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Former WWE Superstar Kyle O'Reilly recently spoke about Triple H's original vision and perception of NXT.
Before signing with WWE in 2017, O'Reilly made a name for himself on the independent scene, wrestling for promotions like New Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Guerilla.
During his time in NXT, the Canadian native had incredible success. As part of the stable, The Undisputed Era, O'Reilly won the NXT Tag Team Championship on multiple occasions and was also the original participant in WWE's first-ever War Games match.
In a conversation with Renee Paquette on her podcast, The Sessions, O'Reilly brought up a conversation he had with Triple H. He recalled how The Game pointed out the differences between NXT and the WWE main roster with an apt analogy.
“He said ‘NXT was like the broadway show. It’s where the real performers get out there. They’ve got the chops, they can act, they can sing, they can dance, they can do it all and there are no special effects. There’s no big-budget blockbuster movie special effects that are hiding it all like RAW and Smackdown would be.’ I just thought that was such a great analogy, and it really rang true." [H/T Wrestling Inc]
Given the type of crowd that the original NXT attracted compared to that of WWE's main roster, The King of King's analogy is supported by the product that he and the NXT crew were putting out during his time as head booker at Full Saily University.
Triple H was seen by many as the father of NXT
During his time in charge of NXT, The Game was seen by many in the wrestling business as someone who always listened to the fans.
A key factor in the success of Triple H's NXT was his signing of top independent wrestling talents like Finn Balor, Adam Cole, Keith Lee and Kevin Owens. The bonus of having experienced performers as opposed to developmental talent at the forefront of NXT brought more eyes to the product.
However, the arrival of AEW has seen many of Triple H's NXT signings leave the old black and gold brand.
Many saw the changes that Triple H implemented in NXT as a possible sign of what WWE may look like when Vince McMahon retires. However, with the creation of NXT 2.0, this future may now just be a pipe dream for many fans as well as Triple H himself.
What was your favorite moment in NXT under the guidance of The Game? Let us know in the comments section below.
