Triple H is going to bring WWE back to its roots.
That’s how Shawn Michaels sees things going now that Triple H is currently head of WWE creative and talent relations after Vince McMahon retired last month amid a hush-money probe. Michaels already has seen his friend and fel𝓡low D-Generation X member in that type of role, working closely with him in NXT ಌfor the past four years.
“I think it’s going to be what, certainly I believe and he does as well, the original concept of what the WWE always was and that is to become, and/or stay in this instance, the biggest sports entertainment entity on the face of the ൩Earth,” Michaels told The Post in a phone interview.
The Heartbreak Kid, who is part of the “Biography: WWE Legends” episode on DX on Sunday (A&E, 8 p.m.) lauded Triple H’s ability to really capture the ‘larger-than-life aspects of certain characters” from a production standpoint with 🧸music and entrances. But he expects him to bring “a balance” back to WWE programing that may not always have been there in years past.
“You got to have larger-than-life chꦿaracters, but conceptually everything results in getting in the wrestling ring and having phenomenal performances,” Michaels said. “I think it’s going to go back to that balance of having a little something for everybody. There’s absolutely no way to cater to one aspect of our wrestling fans. You have to think broad, because that’s what the fan base of the WWE Universe is. They’re very diverse.”
Michaels stressed the importance of having some comedy, some seriousness, intense personal issues and good matches. But there also needs to be an aspect of unpredictability that makes people question what they are seeing on TV, to have the audi🥀ence go I know it’s scripted and entertainment, but “that right there either wasn’t supposed to happen or it was serious.”
“Our business thrives on just a little bit of a hook,” Michaels said. “You can know what it is, but certain things if you can’t call it or if you c🌱an make the viewer think about it differently that’s what you want to do. I think he’s going to bring balance to all of that, and I think that’s what we’re all looking forward to.”
We already have seen a little bit of that with Dexter Lumis debuting on “Monday Night War” last week by coming through the crowd and being tackled by security after a car accident in a background of backstage interviews. Lumis is also one of a number of former NXT talents who were relea🅠sed and returned to WWE under Triple H’s watch, which includes Karrion Kross and Dakota Kai.
Michaels, who is currently the lead producer in NXT, believes the relationships and t🙈rust he and Triple H built with t🐎he wrestlers during their time with the brand will be key moving forward. He feels they always have done a good job putting people in position to succeed while working on a performer’s weakness and development at their own pace.
“I think a lot of people believe Hunter and I believe in them because we’ve shown it,” Michaels said. “We see talent. We see poten🐠tial, w🎃e see things in them that maybe they don’t even see. We also feel like one of things that we do best is, and that’s what Hunter and I both did from an in-the-ring standpoint, again which is work people strengths. Not everyone can do everything. Nor do they have to.”
He hopes all of that can help Triple H bring the type of positive locker room e💯nvironment they nurtured in NXT to Raw and SmackDown.
☂“There’s a real comradery,” Michaels said. “He’s going to bring a culture that we had down here in NXT, and still exists today, up to the main roster. It’s the same mentality and culture we all had inꦺ the 90’s, believe or not, just a little more sane and stable-minded individuals.”