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Adam Hopkins turned the call over to Paul Levesque immediately. Paul thanked us for coming and being part of the process. He also wanted to welcome new international members to the call and promised some news for them later. He said that he always talks about how exciting a time it is for NXT and it’s no different this time. He talked about how it dawned on him recently that they returned to Columbus, OH for the Arnold Festival and it reminded him that the last time there was the first time they really took NXT on the road. He reflected on how much the brand has grown since then, and boy has it.
He reminded us that there will be a Takeover pre-show tomorrow at 9:30 ET on The WWE Network, followed by the event itself. He said it’s a later show that usual. He previewed the card and talked about how excited he was about it. I am with him there. It’s a loaded show. Our Tip Sheet will go up later. He added that it’s an exciting time for NXT.
Before taking questions, he talked about the Global Cruiserweight tournament and how excited he is about it. He talked about some of the people who will be competing. They are scouring the globe to get people involved.
He said that they are returning to the UK in June. From June 10-12 they will be at the Download Music Festival and then going around the UK with a tour of events.
The first caller was Mike Johnson, which Triple H made note of joking about how Mike always gets on first. Mike asked about Shinsuke Nakamura and Austin Aries being signed for NXT only. He asked if talents are still being signed with the main roster being the final goal. Or, are people being signed just for NXT now? Triple H said that he doesn’t like differentiating main roster vs. NXT. NXT is a viable brand now. Anyone on the roster has the chance to work for WWE. But NXT is an amazing brand to itself. H said he hears from people now that just want to come in and work for NXT. If they make the main roster, great. But they want to work for NXT. He said that guys will go through the process and as they progress, timing will decide where the talents go. He talked about how some people are great in-ring performers when they get there. He mentioned Finn Balor, who definitely is one. Yet Finn has never worked to the camera before so he needed to learn that. H wants to make sure that the guys are ready completely before they consider moving them up to WWE.
Mike asked how the relationships with the promotions that will be hosting Global Cruiserweight matches will work, from a creative standpoint, etc. H said that they are figuring a lot of that out as they go. He said if he ran Progress Wrestling and WWE contacted him and made the offer to host matches, it’s a win-win for everyone. H said that he is a big fan of the independent undercurrent of the business and that it’s important. He said it’s great to help them but it helps WWE too.
Brian Fritz came on and asked about a time in the future when they would be doing more than four Takeover specials a year. H said it’s possible, that the brand has grown so rapidly. He said he likes what they are doing now and he doesn’t want to oversaturate it. He mentioned people asking for another hour of weekly TV and he said he doesn’t want to push it too far too fast. He is taking his time with growing the product.
He was asked about character development and vignettes and using them more. He said that they are open to all of that.
A UK reporter asked about the UK promotions hosting Cruiserweight matches. Will WWE personnel be there? Will H be there? H said he doesn’t even know what is on his schedule tomorrow. He said they are working it out as they go. The UK promotions do a great job. WWE is not looking to take over. They want to give them a push and work together.
He was asked if there were any other UK promotions that they have talked to. He said he is open to working with quality promotions. If they do good work, he is open to working with them. H put over some talents from the UK and he talked about his team scouring the globe to find talents with potential. They are always looking for great talent.
The next caller asked about NXT potentially blowing WrestleMania out of the water. Does that thrill him or worry him? H said it’s all people’s opinions. The great thing about it is that if NXT is great on Friday, it will light a fire under the talent on Sunday. H said he would give the NXT roster a speech to fire them up, realizing he has to follow them on Sunday. The good thing about WWE is that they serve a very large audience and NXT is a part of that as it serves a very passionate fan base.
He was asked about the Divas Three Way at Mania. Why isn’t there a one-on-one women’s match and will there be one next year? H said he sees his point, but it’s a big match this year and it’s all about the Championship. He thinks the story has been told very well and the three ladies have the potential to steal the show. He doesn’t see them being in a Triple Threat as being a bad thing or a slight.
He was asked what HHH is looking for when an Aries or Nakamura debuts. He said that he looks for them to be the phenomenal performers that they are. He said that when people come from any other promotion, there is a learning curve because WWE’s production is so much different than anywhere else in the world. He says that means that there is a learning curve for every performer. With some talents, there is also a language barrier. So, there is a big transition for everyone when they walk through the door into NXT. This gives the talents a chance to get acclimated to how WWE does things. He wants people to get comfortable in the new environment. He said that the spotlight is bright in WWE and people don’t get a lot of time to make a great impression. So they make their decisions with talent and how they are advanced very strategically.
He was asked about nights when NXT runs two events, one on the road and one in Florida. He talked about how talent needs to work in front of a live crowd. When NXT is on the road, other talents get the chance to work in the smaller venues around Florida and get experience. He added that they have enough talent now where they can do a great show outside of Florida while still put on strong shows in Florida. He added that many of the Florida fans like watching the younger talents ascend up the card so they like seeing the new wrestlers breaking in. He wants to keep giving the talent the opportunity to have reps.
H was asked if the end goal of the tournament was to crown a Cruiserweight Title and if that Title will be defended on NXT. He said that the tournament is in and of itself right now. Beyond that, they haven’t finalized where they will go yet. After WrestleMania, when things calm down, they will make more plans. H hopes that it becomes an annual event. He said it’s fulfilling to find these talents around the world and help them to succeed. He added that if the fans are really into it and the Cruisers become a division, he would love that.
He was asked why the Cruisers went away from WWE TV. He said it would be hard to answer the question without looking into it. He was basically saying it was a Vince decision in my opinion, which is why they did.
He was asked about Evolve and H attending an event in January. What was his take of Evolve and WWN? H said it was exciting to him. He said being there was like a walk back in time for him. It’s how he started in the business. Seeing young, hungry talent is so different and he loves the nervous energy. He loves going to those events. He was glad he could go by and spend some time with Gabe Sapolsky. He said that he loves that there as many avenues as their are for talent to spend time and learn the business as there are. He thinks it is good for everybody.
H was asked what he likes about Shinsuke Nakamura. He said Nakamura has amazing charisma. It’s the first thing he looks for in a talent because it’s so tough to teach. He just has it. He said it’s hard to describe him. He said that when you see him he hits you really hard and it works. His charisma is such that when you are done watching him you know you saw something special. He’s one of those rare talents that have it.
The last caller was Scott Fishman who asked about adjusting the persona of established wrestlers when they come into the company. He said that with some guys, like Samoa Joe, they stay with the name since it’s established as is the character. He said he likes bringing in established guys because it helps the younger talent learn and do so more quickly. They are helping teach the younger guys, plus engage the fan base. He said they have the ability to decide what is the best way to use each talent.
He was asked about rumors that Vince McMahon doesn’t like NXT. H said that Vince sure is spending a lot of money on something he doesn’t like. He said don’t believe everything you read on the internet. Vince is a promoter and he wants to promote and make stars (and money). He said Vince loves the promotion. He and Vince don’t agree on everything, such as when a talent is ready or how hard to push them, but Vince is a fan of NXT. He said that Vince not liking NXT is ludicrous. H pointed out that just because talents change when they hit the main roster doesn’t mean Vince doesn’t like it or them. He just sees what he sees in them.
HHH thanked us for coming and talked about how exciting this weekend will be for both NXT and WWE.
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