"Everything has that WWE excellence, except..." - Details on Triple H's advice to Vince McMahon before NXT launched

Nick Dinsmore recently recalled how Vince McMahon told Triple H to work in several WWE departments before he formed the NXT brand.

Triple H became a part-time in-ring competitor in 2010 having previously performed in 100+ matches per year for the majority of his career. As he began to take on more behind-the-scenes responsibilities, the 14-time world champion was instructed by McMahon to give him feedback on WWE’s business model.

Dinsmore, formerly known as Eugene in WWE, appeared on a recent episode of Rene Dupree’s Cafe de Rene podcast. He said Performance Center coach Terry Taylor once told him a story about the introduction of the NXT system:

“Vince goes, ‘Alright, Hunter, go around to each department, spend two weeks in each department, and whenever you’re finished come back and report to me,'" Dinsmore recalled. "So he did the marketing, the advertising… He comes back and goes, ‘Everything has that WWE excellence, except for that developmental system.’” [20:35-21:01]

Before NXT’s launch, WWE sent its up-and-coming superstars to train at various developmental systems. Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) and Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) were among the most notable territories where many of today’s superstars honed their skills.

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Nick Dinsmore was impressed with Triple H’s creation

Dinsmore performed as Eugene between 2004 and 2007 before returning for another short WWE run in 2009. He also worked as a trainer at WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando, Florida in 2013 and 2014.

Reflecting on his time as an NXT coach, Dinsmore added that WWE’s stars of the future have everything they need at the Performance Center:

“It's awesome," Dinsmore said. "There’s so many rings. You have the huge weight room. You can go cut promos in the confessional room and then go back and watch it later. You can then send it to the coaches and ask their response. Somebody who does not succeed in terms of learning the business is not trying there.” [21:18-21:40]

More than a decade after NXT's launch, Triple H is reportedly no longer in charge of the revamped NXT 2.0 brand. According to PW Insider’s Mike Johnson, the NXT creative team now reports directly to Bruce Prichard and Christine Lubrano.

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