more to the rumors surronding WWE and NXT working with WWN and Gabe Sapolsky to use them as a feeder system to NXT
* On how Apollo Crews has fared thus far in NXT
You can listen to Triple H answering questions from Wrestleview.com, as well as full audio of the call below.