During a recent edition of the “Inside the Ropes” podcast, WWE COO Triple H took some questions following last weekend’s WWE NXT UK Takeover event regarding a variety of topics. You can check out some highlights below:
On Finn Balor replacing Travis Banks on the show: “It was about launching a brand tonight. He was extremely cool with it… it put a lot of eyeballs, and it put a stamp on the brand, and what that means for Finn Balor to come here and do that. It’s certainly not the end of that story, they’re certainly going to get their moment. [It’s an] exciting moment; part of me hates taking that moment away from [Banks], but it’s about the betterment of everybody. You have to do what’s right for everybody on the brand. Everybody worked hard tonight, but his sacrifice almost means more, because it was for the betterment and he saw the big picture. When we told him, he was like ‘Oh, ok, that’s great!’ This is for the betterment of everybody, and I think everybody knows it. One of the cool things about NXT and the Performance Center is—you heard Pete [Dunne] say this—it used to be a bunch of guys that had worked shows together before, and now all of the sudden working in this PC they’re a team, and they’re working together. It’s a different vibe. It’s a family, it’s a team. It’s working for the greater good and the cause, which is really what all of this is. It’s about the overall product, not the individual. That’s the way he took it, because he’s a pro.”
On the ‘Is Vince Watching’ chants: “I was wondering how many we got in before that question got asked. [laughs] It’s funny that Pete Dunne just said to me backstage ‘When I heard that chant I just wanted to get out of here.’ The beautiful thing about what we do is exactly that; you express [yourself] vocally and loud. We are the first product I think in the world where that crowd participation was not just a part of it—boo, cheer, whatever, that’s a sport—but it’s what we go after. I’m not saying directly that chant, but it is the participation of what we do. It is the involvement—in sports they talk about being the [sixth man] on the court—they are as much a part of it. An awesome crowd can make something unbelievable, something good, an awesome crowd that has the energy can turn something great into just magic that you’ll never forget. Part of that is the ability to express your opinion, no matter what it is, and I believe I just saw that Vince just tweeted out ‘Yes I heard you, and yes it was awesome.’ That’s what it is, and I love it, and I want them to do that every single time.”
On seeing the NXT UK brand’s success: “As far as how it compares, it’s apples and oranges. I think Shawn [Michaels] would echo this statement, I think William Regal would echo this statement, Matt Bloom would echo this statement, anyone that’s been in the ring that now comes to this side of it, it’s as much, if not more gratification. People joke about it all the time, they call me ‘Papa H’ or whatever, but it really is the difference between going out there and winning something yourself and then watching your kids do it. The feeling is totally different, both are as rewarding as they can possibly be.”
