It takes a (small) army, and a Nashua native, to make a WWE SmackDown

There's an aspect of professional wrestling that still astonishes Nashua native Paul Levesque — best known as WWE superstar “Triple H” — nearly two decades into his wildly successful career.

Unlike the bruising body slams, countless collisions into turnbuckles and fellow talent, and many other athletic stunts witnessed by millions, this physical act is seen by far fewer eyeballs.

It's the behind-the-scenes effort required to set up for an event — like “WWE Presents SmackDown,” which tapes live tonight (7 p.m.) at Verizon Wireless Arena and airs Friday at 8 on cable television's Syfy channel.

“Coming from (World Championship Wrestling to WWE in 1995) was like going from the local circus to Barnum & Bailey,” Levesque, 42, said Monday while traveling to Hartford, Conn. “It's an amazing process.”



A small army of 100-plus local crew members is typically hired per show. Levesque, a 1987 graduate of Nashua High School, said WWE produces close to 300 live-event shows each year.

The volume of material arriving today at the Verizon is massive.

Considerable inventory was disassembled, loaded and delivered after WWE's flagship show, “Monday Night Raw,” finished its live broadcast at 11:05 p.m. from Hartford's XL Center. The list included 33,000 feet, or roughly six miles, of cable.

But that's not all. Far from it.

WWE will transport 79,872 light bulbs and 48 speakers for the high-definition set, 2,800 pieces of pyrotechnic equipment and more than a mile of pyro cable, and 12 cameras that capture all angles of the action.

A dozen 18-wheelers, two TV trucks, a satellite truck and at least one generator truck are also en route.

Buses? Try eight for the WWE crew and five for the company's talent.

And that doesn't even touch upon the fresh food made available to the WWE team. The vast menu features 180 pounds of chicken, 150 pounds of beef or pork, and 65 cases of water.

Levesque said that, 17 years after joining WWE, he continues to be “blown away” by the set-up process for this reason: From start to finish, it takes eight hours. It begins today at 8 a.m.

“People just think there's a curtain at the back of the stage with wrestlers waiting to go on next,” said Levesque, whose light-hearted, real-life tone differs from his gruff primetime persona. “The inner workings are quite crazy ... There's no industry like ours. The pace is so fast. There's no down time.”

That's particularly true for Levesque, who doubles as WWE's executive vice president of talent and live events.

From the time new talent is recruited, the son-in-law of chairman and CEO Vince McMahon said he contributes to character development and, among other things, provides input on apparel and entrance music for other wrestlers.

“Somehow, I ended up with a job. I somehow ended up wearing a suit and tie every day,” the 13-time world champion said.

The 6-foot 4-inch, 260-pound hulk of an athlete, known for his intensity, gravelly voice and intimidating snarls, several times poked fun at himself.

Levesque said he is “terrible with years,” when asked about the year he graduated from Nashua High School, where he did not play sports. (He began weightlifting as a 14-year-old.)

If anything, Levesque said, WWE's critics take the sports-entertainment industry more seriously than the stars themselves. Levesque said that the company strives to put smiles on the faces of their fans, especially the pre-teen contingent.

He did, however, discuss a serious matter. It's the “Be A Star” anti-bullying campaign co-founded by WWE and The Creative Coalition, a New York-based nonprofit social and political advocacy organization.

“It's a huge undertaking for us. It's something we believe strongly in,” said Levesque, acknowledging his profession, given its often-violent acts, makes WWE a unique player in the effort to raise awareness. “We have a large influence with kids. The bullying epidemic has gotten out of control.”

Levesque said he doesn't expect to wrestle tonight. He'll instead serve in his official capacity with the company.

But, he said, a last-minute change isn't out of the question. Story lines can change from day to day.

“It's always exciting to come back home,” Levesque said. “Anytime I can perform in the New England area, it's a thrill for me, especially coming back to Manchester.”

source: unionleader.com