Triple H and Stephanie McMahon did media with ESPN earlier today to promote WrestleMania 34, where they will face Ronda Rousey and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle. Above is video of the WWE power couple on First Take.
When asked by host Molly Qerim if Stephanie is going to put Rousey in her place at WrestleMania, the RAW Commissioner pointed to Ronda being a rookie.
“From a character standpoint, absolutely I am going to put Ronda Rousey in her place,” Stephanie responded. “She’s never competed before in a WWE ring, this is her first match and it’s at WrestleMania. Her nerves are going to be through the roof. She’s unfamiliar with the rules. We write the rules, it’s our ring.”
When asked how Triple H feels about his beautiful wife fighting and if he’s comfortable with it, The Game praised her and asked Stephen A. Smith if he’s intimidated by it.
“I am absolutely comfortable with a strong, powerful woman that can handle herself, that can stand up for herself, that can kick ass in every aspect of life,” Triple H said. “I am absolutely comfortable with that.”
Max Kellerman asked about Vince McMahon and his ability to create drama on the fly, then adapt to circumstances and keep WWE relevant, and what it is about Vince that keeps him able to do this. Stephanie responded with the usual facts about WrestleMania 1 and Vince pioneering the pay-per-view industry but called her father a visionary. She also noted that they are expecting more than 75,000 people at WrestleMania 34 from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
“Absolutely, my father is a visionary. He really is,” she said. “When you consider that WrestleMania 1 was really his vision of putting WWE on the map. What was our Super Bowl, our Grammys, our Oscars. My parents mortgaged everything they owned to make it happen, to combine everything in pop culture with sports entertainment.”
Kellerman asked again what it is about Vince and how he’s able to capture the drama.
“He has his fingers on the marketplace, he’s a storyteller and he’s a genius,” Stephanie said.
Triple H continued, “And I also think it’s part of his philosophy of life. He preaches it to us all the time – treat everyday like it’s your first day on the job. That might have worked for you yesterday but what does it do for you today. So everyday we walk into it saying, ‘How does this relate to today?’ And that makes you keep your finger on that pulse, and I think he does that very well.”
Triple H and Stephanie were also asked about Vince bringing back the XFL football league in 2020 and how that will be different this time.
“I think if anything he has proven over time that you learn from failure, much more than you learn from success,” he said. “He’s gone at this once and it didn’t work out. I think he learned a ton from that and he’s been chomping at the bit from the time to be right to do it again. I feel like he believes the time is right, now. I think he’s learned more fro that success and certainly I wouldn’t bet against him.”
Triple H was then asked if Vince feels this is the right time because of the cracks in the NFL. He responded, “I think the time is right in the world, I think the time is right on a global basis. Social media and the ability to get it out on a digital level. Instead of playing catch up to that, you’re starting it fresh with that. I think the time is right in a lot of ways.”
