Triple H Says Drake Maverick Earned His Spot to Stay in WWE, Noted That Maverick Wasn’t ‘Involved in Anything’ at Time of His Release

– WWE executive Triple H took part in an NXT TakeOver: In Your House media conference call today to discuss Sunday’s upcoming event. During the call, Triple H was asked about the contract situation for Drake Maverick. According to Triple H, Maverick had the option to take part in the tournament after he was released and wanted to prove he belonged in the company.

Previously, Drake Maverick was released from WWE in April, but he was allowed to stay in order to compete in the NXT Cruiserweight title tournament. After losing in the tournament finals on last night’s episode, he was offered a new contract by Triple H on television.

Triple H noted during the conference call that at the time of his release, Maverick wasn’t “involved in anything.” However, Maverick ended up capturing the “hearts and imaginations” of the WWE Universe. Below is an excerpt from the media call, via Fightful:

“We already had the tournament booked out and I believe it was a little bit of a jumble, but we already had it promoted. Then, the releases happened, which is horrible. No one wants to see anyone lose their job, especially in the world right now. A lot of companies, around the world, are having to make tough business decisions to ensure they’re still there. Difficult decisions were made. He was given the option of continuing the tournament and wanted to prove he that he could still be here. If you’ve met him or know him, he’s one of the most passionate guys and loves WWE. Couldn’t be a better guy. As we said when the release happened, it wasn’t like he was involved in anything, it just happened. But through the process of this tournament, he captured people’s hearts and imaginations. He earned that spot. It was already out there, in the biggest way possible. You either ignore it or turn it into something, so we turned it into something based off him and his performances. I’m personally thrilled for him that he can continue to do what he loves and dreams about doing. I’m thrilled we were able to get where we did.”

You can check out a video of the post-mach angle where Triple H offers Maverick his contract to stay in NXT, which Maverick signed, below: