Triple H took part in a conference call on Thursday with select media members to promote NXT Takeover: San Antonio, which takes place on Saturday and will air live on the WWE Network. Here are some of the highlights from the call:
– He talked about this Takeover being a bit special due to them holding a show in Toronto and Japan so he would have liked to change how he promoted it. He talked about the matches on the show and how excited he is for the event. He made it clear how much he liked Shinsuke Nakamura and shared his excitement for Nakamura’s potential. He noted that WWE would be announcing the winners of the NXT 2017 Awards on the pre-show.
– He praised the WWE UK Championship tournament and all of the people involved with it. His goal is to make it a weekly show on the WWE Network.
– When asked about UK talents being pulled from events that will air on other platforms (IPPV and Flo Sports), he said that people in the UK are worried that this will be the 2017 version of crushing the territories in the country. He noted that this is all based on people refusing to understand the reality of the situation. He said that they had signed talent with the ultimate goal of doing a weekly TV show. He said that the talents knew this when they signed with WWE and that the company doesn’t care if the talents work for other promotions but it cannot be distributed. He said that WWE works with some promotions and doesn’t work with others. He noted that they are not being heavy handed and that WWE wants work with talents long term and not one off them. He noted that the talents knew the restrictions that were going on and that the confusion is on the promoter’s side and not on WWE’s or talents. He said that over time it would all be clear why WWE is doing what they are doing but it’s strategic so it will play out over time.
– Regarding a timeline for the weekly show, he said that doing a weekly show is different compared to doing a tournament as there a lot of factors that go into it to make it happen. He said that it’s hard for people to see what they’re doing now but will see why in the future. He did not give a timeline as to when it could happen as there are a lot of factors and people involved. In the meantime, they will help the guys that are working in the UK get exposure and thrive.
– He was asked about the Cruiserweight division, Triple H said that it is a work in progress and that 205 Live gives them more opportunity to show what they can do in the ring while they get more exposure on RAW. He believes in the show and has high hopes for the future of the show. He thinks that in a few years it will be a big part of what WWE does.
– When asked why Nakamura is not on the main roster right now, he said that there are a lot of components to what they do, such as TV and how to be used on it. He brought up the differences between NXT and WWE TV. He said that the main roster shows (RAW and SmackDown Live) are a TV show and that Nakamura has never had to perform on a TV show before. He noted that he loves Nakamura and that he is still learning the aspect of what WWE does. He noted that there is a learning curve to that and that it’s just a matter of time until he gets called up to the main roster.
– Matt Riddle, who wrestles in EVOLVE, was brought up and Triple H noted that WWE has worked him out and that he is all about second chances. He noted that Riddle has to prove himself and that he feels that Riddle has promise. He noted that he doesn’t know what the future holds for Riddle but thinks that he is a talented kid, who has a bright future.
– Finally, he was asked if there were any discussions regarding airing a Takeover special on the USA Network, Triple H noted that there are conversations about where things live in the ecosystem of the world. He noted that they want to build up the WWE Network, so that plays a factor into the possibility of that happening. He noted that NXT has the potential to be a lot of things and where it ends up is not his decision but he made it clear that he likes NXT to be exclusive to the WWE Network. He brought up that NXT is in a rebuilding stage after all of the call-ups.
– He thanked everyone for taking part in the call to wrap things up.
