Triple H held a media call today, discussing Saturday night’s WWE NXT Takeover: Philadelphia event. Here are some highlights, courtesy of Pwinsider’s Mike Johnson:
* Triple H said the crowds for this weekend’s WWE shows may be crazier than usual due to the Philadelphia Eagles going to the Super Bowl.
* He said that the Extreme Rules match was not booked because they were in Philadelphia and wanted to make a tie-in to ECW, adding that he wants fans to embrace the future, not the past.
* He said they’ve signed some exciting new names over the last few weeks with Ricochet, War Machine, and Candice LaRae.
* He said Kassius Ohno vs. Velveteen Dream has been added to the NXT Takeover card.
* He said TM-61 will return to the ring before the televised broadcast, and Nikki Cross and Roderick Strong will also appear. That content will air on the January 31st episode of NXT.
* When asked if he is interested in bringing in Jessamyn Duke, he said he’s aware of her, has seen her train, and that she has a gift for wrestling, but that he isn’t trying to chase down everyone who used to do MMA and that they are full at the WWE Performance Center.
* He said Shayna Baszler has a certain aura to her and a “bully component” that works and gave him an emotional attachment to Ember Moon as a defender. He put over how well the story has worked.
* He talked about music for NXT, saying he wanted the brand to have a different feel from WWE which uses more pop music. He wanted the music to sync in with the edge that NXT has. He added that it doesn’t have to be heavy metal or hip-hop, but should make you feel something about a story. He noted that he likes that NXT works with new talent and bands and that it’s a win/win.
* He said that all new talent goes through NXT since it wouldn’t be fair to send some talent up to the main roster before they learn how WWE produces TV. He said it doesn’t matter what your past is or where you’ve worked before, he expects all new talent to go to NXT first. He added that it’s important to give new talent all the tools they need to succeed.
* He said RAW 25 was a good time visiting with buddies.
* When asked if WWE was for sale, Triple H said it’s obvious they are since McMahon said so. He said they’re happy with where the company is, but if someone has a new idea, they’re open to talking about it.
* When asked about Ronda Rousey, he said they have discussed different scenarios but nothing has been ironed out yet. He said Rousey has a love for wrestling and has been training for wrestling on the side for four years. He says she is very busy right now and it may be difficult for her to be in wrestling if she can’t be “all in.”
* He was asked if they’d do a NXT Takeover in Australia. He said the opportunity to do a NXT Takeover or TV taping overseas is there and that it is easier for NXT to go abroad since the main roster has to be live each week. He noted that they did have a successful tour with promoter Paul Dante, but added that international tours are time consuming to put together.
* When asked how far the Iconic Duo was to being called up to the main roster, Triple H said they aren’t far. He said that eventually, talent hits a point where they “get all of it” but that they then need “reps” to be totally ready, and they want to make sure the Iconic Duo has enough reps. He said when the time comes, they will smash their opportunity.
