Wrestling, Triple H freewheeling: from the future of WWE NXT to the possible return to the ring

Wrestling, Triple H freewheeling

The most important week of the year at WWE has now begun. Waiting for the 37th edition of WrestleMania, the SuperBowl of sport-entertainment (here you can read a special on the history of the event), fans are also in great excitement for NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, a show that will see the superstars of the oronero rosters engaged in spectacular matches. Two nights of great entertainment, scheduled respectively on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 April on Peacock in America and on the WWE Network in other countries around the world. In Italy, however, the new TakeOver will also be available on Discovery +. Behind the global expansion of NXT, as is now well known to all, there is the legendary Triple H, a character who needs no introduction. We had the pleasure of participating in an international conference call featuring the 14-time world champion. Here's what he told us.

The official logo of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Credits: WWE *

Before starting this conference call I wanted to clarify how proud I was of the Stand & Deliver card. I throw myself off balance and say he might be the best TakeOver ever. Ten different encounters, each with a chance to steal the show, and two nights where NXT superstars demonstrate to the world inside what they are capable of. There is so much meat on the stove for the fans and I can assure you that no one will be disappointed.

WWE recently announced the move of NXT to Tuesday. In this way the week will be completely full of programs related to the world of Wrestling with a show broadcast every evening. Do you think that this media overexposure could be good for the product or damage it in any way?

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I think everyone has the opportunity to choose what to watch, especially nowadays where digitization has made great strides. I mean, between the WWE Network, Peacock, YouTube and a thousand other platforms, fans from all over the world can enjoy any content at the exact moment they want. Gone are the days when you had to watch something exclusively live to avoid losing it. There's a sitcom on TV every night, there's news 24/7. I don't think this overexposure will harm NXT and our programming in general in any way.

NXT will also adopt the same format as WrestleMania , dividing TakeOver into two separate occasions. The first night, however, will air simultaneously on USA Network and Peacock. How will you face this new challenge?

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The main difference concerns the commercial breaks which obviously will only be present on USA Network and not on Peacock, since it is a streaming platform. We are still trying to figure out how to deal with it all because it is an ongoing process but, as I said before, we are ready to offer the best possible show.

Finn Balor vs Karrion Kross will be one of the matches of show sign. Credits: WWE It has now been a year since the outbreak of the pandemic and finally fans will be able to return to attend WWE shows live respecting health protocols. Describe your feeling about it.

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No one would ever have expected such chaos and over these 365 days it was really surreal to make shows without the presence of fans which for us are an essential part of what we do. I hope that with this TakeOver and WrestleMania we can take the first step towards a gradual return to normal. I am very optimistic about it and of course we will do everything we can to ensure that the safety of superstars and fans is put first.

The news fell like a bolt from the blue: Chris Jericho will be featured on the podcast of “Stone Cold ”Steve Austin. A sign that WWE is open to partnerships with other companies?

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We are always open to anything when it comes to business, I have said this several times in the past. It makes me laugh because people often create situations in their heads that don't really exist. I hadn't heard this news yet, but it doesn't surprise me because Vince McMahon is always at the forefront of business matters. I don't think there is a correlation between the two but, again, there is often a tendency to create disputes based on nothing.

No foolin 'around here. You're gonna get… IT! 🤯 @IAmJericho joins @steveaustinBSR on the next #BrokenSkullSessions, premiering Sunday, April 11 on @PeacockTV in the U.S. and @WWENetwork everywhere else! pic.twitter.com/fQPzQ3QBDW

- WWE Network (@WWENetwork) April 2, 2021



Over the past few months we have seen a real crossover between the world of WWE and that of pop culture. Stars like Bad Bunny and Logan Paul have appeared on Raw and SmackDown. Will we see the same at NXT too?

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Absolutely! There are always opportunities to hire show business personalities, especially when it comes to someone who adores and respects what we do. Bad Bunny is the perfect example. He didn't come to us to sit in the back. He trained most days at the Performance Center and moved of his own free will to Orlando. He undoubtedly deserved my respect. The same thing happened with Pat McAfee, who has performed several times at NXT proving he can stay in the ring. If you have a passion for our world and are willing to train hard, then you can easily join ours.

Also this year I would be absent from the WrestleMania card. AJ Styles has repeatedly mentioned your name as a possible opponent on the biggest stage of the year. Would you like to face it and how much do you miss performing in the ring in front of the public?

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AJ asked me and continues to do so today. He starts getting insistent (laughs_ndr). Unfortunately, as I get older it becomes more and more difficult to stay in shape, especially for WrestleMania, but I try to do my best. I am honored for his request, but now my commitments outside the ring, especially with the management of NXT, prevent me from thinking about the rest. I have reached a point in my career where what I do in the ring is just a bonus. Ric Flair often calls me saying that according to him I should have a retirement match and close my path as an active superstar in the best possible way but, I repeat, daily commitments do not allow me to do so. I'll think about it later.

How do you rate NXT's path on USA Network from 2019 to today. Are there any regrets about switching from Wednesday to Tuesday?

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Absolutely not and I'm proud of what we managed to do with great difficulty. We went from a small platform to a large broadcaster like USA Network, from a show recorded in weekly two-hour episodes strictly live. Injuries, stars who have landed on the main roster, the pandemic, nothing has stopped us. We have established a large fanbase, signed a multi-year TV deal and the network is totally satisfied with our product. The fact that we will now air the day after Monday Night Raw will be useful from an advertising point of view and I'm sure it will give us great satisfaction in the long run. You have to be able to feed the hype of the spectators and create something consistent. Many want everything immediately but, as I always say, we need to think in the long term.