Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Following tonight's WWE NXT Takeover: XXX event, Paul Levesque sat down for a post-show media teleconference.
The conference opened with Triple H thanking everyone who has built NXT over the process of their 30 Takeovers. He felt they had an unbelievable show and continued the tradition of Takeovers delivering with all sorts of different styles of matches.
Kenny McIntosh asked about Pat McAfee and what his status going forward. He said one of the first times he met McAfee, he told HHH that he wanted to be a weapon for him and he wanted to do everything he could for NXT. Triple H thought he meant as an announcer but he meant as a wrestler. He has a lot of other commitments but he's very serious about this and we'll see where it goes. When they first talked about this process, he said to remember this phone call and you can use it in my WWE Hall of Fame speech. He doesn't lack confidence and he showed why he's succeeded in almost everything he's done tonight. He has everything and is a heat magnet. When you add in a great athlete on top of that with a great feel for the business,McAfee 's going to do what he can do. They are going to have a conversation to see what they will be but he doesn't think that's the last time Pat steps between the ropes and does what he does. A lot of people had a different opinion after the match.
He praised Adam Cole for everything he did tonight and said he's a consummate pro on every level. He showed that yet again tonight why he is NXT as much as anyone else. His hat is off to each of them.
I asked Levesque about the return of NXT UK and whether the originally planned Takeover for that brand is even still on the books. He said he wasn't 100% sure on the Takeover: Dublin event on 10/25 but expects it may be postponed further down the road. He is looking forward to the brand starting back up. He said BT Sport have been amazing partners for WWE even before COVID-19 hit. They had started conversations about using their studios in the heart of London before the pandemic as they have amazing studios. They will be setting up there and using every safety precaution they can do there for both talent and staff. They will engage remotely from the States digitally working with those in the UK from a virtual standpoint with himself, Shawn Michaels, Matt Bloom, director and producers. They'll be able to see each other via video walls and will work together to oversee and produce the content.
He can't wait to get back over there and said that as happy as he was with Takeover, "God I miss fans." There are moments in time that you know will be just epic with fans blowing the roof off the place. Talents, production and writing teams are doing everything they can and they wanted to do everything they can but he can't wait to be back in front of fans.
On Karrion Kross potentially getting hurt, Triple H said it appears he separated his shoulder during the match. He's going to get an MRI. He's tough and gutted through it. He said to go through that with Keith Lee when your shoulder is separated like that and to have that moment, it's bittersweet to get heart. He said that Kross and Scarlett have worked their entire careers to get to this moment and he knows that from their first conversation. Earlier today, they said it was hard for them to believe they were in this moment and kept waiting for something to happen to change that moment. He said that his heart breaks for him that he got hurt in the middle of the match.
As soon as they get him a MRI, they will get him one and they'll figure out what's up, how to work around it. He said Kross delivered on every level and for it to happen for him, in the middle of the moment where he can show he can deliver only to have it unravel for him, it is what it is and here we are.
Triple H also praised Keith Lee for being an incredible performer and locker room leader. Lee did a great job with keeping things together and getting them through everything. He said it's not ballet and they are going to see where things stand with Kross.
He was asked about the Fire Velveteen Dream hashtag online. He responded, "We’ve talked about this, we’ve said our piece on it and I understand people’s positions on it and their feelings of something that they seeing with the accusations online. So, I feel like there’s nothing more that needs to be said on it again. That’s it."
They were asked about Scarlett potentially wrestling down the line. It's possible down the line. He praised her work and how much she adds to Karrion Kross, and how she's always in the right place at the right time at ringside. He put over her great work.
He was asked about the potential of talents moving around the brands and whether there are others he'd like to bring from Raw and Smackdown where they are underused to NXT. He said that wherever talents can provide the most value, that's where they should be. They are all going to have highs and lows in terms of where and how they are used. He wants to utilize all the brands to give talents the chance to go to different territories in order to reboot themselves, so to speak. He used Apollo Crews as an example of someone undergoing a giant change with his move to Raw. He wants there to be multiple places where they can go and succeed to have long careers without that burnout factor.
A caller from Australia asked about Bronson Reed and all the crazy stuff he pulled out in the Ladder Match. He said that he was happy with all the opportunity and having success with what was given to them tonight. Damian Priest comes out as champion but Bronson was given the chance leading into this and tonight to become a star. He stamped himself a star tonight. So did Cameron Grimes. They had big coming to the table moments tonight and earned their place tonight. They earned it in the moment. Candice LaRae's involvement was "insane and awesome." It was a chance to showcase the depth of what they had tonight and they aren't even talking about all the top stars in the NXT brand.
On the future of Keith Lee, Triple H said that they didn't want to give things away but he's a star and this is a part of his storyline. He said that when you see things go down the line in the future, you can look back and say, this is why things were done. There were injuries tonight and it's possible that changes things but everything was done with a long term vision.
Alex from Talksport asked about the Ladder Match and asked how the decision-making process for Damian Priest winning came about. He said they broke down the match and looked at everything they could do with the person winning. They could have gone with Cameron or Bronson and yielded great results. He said Priest never really had a chance elsewhere to shine and it took him time to find his footing here. He has really come into his own where he doesn't feel like he's playing the role anymore. He's just Damian Priest now and fans realized and felt that. When you feel that authenticity and you are being yourself, for Priest, he is being a larger than life version of himself where before he was a lesser version of himself elsewhere. He's been on fire lately and he's extremely happy for him. Not to take away from other competitors, Priest deserved it.
HHH talked about Io Shirai vs. Dakota Kai. He said the women can raise the bar in NXT every time they are in the ring. He said the women tearing it up is looked now as "that's just what they do" because it's the norm. He praised the women's division across the board. When you look back at all the stuff that has happened, you see athlete after athlete who has raised the bar for 30 Takeovers now.
Triple H was asked about Mauro Ranallo. He just wasn't available tonight. Corey Graves had been on HHH about doing commentary since they announced the show. HHH praised the work Vic Joseph, Beth Phoenix and Corey did.
Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated asked about Bayley and Sasha Banks being there tonight and what it meant to him. HHH said that he respects anyone who's seriously passionate about the business. It doesn't matter what they are doing, but if they are in town, he knows he will get a text from one of them telling him they are in town and would like to visit..oh by the way, we are happy to appear...oh by the way, we are ready to wrestle if you want. Oh by the way, we are available on Wednesday. The same thing happened with Drew McIntyre. They did media earlier this week and Drew asked if he could come to Takeover. There were talents who wanted to be there tonight but had media or travel commitments who still asked if it was OK if medical and security could clear them if they were done with their main roster commitments tonight. There are so many talents who come back who are more nervous to be at Full Sail than they are at PPVs because the place means so much to them.
The final caller said Dakota Kai had a star making performance tonight. Levesque said he couldn't agree more. He said that her growth and development from the person who was intimidated from Shayna Baszler because you could see she was intimidated by some of the larger things to see her grow into the performer she is in the ring and on the mic and especially against Io Shirai - to hang with her on that level and make you believe is awesome. He also praised Raquel Gonzales, seeing the shift from nervous performer to a giant, badass force that you believe and she believes in. Then, that moment with Rhea Ripley is a star-making moment. Hats off to Kai. Win or lose, she had a star-making night.
Levesque thanked everyone for the call tonight and said he wanted to praise the staff and crew in NXT as well as their partners at Full Sail University. It is a hub for what they do behind the scenes and there is no better partner for them on the planet.
Levesque said he has seen some speculation about Joe Belcastro, who was the head of NXT Writing Team. He is leaving and Levesque thanked him for all he did for the brand. Belcastro has an opportunity to go and accomplish something else he really wants to do and realized that if he didn't try to do it now, he would kick himself for not trying. HHH said once you are NXT, you are always NXT and the door is open if he ever wants to return. He said they'll see Joe Belcastro down the road and that the rest of the team under him won't miss a beat.
That was it for tonight's call!
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
