Triple H has spent the last few years reshaping WWE’s developmental pipeline, but according to a new backstage claim, he hasn’t been thrilled with how every part of that plan has turned out. The reported frustration goes beyond WWE ID and NIL, with some main roster talent also questioning whether today’s NXT call-ups are truly ready for Raw and SmackDown.
Speaking during a Self Made Session, Self Made Pro claimed Triple H grew frustrated with the progress of WWE’s male NIL recruits, which is why the company shifted more attention toward WWE ID and signing experienced independent wrestlers instead.
“You know why that got deemphasized and why they rushed to do ID? He was not happy. Hunter didn’t like the progress of the men’s wrestlers, nor did he have interest in calling up any of them.”
According to Self Made Pro, Triple H’s thinking was simple. Rather than developing athletes from the ground up, he’d rather bring in wrestlers who already know how to work and spend WWE’s time teaching them the company’s style and presentation.
“The ID thing was him going like, ‘Look, at least those indie guys know how to wrestle. So you just get them through, you teach them the WWE way, they work on their bodies and their look, and then I can call them up and they’ll be ready.'”
That ties into another issue being discussed behind the scenes. Self Made Pro claimed some members of WWE’s main roster don’t believe recent NXT call-ups have been as prepared as previous generations, with the criticism said to be even stronger when it comes to the women’s division.
“It exists amongst the men’s division, but even more so with the women. There is this feeling that NXT has not properly prepared a lot of talents.”
He said some wrestlers compare today’s NXT graduates to the class from 10 to 12 years ago and feel there’s a noticeable difference.
“If you look at the NXT graduates of about 10 to 12 years ago, they do see a lot of the call-ups and go, ‘They’re not ready, and you guys are rushing to have us lose to these people and get fired, and it’s like they don’t even know what they’re doing.'”
According to Self Made Pro, those concerns are amplified in the women’s division because roster spots are limited, making every push feel more significant. He added that WWE ID hasn’t progressed quite as quickly as originally hoped either.
“That’s the other hesitancy with the NXT calls, again, especially in the women’s division. There’s this feeling of, ‘F***, man. Like, what? I’m going to just put this person over, get deemphasized, and this person isn’t even ready.’ “And that was the thinking behind that. But even that, like, the progress has been a bit slow, and we see how that program is turning out now.”
WWE’s next generation has never been under a bigger microscope. If the people behind the scenes really feel some talent are getting to Raw and SmackDown before they’re ready, don’t be surprised if Triple H keeps tweaking the system until he finds the formula he’s looking for.
Do you think WWE is calling NXT talent up too early, or is the current developmental system working exactly as it should? Let us know in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
