Popular AEW star said Triple H refused to let him follow scripted promos
Over the past few decades, Triple H has been one of the most crucial backstage figures in WWE. As he transitioned from being a full-time superstar to a full-time office role, he took charge of the NXT brand and changed the landscape of wrestling. This involved working with many young up-and-coming stars. The released WWE star spoke about how The Game refused to let him follow the scripts that were given to him.
A lot of Triple H's work with NXT was undone when the product was rebranded to NXT 2.0 in September, 2021. It turned into developmental territory after once being dubbed the third brand of WWE. The Game turned NXT from a game show to the most critically acclaimed show in all of WWE. Things would change drastically once WWE secured a broadcast deal for NXT.
On the latest episode of Talk Is Jericho, ex-WWE star and current AEW Superstar Isaiah "Swerve" Scott (now known as Swerve Strickland) recalled his time working in NXT and revealed that Triple H refused to let him follow scripted promos:
"We did Great American Bash and we [Strickland and Leon Ruff] had a blow-off match. That's when Hit Row was introduced. I was cutting promos in the studio backstage and Triple H was like 'Nope - take away the script. Don't let him use the script anymore.' So I was like 'cool'
It speaks volumes of The Game's ability in Strickland if he feels strongly against him cutting scripted promos. Especially in an era where scripted promos have become the norm for the vast majority of WWE superstars.
…now you know.
Congratulations to the NEW @WWENXT North American Champion, @swerveconfident! #AndNew #NXTNATitle #WWENXT https://t.co/HOJfL9gwZs
Triple H eventually conceded that NXT was in need of a change
@TripleH on the NXT Black and Gold Transition to NXT 2.0. I said it a million times, if the pandemic hadn't happened black and gold would have survived but the direction got lost, and now 2.0 is arguably the best thing on TV at the moment. #WWENXT https://t.co/fbcZpW43cm
There was a lot of speculation that the change from NXT to NXT 2.0 would upset Triple H as it happened when he was absent due to health issues. In an interview with The Athletic’s Chris Vannini, The Game said that change was being discussed for a while despite NXT's cult following. He also explained that the pandemic played a role as nobody was recruited or trained properly for nearly two years:
“We were talking about this shift anyway. That’s where we were headed. It happened at a period of time where I had to leave for a bit. Luckily, Shawn (Michaels) had been doing it with me all that time, so it was a seamless thing. I stepped out, did what I needed to do, but that team has killed it. They’ve really created a show where you can really say that’s the next generation of stars.” (H/T Cageside Seats)
The Game isn't a part of NXT 2.0. The creative team is led by Bruce Prichard and Shawn Michaels remains one of the main men in charge. The revamped NXT has slowly begun to get acclaim as it has found a direction.
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