Tag: HHH

HHH audio: Velveteen Dream update, Steve Cutler, Edge, new signings

Posted on by Josh Nason

Thursday’s pre-NXT TakeOver conference call featuring Paul “HHH” Levesque was one of his more newsworthy ones in quite some time with information on the whereabouts of Velveteen Dream, what he knew about Steve Cutler’s release, Edge’s work in NXT, and Pat McAfee.

Here are some of the highlights with full audio available below.

  • Edge has been talking to Levesque about coming into NXT for well over a year, both on the mic and also as an in-ring worker, going so far as to give Levesque a list of who he wanted to work with. He thinks Edge’s return has been done really well to this point.
  • He said there nothing to add on Velveteen Dream and that “we’ve gone over this a million times”. He had a “physical thing” but is still training and still at the PC.
  • Asked about what they quantify as ratings success today, he thought Nick Khan put it best on the recent investors’ call with eyeballs and how people are consuming the product. He said you have to take things like apps into consideration even though they don’t show up in ratings. “Appointment television isn’t the same conversation we had 15 years ago.”
  • He said he has no knowledge about the situation and circumstances around Steve Cutler’s release.
  • On Pat McAfee, he said he is a very busy guy, especially with the recent end of the NFL season. “His learning about his firing on the air was greatly exaggerated.” McAfee asked for some time to breathe given his schedule and recent marriage and that the door’s open for a return in the future. Levesque really likes him and also put over Bad Bunny’s “respectful” attitude in coming into the WWE world. “He’s just one of the guys.”
  • When asked about NXT being a regular fixture at WrestleMania, he would be all for it but it depends on how much you can fit into Mania weekend, the benefit of TakeOver that weekend, balance, etc.
  • HHH said he wasn’t involved in the women’s Royal Rumble prior to the day of the event and even then, it was being involved in conversations that day only.
  • When asked about the signing of Parker Boudreaux, he said “we’ll see what he can do” and that with any talents coming in the door, a lot of it depends on them given all the tools they have at their disposal.
  • Asked about creating more NXT titles for women, HHH said he’s not a big believer in “38 titles in organizations” but there are always conversations around things like that.
  • He mentioned Bronson Rechsteiner (son of Rick Steiner) as someone training at the PC.
  • Levesque said the impending Performance Center class features the largest female class in the company’s history.
  • Noted wrestling fan Brandon Walker of Barstool Sports will be part of the TakeOver pre-show.

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NXT TakeOver WarGames media call: LeRae injury, Trey Miguel

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: WWE.com

Paul “Triple H” Levesque talked to the media following NXT TakeOver: WarGames Sunday and while there wasn’t any big news from the call, he did give some details on some injuries and someone that wasn’t signed recently.

He said Candice LeRae is being checked out for a possible broken arm, but until there’s an x-ray, they aren’t sure. Bobby Fish suffered a laceration on his elbow that needs some attention, but outside that, everyone else had bumps and bruises so he considered that a good night.

He said he hopes Undertaker will be more involved with the Performance Center in the future as he moves into the next phase of his career, something he has shown interest in. He hopes to speak more with him after the holidays.

When asked about not signing Trey Miguel while the other two members of The Rascalz were signed, he said he couldn’t go into details, following that up with a talk about passion that wasn’t directed at anyone in particular.

He said we will see more special events on TV like New Year’s Evil, possibly extending to the NXT UK brand. However, he likes the separation of WWE having their own special shows (Royal Rumble) while NXT has theirs (WarGames). 

To hear the rest of the call, just click below:

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HHH NXT TakeOver audio: Pat Patterson, crossovers, Flair-Ripley

Posted on by Josh Nason

Paul “HHH” Levesque conducted his traditional pre-TakeOver conference call Thursday, discussing the card and answering questions around NXT and WWE as a whole.

He opened the call talking about the passing of Pat Patterson and how difficult Wednesday was for everyone. He put over Patterson’s influence on WWE and the wrestling business which he said is only second to Vince McMahon. He talked about Patterson a lot on the call including a few quotes and said that during a Wednesday camera break, they showed the Sgt. Slaughter-Patterson street fight match inside the Capitol Wrestling Center and that both talent and personnel all stopped to watch.

Here are some of the highlights from the call:

  • He put over the NXT UK Heritage Cup as spectacular and put over A-Kid. He loves what they are doing and urges people to watch WALTER vs. Dragunov. He is looking forward to when talents can travel and forth post-pandemic.
  • He was asked about his previous statement about Charlotte Flair’s WrestleMania win over Rhea Ripley being part of a bigger plan and whether things are still going according to plan. He said COVID basically changed all plana and talked about how growing as a performer with up and downs, relating it to his own career. He still thinks there are some valuable lessons Ripley learned through that process and that she is a “way better performer” which came through that process.
  • He was asked about whether they would be open to crossovers with other companies. He said “we’re open for business” and that perceptions of their business from others are often incorrect. If it’s the right thing and meaningful, he thinks Vince is open for anything.
  • He put over Pat McAfee’s desire to be a WWE wrestler, his athleticism, and dedication. He talked about critiques on “outsiders” when athletes come in and try to become wrestlers, but that McAfee has always wanted to do this. “It’s a testament to him that he’s doing this better than some who have done this their whole lives,” he said.
  • He said NXT being left out of Survivor Series was likely due to the pandemic and trying to keep the brands as separate as possible.
  • He loves the current pacing of the product and continued to beat the drum of planning for the long-term.

To listen to the call, click below.

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November 24, 2003 Observer Newsletter: Survivor Series review, WWE financials, more

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Largely due to a spectacular old-school Survivor Series match involving the Raw brand, the supposed end of the career of Steve Austin, and the performance of Shawn Michaels, the Survivor Series hit a chord that few shows hit.

The bloodiest WWE PPV show in recent memory was highlighted by the apparent leaving of the company by Austin. The negative is they are going to the same well too often. It marked the third straight PPV that a main figure in the company’s career was apparently over. Two months ago, it was Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler, only to have it overturned barely a week later. In addition, Bill Goldberg’s career was also put up. Last month, it was both Vince McMahon and Stephanie McMahon. For the third time in recent memory (after the Invasion angle and also in a three-way TV match involving HHH and Chris Jericho; and Austin and Vince have had their careers up more than once as well) her television career is supposed to be over, and once again, she’ll be back very soon.

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NXT post-TakeOver 31 call: Injuries, Ember Moon, Ridge Holland

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: WWE

Following Sunday’s NXT TakeOver 31 event, Paul “HHH” Levesque spoke to the media for 30 minutes about the shwo and some of the various news coming out of it.

Click on the red button below to hear the full audio, but here were some of the highlights:

  • He said Finn Balor’s jaw is being examined while Kyle O’Reilly is also being medically evaluated.
  • The timing for Ember Moon to return just made sense and that it was hard for her to not smile as she was so happy to be back.
  • He said the new CWC setup inside the Performance Center changed the interior layout and will require some shifting for those training, but certain aspects for trainees will still remain. Trainees are in small groups and rotate through while meeting COVID protocols.
  • He said Ridge Holland is a great performer and highly regarded by the coaches. He discusses the near-miss in the Johnny Gargano match and the fine line between sports entertainment and things comes being very real. He said the Gargano accident was bad timing and not a Holland screw-up.

Click below to listen to the entire call:

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TakeOver media call: HHH on Tegan Nox surgery, Tuesdays, COVID-19

Posted on by Josh Nason

Paul “HHH” Levesque spent some time with the wrestling media Wednesday afternoon talking about this Sunday’s NXT TakeOver show and fielding some questions about the company.

Some of the highlights:

  • Our Dave Meltzer asked about exploring a move to Tuesday nights to which Levesque said discussions are always being had, but it’s a decision that involves not only WWE but their partners. Without saying AEW, he did add that he thinks it’s funny no one asks them why they aren’t moving when NXT was first on Wednesdays.
  • He thinks that NXT Champion Finn Balor vs. Kyle O’Reilly will change some perceptions and could be a game changer for a lot of things. He said that O’Reilly’s elevated role was planned but circumstances helped pushed the timeline up a bit.
  • He confirmed that Tegan Nox had surgery for a torn ACL.
  • He said the show will have “a different, unique look and feel and that fans will figure out what means on Sunday.”
  • He expects the card lineup to remain intact but that “everything is touch and go these days.” To that end, he says the Performance Center is back and functional. When asked about whether there are any punishments for those aren’t following protocols, he didn’t address it directly but said they have discussions and reality checks like anyone else. However. it’s difficult because they are dealing with people’s personal lives.
  • He was asked about NXT’s role in the upcoming draft and said he had no idea and will find out like everyone else does that night.
  • He also discussed Wade Barrett’s return, the (someday) return of fans in attendance, NXT UK, and more.

Click below to listen:

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September 29, 2003 Observer Newsletter: Unforgiven review, HHH taking time off

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Unforgiven on 9/21 at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA, was one of those nights where the elementary mistakes bit WWE in the ass.

The show was supposed to be the coronation of Bill Goldberg as WWE Raw champion. Well, in wrestling, dating back to such luminaries as Lou Thesz, Strangler Lewis and Stephanie McMahon, there is the saying “We can do it the hard way or the easy way.” Well, in this case, nobody was whispering that before a title change, but they could do it the smart way or the dumb way. Well, the dumb way was going to pacify the ego of the boyfriend, and few thought anything different would happen.

HHH, still bothered by a slightly torn groin, gutted his way by carrying Goldberg for 14:57 before dropping the title clean to him. Unfortunately, it was more guts than brains. The match was too long and dull. The crowd, hot for Goldberg at the start, cooled off watching him sell. 

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NXT TakeOver XXX media call: Dream, Draft, Lars Sullivan, Renee

Posted on by Josh Nason

On Wednesday, WWE executive VP Paul “HHH” Levesque held his traditional pre-TakeOver conference call, answering questions about the company, the future, and the occasional curveball.

Of note, he was asked by Pro Wrestling.net’s Jason Powell about their recent Velveteen Dream investigation he discussed in an interview with CBS and if they talked to the accuser. He didn’t answer the question, standing by what he said on CBS and saying the company takes those accusations very seriously.

He also acknowledged there will be a draft while answering a question about talent mixing between brands.

He was asked about Renee Young’s status with the company given the news that broke, but said he couldn’t comment while putting her contributions as “awesome”.

He was asked about what matters on Wednesdays: ratings, demos, something else? He said that NXT matters and that while he sees all the arguing between the fanbases, how they interpret data is a lot different and that he cares about his company and their fanbase first.

He continually put over how much they miss having fans in attendance and how much they change the product while putting over the talent’s work ethic in working through this situation.

Click below to hear the entire call.

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August 11, 2003 Observer Newsletter: WWE revenue breakdown, Australia tour mishaps

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

New filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission give an even more detailed look at World Wrestling Entertainment business than the recent investors conference.

Among the notes are the importance to the overall revenue as well as profitability of the different revenue streams over the past year, as well as with the restructuring after stock buybacks from Viacom and General Electric (NBC).

The McMahon family currently owns 54,780,207 shares of stock, which represents 80% ownership. The other major stockholder is Gladwyne Partners, LLC, a financial group headed by Michael B. Solomon, which owns 2,582,773 shares, or 4%. The remaining 16% of the company is owned by the various trading stockholders.

The WWE annual stockholders meeting takes place on 9/19 in Stamford, CT at the Westin Hotel. Among the items on the agenda is management bonuses. According to information sent to stockholders, as far as base salary, Vince McMahon earned $1,085,000 (he also earned another $855,500 as a wrestler and will get $8,764,833 in stock dividends this coming year; the previous year those numbers were $1 million in salary and $929,965 as talent), and is listed to earn the same base salary this coming year.

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HHH post-TakeOver audio: Damian Priest, hog pen match, injuries

Posted on by Josh Nason

Following Sunday’s nostalgia-driven NXT TakeOver: In Your House event, Paul “Triple H” Levesque talked to the media for 40 minutes about a variety of topics including his recent title change, the future of both Velveteen Dream and Charlotte Flair, Damian Priest’s night, and the infamous hog pen match he had with Henry Godwinn.

The full audio can be heard below by clicking the big red button.

  • Injury-wise, everyone was fine coming out of the show. Johnny Gargano was banged up a bit, but should be fine.
  • He thought Damian Priest had a star-making performance tonight, saying that it felt like the first time he really performed and was all there in the moment. “He’s arrived.” Now, he said, it’s up to Priest and NXT to take advantage.
  • He was asked about his recent change in title and said it was more to reflect the building of NXT as a worldwide brand and that people made more out of the change than should have. With the change, he’s out of the weeds with the responsibility of many of the day-to-day tasks with talent and events he had to handle.
  • He talked about how training environments for the PC weren’t available to them until recently so they are starting to ramp things up again. Talent have been doing film sessions with coaches, acting classes online, etc, to stay busy, especially for those who would have been working on Florida house shows.
  • He was asked about whether the hog pen match with Henry Godwinn was penance for “the curtain call”. The dates didn’t line up, but he talked about how much he loved that match and working with Godwinn that entire run.
  • He was asked about Flair and Dream’s status with NXT. He didn’t give answers on either, but reiterated there is a lot of movement between brands, giving Finn Balor as an example.
  • He really loved the nostalgia moments of tonight’s show (Todd Pettingill, ICOPRO and ice cream sandwich ads, etc). He joked that he tried to get Michael Hayes to cut his hair and revive the Dok Hendrix character for the night.

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HHH TakeOver audio: COVID testing, Drake Maverick, cinematic matches

Posted on by Josh Nason

Paul “HHH” Levesque spoke with the media Thursday afternoon, answering questions about NXT Takeover, Drake Maverick’s contract situation, and even COVID-19 testing which appeared to catch the WWE EVP slightly off guard with his answer.

The full audio can be heard for free by clicking below.

  • Levesque was asked if the company is doing COVID-19 testing and if not, why. Levesque never directly answered with a yes or no, instead saying that WWE’s medical experts work with the CDC and the local/federal government on the best approach for them to take to ensure wellness of their performers. He questioned the accuracy of the various types of testing and said that when accurate, widespread testing is made available, they will do so. He said their medical protocols are extensive and most importantly “they’ve worked.”
  • Levesque said that Maverick, who didn’t win the NXT Cruiserweight title Wednesday but was announced as signed to NXT afterward, really caught on through the course of the tourney and it was hard to ignore what was happening. Levesque said the tourney was booked out and then, he was part of the releases. He was given the option to continue and he took it. He put over what a great guy Maverick is and how much he loves, and wants to be in, WWE.
  • Levesque also said that Sunday’s Adam Cole/Velveteen Dream title match will done “out of the arena, off site” but stopped short of saying it would be cinematic. “There will be a ring and this will be what we do” but will be shot differently and in a different environment. The match has already been taped, but the rest of Sunday’s show will be live.
  • He loved the recent cage fight between Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher and wants to use it again to help settle grudge matches. 
  • He said that they are paying attention to what’s happening in Florida with the Phase 2 expansion and the ability to bring in fans, but wants to only do so when it’s safe for everyone.

For the rest of the call, just click below.

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NXT TakeOver Portland post-show media call audio with Triple H

Posted on by Josh Nason

Following NXT TakeOver Sunday, Paul “Triple H” Levesque talked to the media for roughly twenty minutes about the show and a few other NXT-related questions. Just click the red button below to listen.

In case you missed it, here’s his pre-TakeOver call.

A few topics he hit on:

– He said the show was the highest-grossing WWE event in Portland, OR, since 2008.

– He was asked if USA Network had any involvement/say in the Rhea Ripley-Charlotte Flair angle since both Raw and NXT are on their network. He said they didn’t and things just worked out that way.

– He answered a question about whether TakeOvers could be one of the events that Vince McMahon discussed selling the rights to a streaming service for.

– He talked about Cathy Kelley’s final night with the company.

– He was asked about how the Matt Riddle/Pete Dunne pairing came together.

– He was asked about the different production elements in NXT vs. WWE (less camera cuts and zooming, different lighting, etc).

Click below to listen:

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NXT TakeOver Portland media call: Lesnar-Riddle, AEW, Simone Johnson

Posted on by Josh Nason

WWE COO Paul “HHH” Levesque spoke with the media for nearly an hour Wednesday for his customary pre-TakeOver conference call, the audio of which you can listen to by clicking the red button below.

Topics on the call included:

  • Why NXT isn’t beating AEW in the key demos on Wednesday nights and why that is
  • What he knows about the recent Brock Lesnar/Matt Riddle rumors
  • The decision making behind dropping “women’s” from the NXT women’s title
  • Whether Rhea Ripley and the Charlotte Flair angle takes away from the specialness of her on TakeOver
  • The Simone Johnson signing and the immense spotlight on her as she begins her journey
  • Why there wasn’t a Halftime Heat show this year
  • Whether Shayna Baszler is a full-time member of Raw or not
  • The recent signings of Killer Kross and Timothy Thatcher
  • An upcoming announcement of a schedule change due to a Full Sail commitment

NXT TakeOver is this Sunday in Portland, OR, for what he called a WrestleMania weekend-esque show.

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HHH TakeOver audio: Release requests, Adam Cole, Gargano update

Posted on by Josh Nason

WWE COO Paul “Triple H” Levesque held his traditional pre-NXT TakeOver conference call Wednesday morning and answered several interesting questions including one about talents asking for releases.

When asked by Jason Powell about wrestlers going to social media, Levesque said he hoped talent would talk to management instead of going to the media and social media to air their issues. He said that people get frustrated in the moment and say things they later would like to take back. “It’s a maturity issue and not how you handle it. You handle your business like a professional.”

He also answered questions about whether Adam Cole was considered for a three-way title match against Brock Lesnar and The Fiend for Survivor Series, how the creative teams are working together through this three-way brand storyline, an update on Johnny Gargano’s health, and whether he had any interest in being the fourth man on Tommaso Ciampa’s team at War Games.

Click the red button below to listen:

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November 25, 2002 Observer Newsletter: Survivor Series review, more

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

The WWE changed five championships, including the big two, and debuted the most expensive structure in wrestling history to headline the Survivor Series on 11/17 from New York’s Madison Square Garden.

On the positive side, it was a very entertaining stand alone show before a unique New York crowd that was very vociferous about what it liked. The bigggest pops were for the reuniting of the Dudleys, the debut of Scott Steiner, and the Raw title win by Shawn Michaels. It also, with booing, let the promotion know it didn’t like Edge all that much (the pretty boy thing), loved to boo Kurt Angle so much they were real mad when he was eliminated from the tag title elimination match, and thought more of Rob Van Dam than the promotion seems to. The effort was there in every match and while there was some sloppiness, there was nothing you would call a bad match.

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