Triple H On Johnny Gargano's Turn, Bianca Belair Staying In The Charlotte Vs. Rhea Ripley Feud, More

Above is video of Cathy Kelley interviewing Triple H after last night's WWE NXT "Takeover: Portland" event. This will be Cathy's final interview like this as she finished up with WWE this past weekend. Below are highlights from the Q&A:

* Triple H said this Takeover in Portland was a big one for us, and Portland is always a great market but this was a hell of a house. This was the highest-grossing event for WWE in Portland since 2008. He pointed to how NXT stood on its own two feet with no support from the main roster, and how this was an event to be proud of. He's happy for talent and everyone who put their heart and soul into it

* He said Poppy was one of the things he wasn't familiar with at first but he thought she was great when he did first see her, and she fit right in with the brand. He called it one of the crazy moments where she comes out with something new and it fits. She puts on amazing performances ans that sets the vibe, the tone. He strives for those things to set the ambiance of the evening

* He praised the insane performances by Dominik Dijakovic and NXT North American Champion Keith Lee in the opener, going on about how they're able to do what they do at their size. He called it an insane amount of athleticism and said they aren't just moving for the sake of movements or spots, it's just really good and his hat is off to both of them for their epic performances. He mentions wanting to see them fight again and again, despite the record between the two because their rivalry and their matches are just so good

* He talked about the "epic battle" between Tegan Nox and Dakota Kai in the Street Fight, and how Raquel Gonzalez put her stamp on it. He wondered if the Kai – Gonzalez pairing would be like Shawn Michaels and Diesel, where Kai was really good on her own but much better with someone like Raquel. He said it's an interesting next chapter to the battle of former best friends, storytelling at its best

* Regarding Finn Balor vs. Johnny Gargano, he called it a wrestling match between two pure technicians putting on a clinic. Balor made a statement at the end, that NXT is his brand and he's here to stay. He also commented on Gargano's later turn, and said he may have saw a full-circle moment where it looked like Tommaso Ciampa was about to get his life back, and maybe that wasn't going to be the best thing for Gargano

* They talked about the women's division and Bianca Belair vs. NXT Women's Champion Rhea Ripley. He said Takeover was proof of the second weekly hour of NXT creating stars with Ripley, Belair, Nox, Kai, Lee and Dijakovic. He praised for Ripley and her epic rise to the top at such a young age. He also talked about how Belair first stepped through the ropes in 2016 and 4 years later she's one of the best in the world. It speaks to how she's an amazing athlete and performer on all levels. He said not only is Ripley getting a shot at the main event, she is the main event. He also commented on Charlotte flair staking her claim in a unique way by calling out the NXT Women's Champion with her Royal Rumble win. She came to Takeover and made a statement. He also commented on Flair's shot to Belair after the match and said that may not be done either. While Flair and Ripley are going to WrestleMania 36, Belair isn't done with the situation and this will play out to be very interesting for people over time. He said the women of NXT make up the strongest women's division anywhere in the world

* He joked about new NXT Tag Team Champions Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne stinking up the back of his plane, and there being some sort of issues with smoke. He called The BroserWeights vs. Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish an amazing tag team match. He said sometimes you put two guys together and they have instant chemistry, which is what they found with Riddle and Dunne. He said sometimes you get rare moments when new tag teams can come along and go past a team like The Undisputed Era. He called it incredible and said The BroserWeights are having an amazing year

* Regarding Tommaso Ciampa vs. NXT Champion Adam Cole and Gargano turning on Ciampa, he said Cole and Ciampa were fighting for the title like their lives depended on it. Ciampa had a chance to get the title back but one of his friends and rivals decided it wasn't time yet. He said they've been on this roller coaster together, and it's similar to what he went through with Shawn Michaels over the years. He believes these two will go through it for a long time but we all win in a situation like that because their rivalries have been epic

* Triple H is excited to see where NXT goes on the Road to WrestleMania 36 and the "Takeover: Tampa" event. He promises it will be epic and a better card than they put together for Portland. He also plugged the NXT UK "Takeover: Dublin" event on April 26 and said it should be spectacular as well with the way Dublin crowds are. He also plugged The Velveteen Dream vs. Roderick Strong and Lio Rush vs. NXT Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin

* Triple H hugged an emotional Cathy when mentioning how this was her last night. He said so much goes into what they do in creating the product but it's not just the wrestlers, it's everyone else who puts their heart into the product, from people setting the wires up to preparing the food to doing what Cathy does every week. They are the heart and soul of WWE, and it's because of their passion that the product is as good as it is. The talents can be as good as they are because of people like Cathy. He said Cathy is always a part of NXT, and this isn't goodbye, it's see you down the road, and a moment where Cathy can leave to grow. He called her one of the smartest and most professional he's seen. He's crushed she's leaving but also proud of her because she should want to follow her dreams. He said the door will always be open for her. She expressed her gratitude and thanked her. Triple H then brought on The Undisputed Era and they welcomed her as the fifth member of the group. Cole said it's a nice idea but maybe they should just give her a gift – doughnuts and a photo. Cole praised her for her work and said they've picked on her but she's the best and it won't be the same. Triple H then presented Cathy with flowers and said she can never leave home

The full audio from Triple H's post-Takeover media call was included as part of a recent 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: