10 Things We Just Learned From Triple H About NXT & WWE
Triple H on the brand split, the British Invasion and being NXT's daddy...
As well as announcing the new Collector's Edition of WWE 2K17, Triple H spent some time on his most recent press conference call fielding questions on NXT (as well as one rogue query about Brock Lesnar and UFC). It's never the most inviting of environments, of course, but Triple H is not only a showman (so he's used to pressure), he's also a keen brand advocate. That alone almost carries a championship billing these days.
It's always interesting to hear the boss' observations on his own business and product, and though it's fairly clear that Triple H is a fan of NXT, it's not exactly everyday to hear him turn his attention to why that might be. And reading into his psychology of the product is an enormously valuable thing.
Triple H also gave up some details for forthcoming plans, implications of the brand switch (and why it doesn't necessarily matter) and his praise for certain members of the roster.
Here's what we learned from the conference call from Triple H on NXT and the WWE product in general...
10. It's The "Fan's Dream"
According to Triple H, NXT works as an idea - and indeed as a fitting addition to WWE 2K17, because of what it represents to the fans. He calls it "the fans' dream", thanks to the opportunity to see superstars progress from the proving ground towards the main event and the main roster. There's more of a sense of ownership, and that definitely seems to fit the perception of the product.
That's also why there's a lot of preciousness about the idea of NXT stars being called up: for fans who've watched the likes of Finn Balor evolve into a dominant popular star, or Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe make an immediate splash, the one cardinal sin WWE could commit is overlooking their big fish when they graduate to the bigger pond.
Because, as Triple H says, NXT offers fans "the opportunity to see these guys come in, make a name for themselves and on a bigger platform, and grow their own personal brands while creating it - helping to create NXT's brand."
The popularity and the sense of ownership is precisely why Triple H can make the claim that NXT now "sits right alongside of Raw and SmackDown as a third brand." Numbers and popularity don't lie, and as the boss says "Our NXT TakeOver specials are some of the most popular content on the network. And you know, NXT as a brand is really kind of the bedrock of the WWE network at this point in time."