NXT is a prized showcase for WWE at this point where the Superstars of tomorrow have a chance to shine on a larger scale than the traditional indie wrestling circuit while they can learn the specifics needed to be a WWE Superstar. It also helps that they have the ability to tear down the house at every TakeOver special that comes along.
But just because a Superstar is extremely over in NXT doesn’t necessarily mean they will be as popular once they are chosen for a role on the main roster. Things could be different when it comes to their character or competition to affect how over they are or what kind of push they get. But if you ask Triple H he doesn’t see any of them as failures as long as they make it to the next level.
Triple H took part in a post-NXT TakeOver: Chicago teleconference and Wrestling Inc asked him how he deals with knowing some huge NXT Superstars might not translate into the same position on the main roster.
“I think that comes down to anything right?” Triple H replied. “You try to prep them, you try to give them the tools, you try to give them everything you can so they can succeed on the main roster. But the truth is if you believe that everyone who gets called up will become ‘the guy’ or ‘the girl’ or the next big thing it’s kind of an unrealistic expectation.
“There’s this weird thing in the business I feel like that happened. I’m not really sure how it happened where if you didn’t become the champion or you didn’t become the John Cena character you robbed this guy’s career like I don’t recall Roddy Piper being ‘the guy.’ Like I could go down a list of who’s who of Hall Of Fame performers that some could make arguments that they were the best in the world or the best at what they did at that moment in time or their all-time favorite character that never got past the middle card if you look at it honestly, right? Today you would look at those people and say ‘oh my God this Hall Of Fame worthy career I can’t believe it took them this long to put them in the Hall Of Fame.’ But the truth is if you went back and looked at it today you would have said: ‘ah he’s midcard for life man’ or ‘they screwed him and never gave him his spot.’ I don’t know how that changed and became the thing.
“Not everybody is gonna be ‘the guy’ and not everybody’s gonna be ‘the girl’ not everybody is gonna be the champ and it’s not about, ‘well they should get their turn that’s just the funniest thing of all time it’s like saying you should get a participation medal. That isn’t it at all.”
Triple H then went into a little more detail about his view of success is in the pro wrestling business. After all, longevity in a career can sometimes be way more important in the end because as a WWE Superstar is able to sustain their presence at least their star is still shining unlike someone else who might be extinguished early.
“There’s no ‘deserve’, everybody works hard. I hear that sometimes it’s like ‘oh he’s the hardest working guy in the business.’ I don’t know anybody on our roster that doesn’t work hard. Well, I do actually […] but there’s a lot of people who do work hard. Most of them, 99% of them work their asses off day in, day out just like everybody else does and they’re proud of that and they work hard for it and they should be excited and rewarded for successful careers. To me, making it to the WWE is the ‘wow.’ Being successful, making it to the main roster you know making it to these TakeOvers, ‘wow.’ Making it to the main roster, ‘wow’ and being there for a long period of time. Successfully doing it, not getting injured, making money for your family taking care of your family for generations like all that is ‘wow’ and phenomenal and that is success.”
“So I think sometimes when people look at it and say, ‘all these NXT guys fail’ I haven’t seen too many who have failed, you know?”
