Triple H held his pre-WWE NXT Takeover: Toronto conference call today. Mark Vasquez opened the call and turned it over to Triple H, who talked about how stacked the NXT roster is now and said that when you look at the recent shows, and the depth of the roster, it is clear that there are a lot of studs there and it’s an exciting time, noting that he can’t wait to get them all rolling, some of who have been waiting a while for their chance and champing at the bit to show what they have. HHH passed it over to the question and answer session.

The first caller asked about how they came to the matches that they decided on for the WWE NXT Championship Match. HHH said that they wanted to make it unique and said that he wants to create drama around what the third fall may be if it takes place and said that the two announced stipulations make sense given the guys involved and said that as talented as Gargano and Cole are, it would not matter what match they picked. The same caller asked about the WWE hiring Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff and asked if HHH was interested in either position. HHH said that you have to look at what they are doing and their jobs are show specific. HHH said that due to his schedule, he can’t be at every show and the scope of his job encompasses a lot of things and in essence, his plate is full and as they continue to grow, there’s only so many hours in a day for him and knows that Vince is trying to add hours to days, but there is only so much time and said that he already sees the changes in the hires and is really excited to work with both guys now and in the future.

The next caller asked what it was like to talk to people like KUSHIDA and Bianca Belair when they don’t make an NXT Takeover card. HHH said that everyone wants to be on everything, but missing a show makes those people work harder and said that it is a good thing that talent does not get overexposed, as it keeps things fresh and moving in the right direction and said that having so many good talents is a good problem for them to have and said that what is coming around the corner is even bigger. The same caller mentioned that Drew McIntyre was on their show recently saying that he wants to make an appearance in NXT UK and questioned how often talents do that and would it be possible. HHH said that it happens all the time and that the talents follow the other promotions and want to be part of it and said that the talents are always coming to him about working in the UK. HHH said that a lot of the roster will be at NXT on Saturday night, while others will be watching the show and texting him and said that the support is great and that competitive nature only raises the bar. HHH said that NXT UK in Cardiff is coming up and the brand is becoming white hot as of late.

The next caller asked what HHH thinks will steal the show on Saturday. HHH said that any match could steal the show and they all have great stories leading up to matches with great talents, so they should all deliver. The same caller asked about Shayna Baszler saying that she would love the Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen match and questioned if it would happen. HHH said that people are doing things on their own right now, but down the road, why not and he would love to see it himself when the time is right.

The next caller asked if HHH ws the heir apparent to take over RAW and SmackDown after Vince McMahon and if so, who would take over his role. HHH said that you have to have succession plans and future plans, but said that there is no heir apparent and joked that Vince will probably outlive everyone anyways. HHH said that there are succession plans, but that they change all the time and there are a lot of factors involved as everyone is constantly looking at if things shift, who does what and said that they are always looking for good people, whether that’s behind the scenes or talent. The same caller asked about what is up with the 2019 Mae Young Classic Tournament. HHH said that they are in the process of working on things now and said that the timing is part of it, since they have the move to FOX coming soon and that when one piece shifts, it’s like dominoes. HHH said that when they go to FOX, it changes everything about SmackDown and affects RAW as well, which in turn has lead to some things getting pushed back this year, but said that there will be announcements coming soon that fans will love.

The next caller asked why Johnny Gargano has not been working house shows and if it is due to injury. HHH said that Gargano is fine and said that without getting into medical details that he can’t talk about, Gargano had this lingering thing that wasn’t a big deal, but could have been one had they not reined him in and said that he chose to not let it get worse and Gargano is fine now and that it is better to take a little time now than a lot of time later and they were mostly just being precautionary. The same caller asked about the internal feedback to EVOLVE Wrestling and how often HHH would like to see outside companies get broadcast on the WWE Network. HHH said that they had planned to put EVOLVE on the WWE Network for a long time and expects more shows from brands that they have alliances with being on the WWE Network. HHH said that he thought the EVOLVE show was spectacular and that it was a great platform for strong talents that want to step to the next level. HHH said that if you want to get to WWE, then EVOLVE, wXw, ICW and PROGRESS are places that you should try to get to and the WWE Network allows them to give them exposure. HHH said that Gabe and Sal should be really proud of what they put together and they are exciting next steps for the WWE Network and as they get in more markets, you will see more as they want to be the one stop shop for whatever you need in the industry.

The next caller asked if there were two NXT shows coming. HHH said that there already are two shows, but there is always a changing landscape and they are always talking about where such content goes as they look at the many platforms that they have to deliver product and they decide what they want to put there. HHH said that the reason he is cryptic is that there are a lot of great ideas, but they are always debating the next moves to make and they want to make sure that they put the right things in the right places to get the most out of them. HHH said that with NXT, there are a lot of options on the table and said that he has seen the FS1 rumors and how people have talked about counter programming, but said that NXT has been on Wednesday’s forever and that when someone else announces a show on Wednesday, there is no talk about counter programming, but with the WWE there is and said that NXT will do their thing and not worry about what anyone else does. The same caller asked about how he will survive the crazy schedule once FOX starts. HHH joked that he wished that Star Trek could have come and beamed him up, but said that he will do the best that he can and go where he is needed and said that just like with NXT UK, he went to every show, built up a team and is not at every show any more and that the intent is to build teams, hand things off to them to run it as he wants it run and said that even with the main roster, there are times that Vince is not at television as you need to trust your teams.

The next caller asked hoW HHH eases the nerves of performers before big shows. HHH said that he does not and thinks that nerves are a good thing, because it shows that the talents care and that he wants them to feel it and embrace it and that they can use it to inspire them to do great things, have faith in what they have learned and put it to use, noting that they are the ones that have trained for it and that they are ready. The same caller asked about if they went to FOX with NXT.

The next caller wished HHH a happy 50th birthday and asked about The Rock’s daughter, Simone Johnson and what it is like to work with her. HHH said that she shared her family’s passion for the business and her father’s work ethic and said that if she wants it, much like her father, nothing is going to stop her. The same caller asked about Sami Zayn mentioning that The Rock was at the WWE Performance Center recently and if there is anything to that. HHH said that The Rock’s daughter is there, so sometimes he comes in to see his daughter and lends his advice to those that listen and said that he is a proud father. HHH said that the thing he loves the most about the WWE Performance Center is that it is like the Fountain of Youth, as the atmosphere there is infectious and it is hard not to be inspired when you are there.

The last caller asked about getting two women’s matches on the card and four title matches in total and whether they have thought about adding a match so that they could have a male and female grudge match. HHH said that he does not want to say that there is a formula, but what they do is look at the ebb and flow and what needs to be on the show and said that never wants to just add a match to add it to the card as he wants to put out the bes show that he can and it is a constant when they go over everything before deciding what will be on the card. The same caller asked about the potential of a Women’s War Games Match. HHH said that anything is possible and if the right thing surfaces, he would be willing to look at it and do it. HHH thanked everyone for their questions and said that he hopes everyone enjoys the show on Saturday and SummerSlam on Sunday.