Triple H On What He Wants For Andrade "Cien" Almas, Talks Main Roster Talent Going Back To NXT
Triple H recently spoke with Scott Dargis of NBC Sports to promote last night's WWE NXT broadcast debut on the USA Network as a part of WWE Week. The full interview is at this link and below are highlights:
It's fair to say that Andrade 'Cien' Almas' first few months in NXT were rough to say the least and now I feel like with Zelina Vega, he's really starting to find his stride. What have you seen from him in the past few months that gave you the confidence to put the title on him?
"I've seen the same thing you have. There's a curve to doing what we do when you walk in the door for the first time, no matter where you've been. People talk about other promotions around the globe, but I haven't seen anyone who doesn't come in the door that doesn't feel a difference when they walk in. That can lead to a lot of things. Intimidation, loss of confidence. You can take a step back.
"It's also a different style for him. There's a lot of factors and I think when he first came in ? and I've seen this with a lot of talent, whether that be Hideo Itami, Ember Moon, really, really talented people walk in the door and it takes them awhile to get their feet under them. It takes them awhile to get used to the style change. It takes them awhile to get used to how we shoot television. To have that confidence is really what it comes down to.
"If you look back to where he started to where he is right now with us, it's a completely different performer. As I saw that taking place over time I thought, now he's starting to get it, how do I give him the platform to regroup? It's hard to have a guy all of a sudden go from being not good to being really good. So what's that shift? What's that platform that allows him to grow even more? That was Zelina Vega. With the way we presented it, she came in, gave him the confidence and put him back on track. It all led him to changing who he is as a performer. I think you see that now. The swagger that he has. He comes off like the cocky, arrogant guy who knows he's that good and he is."
Well yeah and it gave him essentially the mouthpiece he needed because obviously English is still a challenge for him, but having her there and having her express his confidence gives him the ability to just focus on being a standout in-ring performer.
"My goal ? and I try to combat this with NXT all of the time, as we're putting performers out there people will come to me and say like 'well we shouldn't have Andrade do this promo because it's not his strong suit' and it's like well he has to learn to do it right?
"You have to put them out there and you have to give them the ball. Sometimes you have to throw the guy the ball, while understanding that he might fumble it, or he might fall down, but he has to get used to catching it and then eventually he's going to run for a touchdown. We run that fine line of what their performances are. Putting the spotlight on their strengths, but not hiding the weaknesses to a point where they're covered up. They'll never grow that way.
"I want to make him a well-rounded performer. I want him to continue to get better at English. I want him to continue to grow as a performer to a point where he doesn't need those other things, but that's not where he's at yet, so we try to do the best we can with him right now. To your point, she brings a totally different dynamic to him that allows him to just be that cocky, arrogant champion."
So NXT has gone through a lot of changes since you created it. What's your vision for what's next? Is it a weekly spot in primetime on USA? Is it presenting the brand as a legitimate alternative to Raw and SmackDown, where it doesn't act as developmental for those brands? Where do you see this product going in the next three-to-five years?
"It's funny the terms people put on things. Like a 'legitimate alternative.' Well if you don't like one and you watch the other it's an alternative right?"
Sure.
"It's an alternative now. I think that the more variety you can give the better. Raw is presented a certain way. SmackDown is presented a certain way. NXT is presented a certain way and there are markets for all of those products. Do I see it not being developmental? Look in some ways the brands are just the brands and as talent improve and move up, where they end up, whether that's Raw, whether that's Smackdown, or if that's NXT at some point in time, they're all just going to be part of a brand.
"I think there's going to be a learning curve where NXT will always sort of be developmental for some, but I think we're going to reach a point where we'll say, 'Well clearly this guy or girl isn't developmental, he or she has been on the main roster. They've done this or this on the main roster and now they're back down doing this in NXT.' I think there's going to be that shift back and forth. I think you'll see, as you said earlier, a more legitimate alternative brand, although, I think on the lower and middle end of the roster, you're going to have talent who have only been in the business for two years. The first time you'll see them perform anywhere will be on NXT."
"As talent come in from other places who have not yet had that experience to be on Raw or SmackDown, I don't care where they've been, they'll need the learning curve. In some sense it will continue to be developmental, but it'll be different from where it is today because I think you're going to see talent move up and move down. I don't think it should be seen as a demotion when they go to NXT. I think it should be seen as they're competing in a different environment."
Source: NBC Sports