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HHH thanked everyone for joining the call and said it's an exciting time for the brand with the UK tour and the special. They have sold out Wembley Arena for Takeover. He said it's a huge opportunity for not just NXT but also the WWE. He noted the time difference here in the States and it's a chance for the UK to have a live event coming from the UK. He said to have the UK fans getting a live PPV level event airing live in prime-time in the UK is a special event. HHH said his desire to do this is to reinvigorate that process to the world and his hope is that they will be doing this more in different markets in their local time zones. He said the Best in the East led the template that such events can work.
HHH said he's excited about the entire lineup from top to bottom. He said this will be the first time that the audience will really get to see Asuka really unload and Emma is always great so they will have something special. Dash and Dawson are in the process of recreating the landscape of tag teams in WWE in general. Enzo and Colin have the most charisma out of everyone right now. He broke down the Apollo Crews vs. Baron Corbin match and the differences in their background with Crews having come up through the independents and Baron not getting the respect he thinks (and HHH thinks) he deserves. He called Bayley such a great babyface and Nia Jax will get a big spotlight this week. HHH said he's seen a passionate, invigorated Samoa Joe in recent weeks and said he's "switched the switch and has gone back in time." He said the passion is really exciting.
HHH confirmed Sami Zayn will be confirming the entire tour including the NXT Takeover show.
They will be taping matches for the following week in London, including the debut of Elias Sampson.
HHH said he thinks once they get past the holidays, they will be making some announcements that he feels the people will be very excited about. This year exceeded his expectations and he hopes 2016 will exceed them as well.
I asked HHH about the way characters are presented on NXT as older school athletes who actually get angry vs. the main roster where talents are happy and smiling the following week. He said he has control over NXT but not the main roster and said neither way is better than the other but when they write NXT, it's a different flavor.
Jason Powell asked HHH about the idea of giving the first hour of Raw to the NXT brand as way to make the three hour broadcast easier. HHH said he's heard the thought as speculation from the outside of the company. HHH said that if they are just doing another hour live, it all becomes the same. There might be a way to do it differently but he doesn't know. HHH said doing three hours is too much at times. He's the type of guy who looks at his watch after two hours of a movie. He said they have to do become more creative and more focused on the shows. They've had some unfortunate injuries and it's one them to build a better format for the shows. They hear the frustrations of people and they feel the same way. They aren't 100% sure on how to fix it but they are working on it and it will happen.
HHH was asked why they haven't fast tracked Finn Balor to the main roster with all the injuries. HHH said that Balor wanted to ground himself to NXT and it's important to remember that he came from Japan so he still had many aspects he's still learning and growing in different aspects of performing. He said he doesn't want to rush people up because of injuries because they are just band-aids and he wants there to be a long term plan for them, as opposed to using them when guys are hurt and then they have no spot when the injured talents come back.
HHH was asked about an hour of NXT airing on USA and replacing an hour of Raw by being put on another night. HHH said there's a lot of positives to having the NXT show on the WWE Network and said that having the Sopranos on a paid channel never hurt them. He said that he'll take the platform that he has because if they give them the right product, hopefully people will come when they hear about it. He said being on the Network isn't hurting them as they have sold out 10,000 tickets in London and 15,000 in Brooklyn. He said that when you consider the WWE Network, it may be a smaller universe but it's not hurting the buzz of the brand.
Someone from Talksport asked about any potential relationships between WWE NXT and the UK independent promotions and whether there are any talks. HHH said he is wide open to finding talent wherever they are, whether it is talent who have been doing this for years or guys who find their way to WWE immediately. He said everyone started from nothing and got to where they are going. He wants the best talent in the world to find their way to NXT. He said 90% of his conversations with William Regal are about international tapes and guys he's pointing out. HHH said that the independent undercurrent of the business is vital to him. WWE can't expect everyone in the world that wants to be in the industry to solely learn from the Performance Center. He said that they want to teach guys their system and how much more there is to the business. Having talents go out to Progress, ICW, Rev Pro, EVOLVE or New Japan and getting that experience and time learning their craft is important. The business takes a long time to truly learn how to get over and be a top guy and draw and make people interested in you as a performer, as opposed to just having a flashy move that creates short-term interests. He hopes to have relationships with the ones that do business the right way and have the mindset that he feels is the right one. If they do, he's open to having working relationships and having conversations with them. He thinks it's an exciting time to be a young man or woman who wants to be a professional wrestler and are looking to find their way. There's lots of ways for them to gain experience and WWE's eyes are open and looking everywhere. He said there are very few people they don't know about.
Scott Fishman followed up on what I asked earlier, asking what elements from NXT would be successful on the main roster. HHH said obviously there are because if he didn't believe in them, he wouldn't use them in NXT. He said he understands what works in NXT and what works on the main roster. He said that it's like different musical styles, where the main roster is pop music and the NXT brand is more alternative music. There are things they started in NXT and you see bits and pieces boiling up but it's chocolate and vanilla. He said you don't want to change from one to the other but there are things that can boil up. When pressed on what they are, he said the way NXT handles the women. He noted there's a disconnect but it's hard to make a wholesale change overnight. He said even the mindset of the talents change because they are on the main roster and at times, become intimidated because they are there. He said talents back in the day would jump from WCW to WWE or vice versa and there would be a time period where they had to transition before they found their groove again. He said that sometimes, slowing down and telling and promoting something better. It's harder to promote something 2 weeks away and think about that when you have three hours that night and you don't have an extra six hours to put into the writing.
HHH was asked if the tour gives them the chance to evaluate the talents and see how they do in front of UK, vs. U.S., crowds. HHH said they are constantly evaluating the talent but this gives them a chance to learn and grow and evolve on the fly. He said being able to go all around the U.S. and the U.K. is experience that is so valuable to talent. He said it will make them more well rounded performers. He said that when NXT talents go to the main roster tours and appear before a crowd that doesn't get NXT for whatever reason is an eye-opening experience because they have to change how they work and learn so they can get that reaction from the crowds. HHH said the U.K. fans has always been a market with such a passionate fan-base. He said that other than having to take the flight, he's jealous he's not there in Newcastle for tonight's show because he knows when the lights go out, the place will be unglued. He said that talents walking out for the first time and getting that feeling is awesome.
Blackpool and Cardiff are sold out.
HHH was asked about the connection to music. HHH said in making the brand, it gives you a different vibe and feel for the show. He said that whatever you are doing, you try to find the right vibe for it. HHH said there's sort of a rock n' roll revival of sorts going on and they have been in the right time and right place position. They have the NXT LOUD events at festivities and bands have reached out to them and it's beneficial as it helps the bands as well. The festivals they were part of were big deals. They are talking and having conversations about doing UK music festivals in 2016 as well as going back to the UK for another tour. They are also looking at other countries for touring. He feels the musical connection might give lapsed fans a chance to find out about the product and create an entry point for them to return. He said being able to call Lemmy from Motorhead and being able to ask for a song is a great thing for him. He said in WWE, the music sets the tone for the characters and the event and he's thankful for all the bands that have been willing to work with them.
HHH closed out and again invited the media to come down and check out the Performance Center. He noted they are doing the All Access event at the Performance Center Royal Rumble weekend. He said you will never have a more up close, intimate experience. NXT will be running a special TV event on the Central Florida Campus on 1/22 with an "awesome card." He thanked everyone for their support of the NXT brand.
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