Add as a preferred source on Google Triple H pushed back at the post-SummerSlam press conference on the criticism that WWE keeps the same handful of names on top.
WWE’s Chief Content Officer was asked about it during the SummerSlam Night One post-show scrum in Minneapolis, following up on Damian Priest’s promo from the July 24 episode of SmackDown. In a backstage segment with Cody Rhodes, Priest told him the boys in the back were sick of the same people being the faces of the brand.
Triple H’s take was that names like Rhodes, Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Liv Morgan and IYO SKY are in those spots because they got over, drew the reactions and delivered when they were handed the ball.
He also said there’s no line to stand in to get to the top in WWE.
“When anybody says, ‘Why am I not in that spot?’ I don’t know. Are you more over than Cody? Are you more over than Roman? Are you more over than Punk? Are you more over than Liv? IYO? Get there. Make those crowd reactions happen. Whatever you need to do, make it happen. If you’re not willing to earn that spot, you shouldn’t have it anyway.”
Triple H added that in “99%” of cases, a talent gets over with the crowd first and the push comes after, not the other way around.
He also said the company weighs whether someone can hold that spot without the kind of missteps that would have creative regretting pulling the trigger in the first place.