WWE NXT Preview For Tonight (3/25/2020): Triple H!
Following the WWE NXT TakeOver: WarGames event, Triple H did a conference call and provided injury updates on Candice LeRae and Bobby Fish. He also commented on holding more “themed” episodes of WWE NXT, and more. You can check out some highlights from the call below:
* Triple H said that he thought the evening was spectacular and that NXT “fired on all cylinders tonight.” He said that it was interesting in coming together, talking about whether they were uncertain if the structure would work. He noted that there were a couple of injuries but nothing too, too serious, and said that NXT is the best in-ring brand in the business. He promoted New Year’s Evil and gave a shout-out to Ariel Helwani for being involved in the pre-show, calling him one of the most knowledgable fans of what they do and thanking him. He said it will be an exciting few months as they get into 2021 and expect to get on a roll. He noted that Karrion Kross is back, and Finn Balor will be back “firing complete” and that he can’t wait to kick 2021’s ass.
* Asked about the show in general, he said it’s difficult to perform in that environment and the current point in time with limited fans and everything else, but the level of performance is where it’s at. He put over the last WarGames match and said that it was very story-driven. He noted it’s all about the interactions between the talent and that’s what he loved; it wasn’t about the spots. He also said the women had an unbelievable night and that everyone else delivered, saying Thatcher and Ciampa put on a clinic, the strap match was phyiscal and different and the North American Championship match telling a story and “making” Leon Ruff.
* Triple H was asked about Candice LeRae’s injury status, and he said there are a lot of bumps and bruises mostly, what you would expect. Candice is getting X-rayed and checked out, no status yet but it is possibly a broken arm. He added that Bobby Fish is being checked out after lacerating his elbow, and just the bumps and bruises beyond that.
* Someone asked about if Undertaker could has talked with the company officially about coming in to help the brand backstage. He noted that any time Undertaker is involved, everybody’s better for it. He said the Dead Man is one of the most knowledgable guys in the business and is looking to move into the next phase of his life. They’ve talked about it and it involves coming to the PC and helping. He’s earned taking a breath, but they talked in the last couple of days.
* Asked about contingency plans around potential COVID-19 positives, he said that it’s always in the back of your head and 2020 has taught them not to plan too far ahead because the world can change and you have to constantly be ready, which they’re good at. So you keep it in your head whether injuries like Karrion Kross and Finn Balor or COVID issues.
* Asked what to expect from NXT in 2021, he said he’s always looking to make the brands bigger and better, whether in the UK or elsewhere. Building the future is what it’s about for him, and it’s the biggest thing they do to him. He talked about how many fresh faces have become prominent and talked about those who have been around and find success Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. He’s hoping for more of that, and more of creating new stars, saying NXT is built on youth and enthusiam hopefully 2021 will a smoother ride for everyone in the world including them.
* Jon Alba asked about Pat McAfee’s success and if his standout work makes them evaluate how they go about tailoring their system. He said that it’s funny what McAfee puts out there, and what he doesn’t. He put McAfee over as a natural like Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey, and what he’s done has been amazing. But he added that the people he’s been put in with and been around have done their utmost to make it all happen. They didn’t have to, but they’re pros about it. He said that some people step into the system who have no background, and become stars. Others who have success elsewhere have benefitted by the system, because it helps them build their skillset. Being a WWE star is an indivualized thing, but it’s also a team endeavor and it takes a lot of people to make a star. He says his hat is off to Pat and that being yourself is one of the toughest things to do, but he’s done it.
* Asked who NXT’s most improved stars in 2020 were, he said the list is really long but singled out Pat McAfee, Raquel Gonzales, Shotzi Blackheart, and Leon Ruff. He pointed out how Ruff walked in and in a very short period of time has grown by huge amounts. He also talked about Burch and Oney finding themselves in terms of promos and mic work to complement their in-ring skills. He said it’s across the board at that level, and it’s the stuff that you can’t see and just comes across on camera, noting Damian Priest’s star power as his comfort has grown.
* Asked about Trey Miguel not joining his fellow Rascalz as joining WWE, Triple H said that he didn’t want to discuss why some people don’t come to them and there’s a lot that goes into it. He praised those who did and said how much the heart and passion that he sees in them. He called wrestling a passion business and said you have to be all in. Every time he walks into the PC he sees people who have that passion and have huge smiles on their faces learning. They’re there because their passion and he’s not saying anything against those who aren’t there, but those who do have that passion. He said the future is bright and there’s a lot more coming in after them, and he wants to give them the opportunity.
* Asked about the special themed episodes of NXT like New Year’s Evil and if NXT UK will adopt that, he noted that having tentpole opportunities like that to build to big events is important, and that every show is like a chapter where some are set-ups and some are “big delivery chapters.” WarGames had a particular flavor, then New Year’s Evil, and then the next Takeover. It gives them more to build to and said they’d like to do it in NXT UK. They had to get it started again first and getting people engaged. He put over the talent there like Ilja Dragunov, Kay Lee Ray, Piper Niven, Jordan Devlin, The Coffeys, and WALTER. It’s difficult right now, but that’s the plan.
* Triple H was asked whether there has been any thought to be doing an NXT-specific Royal Rumble and if he has any say on who goes to the Rumble from NXT. He said they’re always conversations about that, and he’s a fan of separation where there’s uniqueness, where Raw and Smackdown have Survivor Series and they have WarGames for example. It gives things a different feel, and having those differences are great. He said that the Rumble is where all the brands come together and as they get closer, they’ll have a lot of discussions about who should be in there.
* Asked about the difficult logistics of getting the WarGames cage into the Capitol Wrestling Center tonight, he said it was kind of like putting a ship in a bottle: he doesn’t know exactly how they did it, but it’s cool when it’s in there. He said that consideration about WarGames was a factor in the CWC’s design and they factored that into those dfiscussions. He put over the production team, both Kevin Dunn’s team and the digital production team, and then you combine with the set design who built the Thunderdome. He noted that he was wondering about the logistical challenge for WarGames, then got a note from someone that said they thought they figured it out. He said there’s so many things it’s like having the new car where he’s figuring out all the buttons and what they do. He said the team did a great job, and they will do better now that they have practical experience with it.
* Asked about elevating talent and who the top guys who helped elevate talent, he said it was the whole team and nothing’s individual. He’s on the calls and talks about it, but he’s just a cog in the wheel and named Matt Bloom, all the Coaches, Sarah D’Amoto for women’s division. He praised every portion of the NXT crew and called out Terry Taylor, Brian James, Shawn Michaels, hopefully Undertaker more and more soon. And then he said that it just comes down to the talent themselves. He said that the culture there is second to none, where you want to succeed and you want people that want to succeed. He noted that 90% of Raw and Smackdown came through NXT and more will come.
* In a final note, he said it’s been a tough year for everyone and hopes everyone stays safe. He said that the one thing that he missed tonight was not seeing Pat Patterson at gorilla position, which made it a tough night in that way. He said he could feel Pat’s presence and thinks Patterson would have loved it.
(h/t – 411 Wrestling)