Triple H has reiterated that WWE is open to working with other wrestling companies, saying Vince McMahon is “adamant” the company is open for business.
Following two groundbreaking announcements this week in that NXT is moving to Tuesday nights, and will no longer be in direct competition with AEW, and that an All Elite Wrestling star in Chris Jericho will be appearing on the WWE Network, Inside The Ropes’ Gary Cassidy asked Triple H via media call whether this may signal WWE working with AEW, or any other wrestling company, more frequently or substantially in the future.
Obviously, we’ve had some pretty big news today that Chris Jericho is going to be appearing on the WWE Network, obviously, NXT is moving to Tuesday. I know this is a question you’ve heard a lot but I feel like it’s worth asking again following those few more developments. Might this be a point where we see WWE working with more wrestling companies in the future?
“Yeah. I’m not… I’m not necessarily sure how that correlates but, look, we’re open for business. I’ve said it a million times. Vince has been very adamant in that, right? Open for business, what’s best for business for the WWE and open to working with whoever that is. It’s a funny thing that people sometimes create their own situations in their head, but it’s not shocking to me…
Triple H went on to say he hadn’t heard that Chris Jericho would be appearing on the WWE Network during WrestleMania Weekend until the news broke today, but said it didn’t shock him, and that people create a “fantasy world” when it comes to any divide between AEW and WWE.
“First of all, I hadn’t heard of the Jericho thing today, but it’s not shocking to me in any way, shape or form. People made comments about people after they leave and they received a nice call from Vince or whoever that is. Yeah, yeah, it’s not shocking to me at all. The perception and the creation of what people believe in their heads when they have zero knowledge of it. You know, personally is amazing sometimes, the fantasy world that is created. Not shocking to me in any way.”
Starting with the episode after WrestleMania, NXT begins airing on Tuesday nights. One week after airing on both Wednesday and Thursday with a two-night NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, NXT will then air weekly on Tuesdays beginning April 13th.
Meanwhile, the Forbidden Door seems to have opened even wider as AEW star Chris Jericho will appear on the WWE Network, joining Stone Cold Steve Austin as part of a Broken Skull Sessions episode airing over WrestleMania Weekend. The Texas Rattlesnake told the story of how it all came together.
“I was having a beer one night after my Broken Skull Sessions interview with The Undertaker aired, and out of the blue, Chris Jericho reached out and said, ‘Man, that was a great interview, I sent him back a couple of those emojis, one of a beer mug and the other of an eagle, and then he called me right then and there. We got to talking. I’ve always respected the hell out of his career, and I’m glad they’re around—it gives the guys and girls in professional wrestling more places to work. I said, ‘I’d love to have you on the show.’ And he said he’d love to do it, so I checked with Vince about it.”
“I texted Vince and said we had this badass idea about Jericho coming on the show,. Vince goes, ‘It’s cool. Go ahead.’ But me and Vince don’t always do well with phones and texts and all that, so I texted one more time, ‘Are you sure it’s OK to have Chris Jericho on the show?’ Vince gave me the thumbs up, and Chris came out to do the show.”
NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver comes your way beginning with Night 1 on Wednesday, April 7 on USA Network in the US and BT Sport in the UK, and streaming exclusively on Peacock in the US and on WWE Network everywhere else. The must-see event continues with Night 2 on Thursday, April 8 at 8/7 C streaming on Peacock and WWE Network.