Stone Cold Podcast Recap: Triple H Discusses Royal Rumble Backlash, Roman Reigns, nWo, Attitude Era, More

-Welcome one and all to what should be a very interesting show. Austin apparently has great timing with these things as the McMahon one followed the Punk fallout and now HHH has a go at it after the Royal Rumble backlash. I suspect Austin will bring up the Rumble and the reaction towards Reigns among other things. This one has the potential to top the McMahon show, and here’s hoping it does. So join me right after RAW for a live recap of what should be a most fascinating interview.

-We are finally live on the WWE Network with Steve Austin’s podcast and his guest is WWE COO, Triple H. They immediately discuss how the month of February is free to anyone that signs up for the WWE Network for the first time. Triple H puts over NXT and how their big shows are worth the $9.99 price tag.

-Austin immediately brings up the Royal Rumble and how he received over 3000 e-mails talking about how pissed the crowd was at the ending of the Rumble. Austin asks HHH if kayfabe is dead and how you book a show in this day. HHH puts over having to have your finger on the pulse. He talks about how there are a group of fans that get irritated when they realize the office is getting behind someone with a major push. He hates using the term vocal minority and then brings up how some towns are just heel towns. The days of fans accepting a storyline for just being a storyline is gone because a portion of the audience is smarter to things than some of the people in the back.

-The talk goes back to Reigns specifically and HHH mentions that this past weekend Reigns was being cheered like crazy and then he will probably be booed once again. Austin brings up how a portion of the crowd doesn’t feel Reigns has deserved the Rumble win and says that the booking of the Rumble probably didn’t do him any favors. HHH says the beauty of the WWE is that one man calls the shots, and he mentions that the Rumble was debated and poured over. He says Vince is the one that took all those suggestions and put together what we saw at the Rumble. HHH says that Vince will admit he never always makes the right call and that nobody in the writing team is perfect.

-They talk about how things have kind of changed with Bryan being booked into a match with Reigns now to see who goes to Mania. Austin asks if this is Vince having his finger on the pulse and changing things up a little bit. HHH says that a smarter promoter will react to how things are unfolding and says that is what makes this business great. He brings up how if the fans didn’t cheer for Hogan in the AWA then Vince never brings Hogan to the WWF.

-Austin brings up the reaction to the show tonight and how Reigns is being resented because the fans want Bryan since he has returned. HHH brings up how he hears that fans are tired of seeing Cena, and he mentions that Cena is so far ahead of everyone else in terms of selling tickets, merchandise, and getting a reaction. He thinks it is hard to find one person that will appease everyone. It was easier in the Attitude Era as they had a specific demographic and now they have to appeal to fans from 4-80.

-They shift talk to the Attitude Era and Austin mentions that the era had a greater sense of urgency. Austin then brings up the reality era now and how that name was thought. HHH says it is because kayfabe is dead and that the reality is the business now. He plugs ESPN’s Grantland and then discusses how some people are more concerned with what is happening behind the scenes. He says that when they fail at telling a good story and the fans know the reality of it, they will start a backlash. They both agree that the fans still want to taken for the ride.

-Back to the Rumble and HHH brings up how fans feel they are holding back Daniel Bryan and saw the way the Rumble was booked. He does mention that the build to Mania XXX wasn’t planned that way in advance, but they got to where the fans wanted them to be.

-Austin calls Reigns a damn good kid and thinks he shined on tonight’s RAW. They discuss what Reigns needs and HHH agrees that he needed a good showing. He says that he hears people saying Reigns isn’t ready and HHH says that nobody is really ready for that spot. They discuss how once you start going in a direction then everyone starts getting into a guy’s ear and it is hard to know who to believe and what to feel. Austin says it has to come naturally and organic.

-They discuss the Curtain Call and how HHH was punished by having his King of the Ring win taken away. HHH says looking back he knows he would have failed if he was given that push in 1996 and that Austin was ready to run with the ball then.

-Back to the story and HHH calls them the book that never ends. He basically says the fans need to just wait and see where they are going. Even when things seemingly culminate at Mania they still have a RAW the next day and have to keep the story going.

-Austin brings up watching HHH’s documentary on the Network to get ready for this show. Austin says he has known HHH since 95 and while they have been friends he learned more about him from that documentary. He brings up the romance with Stephanie McMahon and how it was by chance because of the angle and wanted to know what his exit strategy was for leaving the business. Before answering the question HHH talks about how there is talk he didn’t earn everything because of his relationship with Steph. He says that Taker told him what do you care what others are saying because he knows how hard he worked to earn his spot. He then answers the question by saying they even without meeting Steph, he still thinks he would be in a creative role.

-He talks about how he loves being behind the scenes and helping guys come up with entrances. He talks about sitting in a room with Pat Patterson and how Vince would bring up a crazy angle that Pat and himself would have to piece together. He mentions that there is nothing like being in a packed house in a match against Austin, but the stuff he is doing at NXT is pretty close. He says that he doesn’t like to go to Vince to ask for things as his ego wants him to do things on his own. Back to having an exit plan and he and Austin both agree that he is a lifer.

-They take a twitter question and a person asks if the new talent should go to school and then NXT instead of wrestling on the indies. HHH says it depends on the guy and brings up Kurt Angle and how he picked up things faster than anyone he has ever seen. He makes an analogy to football and that if the Patriots bring someone in they have to run their playbook. He says they aren’t trying to change guys whole sell, but they do want them to do things their way.

-The talk goes back to NXT and Austin calls it HHH’s baby. Austin says the NXT show is awesome, and he loves the wrestling, the promos, and how they start the show without a 30 minute promo. HHH laughs and says it is only a 60 minute show. HHH says that show is geared towards the more hardcore fans because he knows the majority of the network is hardcore fans. He admits that he scripts less as far as promos as he wants the guys and girls to find their own voice and that on the main roster it is so intense they can’t afford things like that.

-Austin asks if it still a developmental territory and HHH says yes because all the guys down there want to be on the main roster. With that said he is happy it is becoming a different brand and he would like to get the show on the road. HHH brings up Finn and puts over how awesome he is. He mentions coming up with his entrance and he just looked overwhelmed and HHH asked him what was wrong. He told him that he just wasn’t used to this stuff because in Japan he was just told to work and didn’t even have to worry about where cameras were. It is just a different world.

-They talk about how in NXT they are training not only the guys in the ring, but also the guys and girls behind the cameras, and doing the production work. HHH points out the camera guys in the studio doing this show and how they won’t be around forever. HHH says he doesn’t want someone who just wants to play wrestler.

-Another twitter question and this one asks HHH is he sees anyone who is ready to be the next Austin, Cena, or Hogan. HHH says he sees a lot of guys or even girls and how you can’t get by with just being one dimensional. Austin says it is like a puzzle and it takes a lot of work to get a complete puzzle. He says that not every puzzle can be the guy Main Eventing Mania. HHH agrees with that and says that at the same time it takes the talent to make things work. HHH brings up the Undertaker character and how it was Vince’s idea and that had it not been for Mark, the character would have died. He says there is only so far you can lead a horse, and that is where Vince’s brass ring comment came from on the last podcast.

-Austin jumps on that and mentions how fans have told him that Reigns is being handed the brass ring while they are dangling it out of the reach of Bryan and Ziggler. HHH says that just working hard isn’t enough because everyone works hard. He thinks the top guy should be the hardest worker and puts over how Cena is the hardest working guy in the business even with all the criticism he takes.

-They turn the talk to some matches they had with each other. Austin brings up a match they had against each other in Germany. Austin says he gave HHH and Chyna a stunner and some fan didn’t like it and jumped on him. HHH had to make the save until security could pull the guy out of the ring.

-Speaking of Chyna, Austin asks if she will ever be in the Hall of Fame. HHH says that for all she did she does deserve to go in the Hall of Fame. He says it is difficult though because his 8 year old daughter would go and look up stuff on Chyna and he kind of skirts around her porno career (without calling it that). He says that there are legal reasons, and even moral reasons they can’t put people in there. He says that it is unlike any other Hall because they will call guys and get a negative response. HHH says that he is thrilled that he has been able to mend fences and get Bruno and Warrior into the Hall of Fame.

-They talk about getting Bruno into the Hall and Vince told him Bruno wasn’t going to accept, but he could call if he wanted. HHH says it took time and took earning his trust. Austin asks if it was tougher getting Warrior or Bruno. HHH says each was different as Bruno was at an age where all he wanted was trust. Warrior was the opposite as there was no trust to build from and they had heat with each other. HHH mentions the Mania XII match and how he had a bad personal experience with the guy at that moment, but at the same time it was an awesome experience. They eventually go past their issues and then had to get through the issues he had with Vince.

-Austin asks him if the n.W.o or DX was more influential in the business. Triple H says that the n.W.o had a massive impact, but didn’t last as long because they watered it down. He says DX had a longer lasting impact because it wasn’t watered down, but again puts over how massive the n.W.o was at the launch of the group.

-Austin asks HHH who he want in a match if he could pick anyone. HHH brings up Buddy Rogers, and puts over how awesome he was. He loved the old school guys and Buddy carried himself as a larger than life character.

-Before doing word association, HHH brings up CM Punk. Here we go! HHH says that when Punk came in there was talk that he hated him from the start. HHH says that he never saw Punk’s work before coming to OVW. Then he brings up the summer of Punk and that things were done for the right reasons and to get Punk more over. He says the decisions were Vince’s and that Nash couldn’t work the program. He calls Punk a weird cat and that he doesn’t talk well. He would hear that Punk was pissed and would ask him what was wrong and he would just say everything was good. Austin asks if Punk could ever work there again and HHH says never say never.

-Now on to word assocation: Michaels: greatest in ring performer; Flair: greatest all around perfomer; Nash: underrated mind for the business and very blunt with people; Scott Hall: guy he learned more from than anyone in the WWE; Eddie Guerrero: Awesome, miss him huge, and just so fun when he would let go; Goldberg: guy he credits for changing the intensity of the business, what made him a star, explosive intensity; Brock Lesnar: Freak and that is a positive and Austin agrees with him; Paul Heyman: fine line between crazy and genius; Owen Hart: nicest and funniest guys ever, Owen was so good in the ring; Bret Hart: unbelievable technician, takes himself too seriously at times; Austin agrees and says that Bret lived being best there is, was and every will be; Undertaker: respect; Kane: constant and underrated; Patterson: genius; Michael Hayes: underrated for his contributions to the business. This gives Austin a chance to tell a Freebird story.

-Austin brings up difference between Pro-Wrestler and Sports Entertainer. Austin says he is on pro-wrestler side. HHH says that a lot of guys are wrestlers, but only so many can be WWE Superstars, and sports entertainer is just brand that opens things up.

-Austin brings up Brock and his contract status. HHH thinks he loves what he is doing now and isn’t sure if Brock has unfinished business elsewhere.

-Austin wants to talk about The Streak before they end the show. HHH says he doesn’t know if it should have been broken. He can see both sides and just respects the fact that Taker would give back like that. HHH says that what it has done though is help turn Brock into an unstoppable monster, and it didn’t happen by accident.

-They then discuss Super Bowl XLIX and HHH thinks Seattle over thought things, and that will end things apparently. Kevin Dunn is in Austin’s ear and HHH says that he has stroke and they will go a little longer.

-So we get some extra time and Austin brings up how he hates scripted promos. HHH says that some guys like bullet points, some guys have to be scripted and some are given more freedom. He says it is a different era and there are certain things they can’t say on live TV due to sponsors and that is why he gives them more freedom in NXT. He is hoping they can get back to bullet points.

-Austin asks what he wishes they could change about RAW. HHH says he wishes it was a two hour show again and Austin asks if they are married to 3 hours. HHH says it is just a difficult show to write for 3 hours and it is Vince’s call about 3 hours. Outside of time he just wishes they had more time to write and had more time to let things have a slow burn. He knows fans have a shorter attention span and then others do want a slower burn. HHH also wants the women to get more time on TV and Austin mentions how the girls in NXT are tearing the house down.

-Austin asks when he will be back in the ring and HHH says he doesn’t want to give things away, but it is coming soon unless he is training twice a day for no reason. That ends things and HHH says he wants to talk again on the show, but less about business and more about all the times Austin used to potato him. On that note we are out!