Triple H recently spoke with Sports Illustrated to promote NXT, and below are some interview highlights:
The reaction to Roman Reigns:
“People can look at Roman Reigns and say, ‘The failed attempt that is Roman Reigns,’ but Roman Reigns sells tickets,” said Levesque. “Roman Reigns gets one of the loudest reactions every night, whether that reaction is a boo or whether that reaction is a cheer. The fans who say, ‘I don’t understand why they don’t turn Roman Reigns heel!’ Isn’t he already?
“If you believe what you believe, and you’re saying, ‘How can they not turn him heel? There is 70 percent of the crowd booing him out of the building!’ If that’s your belief, then isn’t he already the biggest heel we have? If 70 percent of that crowd is booing him, then he’s a heel. We’re just presenting him to you in a different way that makes you hate him.”
Being punished for the “Kliq” incident in 1996:
“I understand he had to punish. I understood the conversation I had with him. The only thing I said back to him was, ‘I have to know, at the end of this, that this is over. If there is no light at the end of the tunnel, I can’t do my job and I can’t be here. I don’t want to leave, I want to be here forever. But if there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, then what’s the point? But if it’s over, then give me whatever punishment you have to give me. As long as I know there is an end to it, I am confident enough in myself that I can get back to where I need to be.’
“Vince said to me, ‘It’s done when you walk out this door. You’re going to have to eat sh– and like the taste for a long time.’ I took the punishment, I walked passed it, and I earned respect by doing it.”
“The reality of it is I said another thing to Vince in that room. I said, ‘I understand why you have to do this and I’m not complaining at all, but why was everyone in that building standing up and going crazy? ‘That was the biggest reaction of the night. The business has changed.'”
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
