Triple H Discusses Wrestlepalooza, ESPN Partnership, Controversial Top 5 Wrestlers List – WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H appeared on ESPN’s First Take on Friday to promote the company’s first-ever Wrestlepalooza premium live event. During the interview, he addressed the new partnership with ESPN, gave advice to athletes preparing for life beyond competition, and reacted to host Stephen A. Smith’s polarizing list of the top five greatest wrestlers of all time.
Promoting Wrestlepalooza and the ESPN Deal
Asked what fans should expect from Wrestlepalooza, Triple H emphasized the importance of the collaboration with ESPN and the stacked card awaiting viewers.
“ESPN, when I was growing up, I always wanted there to be a place where people talked about what my passion was, which was WWE,” he said. “Now we are. ESPN brings that to the table. This event is going to be spectacular, but I think Cena Lesnar is going to be off the chart. I think Punk and his wife, AJ Lee, coming back against Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins is going to be off the chart… If you have never tuned in to WWE before, this is the time to do it.”
Advice for Athletes Entering Business
Triple H also spoke about the challenges athletes face when transitioning from sports to business roles. He explained that the same discipline that made them successful in competition must carry over.
“You have to treat it just like you did your career,” he said. “You need to be the businessman, and you need to go above and beyond on all those things because you got to prove that you’re not just the athlete… It’s that same passion and dedication that somebody put into play in their game or their chosen sport, you got to put that now into the business side of it. It’s got to be a 24/7 commitment for you. And if you do that, then I think there’s nothing that you can’t accomplish.”
Stephen A. Smith’s Top 5 and Triple H’s Response
The segment took a lively turn when Smith revealed his personal top five wrestlers of all time:
- The Road Warriors
- The Rock
- Hulk Hogan
- Ric Flair
- Goldberg
The list, which left off names like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels, immediately drew a reaction from Triple H.
“What he does for a profession is piss people off, right?” Triple H said. “So what he did is he bait and switched it. He set up a list that is arguably accurate: the Road Warriors, the Rock, Hogan, Flair. He left out a few because it’s just a top five. But then what he does is he comes in and he ‘Stephen A’s it,’ and he goes Goldberg at number one, because he knows that is the name that is going to piss off the maximum amount of people.”
Despite the criticism, Triple H offered praise for Goldberg’s contributions to wrestling. “I’m not going to say he’s not great. I love Bill. I think he’s a great performer, had great moments in this business, but putting him at one…” he said, before the rest of the panel suggested other legends like Randy Savage, Dusty Rhodes, and Roddy Piper as possible inclusions.
Triple H Discusses Wrestlepalooza, ESPN Partnership, Controversial Top 5 Wrestlers List
