Triple H Dismisses Rumors On Dropping "Women's" From The WWE NXT Women's Title
Triple H responded to rumors on the WWE NXT Women's Title during this week's "Takeover: Portland" media call and dismissed the idea of dropping "Women's" from the name.
As we've noted, it was reported last month that WWE was doing away with the gender-specific designation of the title, and that the NXT Women's Champion would be referred to as the NXT Champion. The idea was that it would be NXT Champion Rhea Ripley, just like NXT Champion Adam Cole. There was one instance where a graphic at WWE Worlds Collide billed Ripley at the NXT Champion, but that was it – there was no other evidence that the change was actually being made.
Triple H dismissed the reports and said it was just something that got blown out of proportion on the internet.
"There were conversation that were had," Triple H admitted. "It was basically about not having to beat it into the ground when you say it, but it just got run with and once... when you have that many people working on a product, and something gets taken the wrong way, everybody in trying to do their job, just spreads it.
"There was never an edict, there was never anything. It really was what it was, of just trying not to... if you're showing a graphic, you don't have to say, the title belt that says 'Women's', the graphic that says 'Women's', the announcers saying 'Women's', so everybody is... but you get it. There are pictures of women there, you get what it is. You don't have to beat it into the ground. It was more of, it just got run with and speculated on."
Ripley is set to defend her NXT Women's Title against Bianca Belair at Sunday's "Takeover: Portland" event. She's expected to retain and then defend against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 36.
Triple H's full NXT Takeover Portland media call aired as part of Wednesday's episode of our podcast, The Wrestling Inc. Daily. Subscribe to get the latest episodes as soon as it's released Monday – Friday afternoon: by clicking here. The full interview can be heard via the embedded audio player below: