Triple H On Vince McMahon Asking Him To Be Part Of WrestleMania 35, Loving His Backstage Work, More
Triple H recently spoke with ESPN to promote the No Holds Barred match against Batista at WrestleMania 35 on Sunday. The Game's career will be on the line in the match.
Triple H revealed that Vince McMahon informed him of the DX WWE Hall of Fame induction. He talked about recovering from the torn pectoral muscle he suffered at WWE Crown Jewel back in October, and said he wasn't originally planning on having a busy WrestleMania 35 Weekend, outside of his normal duties.
"I went from a month ago thinking, 'Oh, this is great — I'm going to have an easy year this year, I just go watch the Hall of Fame and then I get to work behind the scenes at [Wrestle]Manias," he said. "It will be easy. Then, Vince tells me I'm in the Hall of Fame ... and then next thing [I know], I'm working at WrestleMania. So I got busy quick."
Triple H also said Vince came to him in February and said he needed him to face Batista at the biggest show of the year. He wasn't ready or comfortable enough to return to the ring yet.
"So I didn't feel that way — Vince came to me and told me, 'I need you to be in WrestleMania this year,'" Triple H said. "And I was like, 'Really? Because I haven't been cleared to train yet even — I don't know that I'm going to make that.' Batista and I had this conversation a while ago about trying to do this ... then I had to call him and go, 'Dude, I tore my pec and I don't know what's going to happen. I'll see.' To this day, I'm still ... I'm going to get in the ring next Sunday, and you and I will both find out at the same time whether my pec will hold on.
"I got cleared up to perform, and my training is good and I feel good. But until you get in there, lifting dumbbells and getting hit by Batista are two totally different things. So I'll see how it goes, but I feel good and I'm excited to get in there. And at this point in my career, I don't ever want to make it sound like it's not as big as it is, but at this point in my career, it's all gravy."
Regarding his work with the up and coming talents in WWE NXT and his behind-the-scenes work as WWE's Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative, Triple H said he's come to treasure that work as much as anything he's done as a WWE Superstar.
"Early in my tenure here I realized I love the behind-the-scenes of it almost as much as I love the in-ring [aspect] of it," The Game said. "Because my passion for it is now helping these other guys have that career and get to that next level. Watching them going to TakeOver, watching [Johnny] Gargano and Adam Cole have those moments. Sitting there and watching Seth Rollins [compete for the Universal title], who was in developmental when I was taking it over. Watching Charlotte [Flair] and Becky Lynch and Ronda [Rousey] tear it up in the main event, and just being a part of all that. Being able to help create it in some way, shape or form is awesome."