Cathy Kelley Reflects On Her Time In WWE NXT, And How Raw Has Changed

Current "WWE SmackDown" backstage interviewer Cathy Kelley has jumped from show to show, first beginning on the company's developmental brand, "WWE NXT" when the show was taped, through the transition to live in front of fans at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Kelley started with "NXT" back when Paul "Triple H" Levesque was at the helm, before he moved into his current role of Chief Content Officer for WWE. Kelley recently appeared on "Lightweights Podcast" to talk about her time on the brand when it was Levesque's "baby." She called "NXT" a happy place for her back then in what is known as the "black and gold era."

"I got really close with Triple H because we would do these post-'NXT' Takeover interviews where we'd talk about the show for 20-30 minutes and I got to travel around with Stephanie and Triple H a lot," Kelley explained. "We did panels all across America, which is a lot of fun. But, that environment was just so great. I was excited to go to work with all of my friends and just create something that was entertaining for so many people." Before moving to "SmackDown," Kelley also worked on "WWE Raw." She said that with the change in leadership that happened backstage in the company, "Raw" felt a lot like "NXT" back in those days to her. She said the energy is like the developmental brand, but on a "bigger scale." She said she hasn't noticed much change within the company personally, as she's worked with Levesque since she started.

"He's pretty much all I've known because I was on 'NXT' at the time and now with him at the helm, that's where I am. So I haven't experienced as much of a difference [in energy], but I just really enjoy working for him," she said.