11 Things We Learned From Triple H On Cody Rhodes' Podcast

11. The Noticeable Difference Between Him & Vince

Hunter went into detail about managing talent on a psychological level when talking to Cody.

He said there are moments when WWE stars come back through the curtain happy but he knows they could’ve knocked it out of the park further. However, he won’t bring that up in the heat of the moment to kill their buzz, because that can have a hugely detrimental impact on their confidence. That’s certainly how it worked for him when he was a wrestler, at least. To Trips, it’s important to celebrate the good and bolster someone rather than tearing them down.

This approach sounds so, so different to Vince’s ‘rule by fear’ mindset. Obviously, there would’ve been high fives and hugs with McMahon too, but numerous wrestlers have explained how they yearned for even a nod of approval from Vince after matches/segments. Sometimes, that wasn't forthcoming. Triple H definitely favours a more positive family vibe than his father-in-law. At the same time, he doesn’t want to fill their heads full of nonsense if something wasn’t great.

Here's how he laid it out to Rhodes: “Tell ‘em later when everything is calm”. He pointed out that most wrestlers know if something was good or bad deep down, but managing their confidence levels is vitally important. It'd be so easy to knock someone off course and prevent them from reaching their full potential just with one nasty remark that shoots them down when they're riding high.

That's something the current incumbent wants to avoid wherever possible, although he also realises that everyone has unique personalities that require bespoke treatment.