Big return to WrestleMania
Triple H talks about the wrestling today and the role played by Bobby Roode of Peterborough
Paul (Triple H) Levesque has made a career out inspiring people.
As a surefire hall of fame wrestling talent, he inspired those around him to be better. His heavyweight title runs were as memorable and historic as any in World Wrestling Entertainment history. Since semi-retirement several years ago, he’s been inspiring current and future talent as an executive behind the scenes and as the driving force of NXT, the company’s wildly success developmental brand.
But every now and again, Levesque likes to inspire the crowds and that talent by unleashing The Game, his legendary wrestling alter ego. Traditionally, it’s around WrestleMania time, the biggest eventonthewrestlingcalendareach year. And while the Undertaker, whose 21-match winning streak cemented him as the greatest performer in WrestleMania, and Mr. WrestleMania Shawn Michaels are generally the first names associated with WrestleMania, Triple H’s name isn’t far behind.
On Sunday in Orlando, Triple H will make his 21st WrestleMania appearance when he faces former protege Seth Rollins, who missed WrestleMania due to injury last year and nearly again this year thanks to reinjury. Levesque speaks passionately when asked about what it means to him to make a wrestling appearance each year at WrestleMania.
“I was in a situation (that) Seth Rollins was in last year at a point in time in my career when I tore my quad and I missed the WrestleMania in Detroit,” Levesque said during a media conference call to promote NXT Takeover and WrestleMania 33.
Levesque said the many WrestleMania week events make the entire experience unforgettable. Fan Axxess, NXT Takeover and the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony all take place during WrestleMania weekend. This year, inductees include Kurt Angle, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, Beth Phoenix, Teddy Long, Diamond Dallas Page and the late Ravishing Rick Rude.
“It’s one of the coolest nights of the year because there are all these performers who get to have that moment back on that stage,” Levesque said of the hall of fame ceremony.
Forbes magazine ranked WrestleMania as the fifth biggest sports franchise behind such spectacles as the Super Bowl, soccer’s World Cup and the Olympics. “When you talk about the WWE Network and the amount of people who will watch, it’s just an unbelievably amazing opportunity for these talent to make a name for themselves to the world. Not just to NXT, not to WWE, to the world. It doesn’t get any bigger than that.”
Peterborough’s Bobby Roode joined WWE earlier this year after spending years with rival TNA, where he was a longtime headliner. Levesque praised Roode for his leadership since joining NXT, where Roode is now the NXT champ.
“I think it’s been very important,” Levesque admitted when asked how important Roode’s experience has been on the NXT roster.
Levesque likened Roode’s signing with WWE to his own when he joined WWE in the 1990s from rival World Championship Wrestling in that the learning curve at WWE can be steep.
“Everybody who comes into WWE at this point is on a learning curve,” he said. “You can go back to the Attitude Era. Even then, having come from WCW and having known people who were (at WWE), the level of production of what was happening even in WCW at its peak to what WWE was doing at the time, there was a world of difference.”
That still applies, Levesque said.
“The level of what WWE is doing versus anybody else out there from a television production and just how we create the shows is on a totally different level than anything. So anybody who comes in from anwhere, I don’t care if they have 15 years experience, 18 years experience, 5 years experience, doesn’t matter. They’re on a learning curve.”
Levesque said he always admired Roode’s skills.
“Bobby is a phenomenal talent. I’ve always seen that. I thought he was a great talent when I would see him in various places, he always impressed me. He’s learning to polish that now. He’s learning to create television, he’s learning to create moments, not just get in the ring.”
That’s where his experiences comes into play, Levesque said.
“Where that helps is his level of comfort, his level of not getting rattled, even while he’s learning, being comfortable in the ring. That is something that the younger guys, the younger girls, they see that level of comfort, that level of ease, with what you’re doing, even when you’re in a process where you’re still trying to pick things up and you don’t know everything. To me, that is when everybody grows. Everybody learns in the business all the time. Your growth is based, in some ways, on what’s around you.”