In this WrestleTalk News, HHH’s big plans for SummerSlam, wrestlers now choosing WWE
over AEW, AEW vs NXT round 48 and more!
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Monday’s episode of Raw wasn’t just the go-home episode for this Saturday’s biggest
party of the Summer SummerFest, it was also the beginning of a new, long awaited era for
WWE.
Vince McMahon has gently retired/resigned in utter disgrace, and Triple H has been named
the new Head of Creative.
And he started this new era, this hoped for the dawn of a new WWE golden age, one that
he’s been preparing for over the last decade of his career, by putting on pretty much the
same type of show we’ve had all year.
Wrestling Observer Radio have since explained why: it was the episode that was largely written
by Vince McMahon last week before he decided now was the right time for him to enjoy a
well earned rest / he was forced out of the company kicking and screaming because of multiple
accusations against him.
McMahon had reportedly written the show on Thursday, and only a few changes were made
to it.
But whether it was there explicitly in the episode on Monday, or just our own heads,
something did feel different in the air.
And the potential of a new sunrise proved to be a big ratings draw, with Raw pulling
in 1.9 million viewers, its highest number in a month - although that could be down to
a number of other factors, like the 20th anniversary of Rey Mysterio celebration, the fact it was
from Madison Square Garden, or that WWE’s biggest star Roman Reigns was going to appear
on the show.
Nevertheless, WWE is ironically riding a wave of significantly increased interest in their
product since the McMahon investigation news first broke, with SmackDown’s viewing figure
dramatically up too - potentially because of lapsed fans returning to see if the company
they once followed is going to get good again.
According to the very reliable WrestleVotes on Twitter, that might not have been on Monday’s
Raw, because it’s being saved for Saturday’s SummerFest - posting:
“With SummerSlam being his real first show in total control, source says Triple H would
like to make a creative splash at the event, HOWEVER- only if it makes sense.
Won’t just do something to do it.
How about that change of pace, already.”
Creative Splash, title of your Premium Live Event.
What do you think Triple H could do to make his mark on WWE right away?
Fantasy Book an NXT invasion for the eighth time in the comments down below.
The changes won’t just be felt onscreen though.
The backstage atmosphere will apparently be overhauled too.
Gone are the days of political backstabbing, waiting hours to see Vince in his office,
and living in fear of your next sneeze, because Triple H has reportedly told talent he wants
working in WWE to be… fun.
According to Fightful Select, Triple H had a meeting with talent backstage before Monday’s
episode of Raw - the first under his new regime of Head of Creative.
But that isn’t the only role Hunter is going to fulfill, as he’ll also be the Executive
Vice President of Talent Relations.
It’s kind of a conflict of interests, overseeing wrestlers job satisfaction, while also being
in charge of how those wrestlers are booked.
Usually you’d want to keep those two very separate, so talent wouldn’t worry that
raising concerns about the workplace could affect their onscreen push in the company.
But that’s a worryingly toxic dynamic for the future.
Now it’s time to just be happy that change has happened!
In the meeting, Triple H promised the roster “transparency” - which he felt was missing
from the previous regime.
Apparently the opportunities to speak to Vince face to face had dwindled over the years.
Hunter wants to fix that with open lines of communication between himself and talent.
And, most importantly, he wants work to be “fun” .
Following the meeting, Fightful wrote there’s a lot of optimism from the wrestlers about
Triple H taking over creative.
So optimistic, they’re even talking about it in interviews.
Speaking to the Mirror, Liv Morgan described how “shocked” the locker room was when
Vince decided he’d accomplished all he could in wrestling and retired for a well earned
break / was being investigated for covering up at least four counts of sexual misconduct
within WWE.
But spoke very positively of the new regime: “We’re also excited to be working with
Stephanie and Nick [Khan, the other co-CEO).
Stephanie was born into this business, so there’s literally no one better for the
job than her.
We’re all so excited and we’re just ready to go to work.
We’re all just ready to take it to the next level.”
That feeling of hope doesn’t just stop at the WWE locker room door, though.
According to Fightful, the ramifications of Vince resigning has spread through the rest
of the wrestling world.
One of the worst facets of Vince McMahon was how fixed his perception of what a top pro
wrestler should look like - chiefly, tall, muscular, handsome, no tattoos.
This meant scores of independent wrestlers would never stand a chance in WWE, as Vince
would never really see them as a top guy.
Even seeming exceptions to the rule like CM Punk and Bryan Danielson didn’t really work.
Punk left the company because he felt like he wasn’t being pushed enough, and Danielson
never really got serious runs with the top title.
But with Triple H, the creator of black and gold NXT, the other forbidden door now seems
wide open.
Through his time running NXT, Triple H, to his enormous credit, changed how he saw professional
wrestling.
He gave opportunities to wrestlers who would never fit Vince’s top guy mold - like Aleister
Black, Adam Cole, Tomasso Ciampa and Keith Lee - while embracing a modern style of wrestling.
Darby Allin, for instance, has said in interviews he would never even consider going to WWE,
because he knows he won’t get a fair push there.
But now Triple H is in charge of the main roster creative, Fightful Select is reporting
that many wrestlers outside WWE are now interested in going to the company.
Talking to various talent who have left WWE dating back to 2016, they noted how different
things would be if Triple H was in control earlier.
Several former NXT talent said if he was in charge back then, they believe they wouldn’t
have been released by the company.
Shockingly, one unnamed current AEW star told the site:
“I’m glad that I went to AEW, but if I was graduating to a Triple H-led Smackdown
or Raw, I probably would have re-signed with WWE before my deal was up.”
Fightful also mention that the chances of “a top free agent” returning to WWE, after
previously leaving the company, has greatly increased now Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
are running creative.
Two names immediately pop to my mind on who that might be: either Johnny Gargano, who’s
NXT contract expired last December, and Bray Wyatt, who was released by WWE last July.
Apparently over twenty former WWE talent spoke to Fightful, saying how much better suited
Triple H is to run creative than Vince McMahon.
While Tony Khan jokingly celebrated becoming the “longest tenured CEO in pro wrestling”
upon Vince resigning, the ensuing WWE shake-up might be the biggest existential threat to
AEW since the initial Tuesday Night Wars.
Back then, Triple H’s NXT was defeated.
We thought he was in the dog house, squandering his chance to one day get the top job.
But then because of crazy circumstance, Hunter has returned to fight AEW in round two, this
time with the full might of the WWE main roster, and ironically giving disgruntled AEW stars
- like MJF, Brian Cage, Jonathan Gresham (Cody Rhodes is already there) - a hugely appealing
alternative place to work.
And a tentative shot has already been fired.
WrestleNomics is reporting that NXT will hold its next Premium Live Event on the 4th September
- the exact same time as AEW’s All Out pay-per-view.
This is also the day after WWE’s Clash at the Castle event in the United Kingdom.
There’s speculation the NXT show could take place in the UK too.
Tony Khan is a smart guy.
He’s aware that this new WWE could potentially be a far bigger threat to AEW.
NBC Sports Boston asked him if Triple H and Stephanie would be more open to doing a crossover
show with AEW, to which he replied: “I’m not sure if that’s the case, but
I would certainly be open to talk to pretty much any wrestling promotion in the world
about how to work together if the circumstances are right.”
While AEW barely put a foot wrong for two and a half years, 2022 has seen a shift in
perception of the promotion.
First wrestlers like Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and AJ Styles decided to stay with WWE, then
Cody Rhodes actively left AEW for WWE, the MJF unhappiness situation exploded, and now
there’s reports the ROH/AEW integration is not going well - with Tully Blanchard seemingly
done, Jonathan Gresham asking for his release, and now the other member of their Enterprises
faction, Brian Cage, confirming his backstage heat at K&S WrestleFest.
After his wife publicly complained about Cage not being booked on AEW last year, he revealed:
“it’s about certain people backstage in AEW who don’t like me there that pointed
that [tweet] out and brought that heat to me intentionally…
certain individuals there made it a big deal.”
Both AEW and WWE have a huge host of injuries.
Maybe an off-season is the way to fix it?
Watch on to find out more.