Up until a few years back, when the heavy distortions of The Game by Motörhead played in the WWE arena, the audience would rise up and chant the song for a legend, Paul Levesque aka Triple H. Levesque, who is the founder and executive producer for WWE NXT, is currently the executive vice-president of Global Talent Strategy and Development for WWE.

A 14-time World Champion, who has been with the sport for over 25 years, says that the lockdown due to the pandemic has “been tough” for WWE. “The pandemic hasn’t been easy on anyone and we’re all coping in our own ways. It’s been tough on the talent, especially keeping the newer ones motivated without a live audience because we’re constantly teaching the WWE superstars to perform to a crowd and the reaction from the crowd,” he says.  

Levesque has always had a special connect with NXT, and he loves the fact that it has branched into its own universe. “When I started out, you had to listen to a lot of no and it was tough getting people to take you seriously. That was something I wanted to change. Which is why I have worked hard to have the Tryouts and NXT that encourages more people to join and makes it accessible to anyone who is truly passionate,” he shares.

Unlike before, in the recent years, WWE has seen a few wrestlers from India. Speaking about India as a fan base for WWE, Levesque says, “I absolutely love India. The passion the fans have is something else. We have one of the largest fan following from India so it is an important market for us.” 

Going down memory lane, Triple H and Shawn Michaels’ partnership was always celebrated in the sport. Though their partnership didn’t last long, their behind-the-scene friendship has lasted for over two decades. “Shawn’s one of oldest friends, actually one of my best friends. We’ve known each other for over 20 years and our relationship has always gone beyond what happens in the ring. The relationship is personal. We don’t talk just business and WWE, we talk about our families, our kids. If there’s one thing we’ve learnt about each other in the last 20 years is that our personal philosophy and value system is the same,” he concludes.

Sony Pictures Sports Network is home to all WWE Action with WWE RAW (Tuesday), SmackDown ( Saturday) and NXT (Thursday) airing Live and Exclusive from 5.30 am (IST) only on Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 3 (Hindi) channels.