William Regal On WWE Wanting Stars From Other Feds, What Triple H Looks For In New Talents, More

WWE NXT General Manager William Regal recently sat down with Fighting Spirit Magazine to shed some light on what he is looking for in prospective talents for WWE. Courtesy of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, below are highlights:

* WWE talent scouts are currently looking for an array of different talents and are foremost concerned with their in-ring acumen. The days of only looking for one type of person are over, says Regal. He says they are looking for people who can fill necessary roles for the company, and are particularly interested in men and women who've gotten over in other promotions.

* According to Regal, when someone recommends a wrestler, the first thing Triple H asks is, "Do they look like they can beat somebody up?" Both Regal and Triple H agree that believability is invaluable in their line of work. He recalls one wrestlers who received a try-out 18 months back; he was very good but WWE didn't sign him because he looked too young. Regal wanted "someone who looked like a man," and told him to come back in a couple of years.

* When asked about the perfect age, he says that the best wrestlers are generally around 30-years-old.

* As far as developmental talents who didn't come through the indies, Regal says they're basically looking for people who would "make good action figures." He says that prospective Superstars must at least look the part.

* Regal says that the most successful people in the wrestling industry have usually been those who possessed an incredible work ethic. He says WWE developmental used to be nothing but bodybuilders, which ended up proving fruitless: "You'd get one good one out of every thousand."

* Regal praises NXT's Stuart Tomlinson (Hugo Knox), a former soccer player who just started working NXT live events. He says Stuart is opening doors for WWE in Europe due to his already established notoriety.

* Regal talks about the best exercises for pro wrestlers; he says Seth Rollins and Ryback both do burpees, because standard cardio can't keep them in "wrestling shape." He also praised hill running and kettlebell swinging.

* When asked about the important of an "amateur background," Regal says that MMA training is probably more suitable for today's prospective Superstars. He goes on to say boxing is also probably more applicable than amateur wrestling, as boxing footwork is more akin to how pro wrestlers perform.

* Regal says that major wrestling academies should teach everyone to roll before teaching them how to bump: "If you can roll at every angle, it becomes second nature to protect yourself when you fall."

* Regal calls for a change in wrestling culture, as far as wrestlers taking bumps on their head or neck. He thinks people should stop using brain busters because "the casual fan thinks you just messed up a vertical suplex." Regal had a major neck operation last year, before which he claims he spent 20 years sleeping just three hours a night. He swears by training his neck with bridging exercises, and claims it helped keep him together as long as it did.

NXT Stars at the San Diego Comic-Con

The annual WWE and Mattel panel at the San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, July 9th will feature Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, William Regal, Kevin Owens, Charlotte and others. Below is the official promotional blurb released:

"Once again, Mattel and WWE have teamed up to bring you an action-packed SDCC panel. WWE & NXT Superstars and Mattel personnel will discuss the tremendous growth in popularity of NXT, weigh in on the next generation of WWE Superstars, and give exclusive sneak peeks of Mattel's upcoming WWE figure releases. Incredible guest appearances by William Regal, Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Charlotte, and additional special guests."

William Regal On Scouting Talents For WWE, Being NXT General Manager, The Wrestlers In NXT, More

Vaughn Johnson of Philly.com recently spoke with WWE NXT General Manager William Regal to promote this week's NXT live events in Philadelphia. The full interview can be read at this link. Below are some highlights:

Scouting talent for WWE:

I can't give you any set formula to how it works because we're in a different world, in our own unique little world. You find people that learn to connect with an audience with an act. Get up your own backside about what we are, but we're an act. It doesn't matter how good you are, it's about connecting with your audience. It doesn't matter how technically good you are, if nobody wants to watch you then you're no good to anybody. Sometimes it's not about how good somebody is. It's whether they've got that connection with an audience. Sometimes, it's about how technically good they are, they may not have that connection yet, but you can see by talking to them or spending time watching them that you can teach them that or they could learn that on their own if given the right opportunities or given the right structure.

Sometimes it's a physical thing. If you can never find me someone with two heads then what's I'm looking for. It comes in different forms. We've got a huge TV deal in Brazil. We've got nobody from Brazil so sometimes it's just a matter of, "Can we try to find somebody that could fit the bill." There's no real set thing that I'm looking for. I watch out for, as far as the wrestlers go, which is what I do, I watch and know about everybody that's out there. The ones that are doing the right things and making a name for themselves I know about. Most of the names were coming my way even before I had this job over the last 20 odd years I've been in America, they've all come my way anyway at one point or another through people we know or we end knowing each other or through a friend or whatever. That's probably why I'm in the position that I'm in, because I know a lot of people.

What it's like being the NXT GM:

It's easy to throw words around like privilege and honor but it really is because I would imagine to get to watch everybody here develop, and the brand develop the way it has in the past few years, probably have been the best part of the last 32 for me. As much as I've really enjoyed the rest of it, just to watch everything grow so quickly and to have a hand in creating some of this, and have found people to bring here, recommended people is a great feeling. I try to keep my own career in check, but when I came to America there were very few people wrestling. I think I was the only one. A lot of people get credit for bringing the wrestling back, but I was doing it before Dean [Malenko], Eddie [Guerrero] and all of them fellas, I was doing it. To see that these fellas get to do that now and the ladies get to do that, and to go out and people appreciate the wrestling side of it is fantastic.

If he's surprised how far NXT has come:

It's amazing just to watch it and to watch the creativity that they've got. When you're given all of the tools — you've got everything you could possibly ever need at the [WWE] Performance Center in Orlando — if you've got half a brain, we're going to make it work for you. Even if you haven't, we're going to try and help you in any way that we can help you. There are so many people here that are so talented and so creative on their own when you get all of that it's like a double bonus. They just flourish. It also goes down to the audience you've been used to working to before. You work for to your audience while the promoter is paying you. A lot of these guys have worked with a certain audience that like a certain thing so some people unfortunately get labeled. If you can make yourself popular in front of any audience, you can use it anywhere. When they get to come here and they see that everyone is here to help, they go, "I can do this here and I can try this here and I can do that," and that's why it's all flourishing. There are no ties on doing things.

Rumor Mill - WWE NXT Touring Internationally Soon?

WWE NXT General Manager William Regal reportedly told fans in the UK at his one-man shows this week that plans are being worked on for NXT to tour internationally with shows in smaller arenas. Regal apparently said the business plan for the touring was in place and it will begin within 18 months.

Triple H Talks Sami Zayn Impressing, Kevin Owens’ NXT Debut, How Charlotte Was Booked On Raw, NXT Touring & Much More

During a conference call at the WWE Performance Center Triple H gave some time to the media today to talk about NXT Takeover R Evolution airing Thursday night on the WWE Network. Triple H also enjoyed talking about the business in general and where WWE is headed. The following are some highlights:

- He noted he looks forward to these conversations and likes being able to speak with the media directly.

- He said they are “feverishly” working on getting the WWE Network in the UK but that the NXT special will be airing on television in UK.

- He talked about how proud he is of Charlotte and Sasha Banks. He talked about how some people were upset that Charlotte was used quickly in a loss on RAW. Apparently they were given more time originally but due to factors of live television, when they got to that segment they had to shorten their time. Triple H noted the important thing was exposure for NXT and Charlotte. Once she is a regular on the main roster, she would be be booked stronger.

- In a discussion about all the different types of athletes and backgrounds who come into NXT, HHH noted some talents pick things up quicker than others. He said Kurt Angle picked up professional wrestling faster than anyone he can recall.

- Finn Balor was overwhelmed in the past when they would walk him through entrances, music cues, where cameras can be and all of the other factors of being a television show. Triple H said Balor explained he had never thought about all that stuff. In the past he just walked to the ring and whoever was filming just captured him walking to the ring. Triple H was excited when speaking about the collaboration of WWE and great talent such as Balor.

- It has been discussed and is possible that the NXT title could be featured on the kickoff shows for the main roster pay-per-views or the events themselves. He said he likes when he hears people talk or suggest it because it’s a good sign the NXT brand is wanted.

- Gave a lot of praise to Sami Zayn. Talked about how he can be hard to describe sometimes to someone but is a great talent. Triple H said it might take longer for Zayn to reach his full potential with the audience, but once he gets there, it’s going to be great. He said Zayn is great with emotionally captivating an audience and has strong facials for television. At one point he compared Zayn to Ricky Steamboat. Triple H went on to say how impressive that is considering Zayn worked for so many years prior to WWE with a mask on.

- We were running short on time, but Triple H said if Vince can add more time to interviews because he owns the WWE Network than Triple H can add more time to his phone call, so he did.

- He gave a lot of credit to William Regal being a great scout for talent and evaluation talent.

- With regards to promos, Triple H said less heavily scripted promos are good, but not everyone can do them. He said a script isn’t a bad thing as long as the talent can put emotion into what is written for them and not sound like they are reading off of a piece of paper. He said some guys learn better than others with it. He noted Adrian Neville couldn’t speak when he first got to NXT but is now a lot better.

- NXT Takeover R Evolution will air on J Sports in Japan.

- Triple H talked about it being a fine line with Kevin Owens in terms of embracing what he’s accomplished in the past but moving forward and creating a WWE product. He says there is no point in ignoring Kevin’s accomplishments, but at the same time you don’t want to live in the past.

- Says he would like to get NXT touring more. Right now they tour in Florida and some of Georgia, but he would like to expand to more regions to continue growing the brand.

Triple H Very Impressed by NXT Star, Regal vs. DeMott Backstage Issues?, More

We noted a few weeks ago that Triple H spent a day at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando and had talents work out in the ring and do promos for him. He also spent time with the NXT trainers.

NXT talent Dylan Mile really caught Triple H’s eye. Mile is the talent that several NXT stars, including Kevin Steen, was praising on Twitter a few weeks back.

Triple H was said to be so impressed with by Mile that he is giving him extra attention and ordered that Mile’s progress be closely tracked.

Triple H also reportedly had to deal with a Bill DeMott issue that day. The story is that William Regal complained about DeMott, who is known for controversy. DeMott has been spoken to several times by officials and usually tones his behavior down after the talks. However, sources indicate that DeMott is considered to be on the hot seat.

New Name and Main Event Revealed for Next Live WWE NXT Takeover Special

As noted, the next live WWE NXT Takeover special on the WWE Network will take place on December 11th from Full Sail University.

NXT General Manager William Regal announced at tonight's tapings that the name will be NXT Takeover: Our Evolution.

The main event will see Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville going at it for the NXT Title.

Video: KENTA debuts on WWE NXT, reveals his new name

WWE NXT General Manager William Regal officially introduced former Pro Wrestling NOAH star KENTA on Thursday night at the 9/11 TakeOver event on the WWE Network. KENTA announced he would now be going by the name Hideo Itami.

WWE Films Documentary About William Regal

Legendary WWE Superstar and current NXT trainer William Regal Tweeted the following:

"Great news about the #WWENetwork.I filmed the other day for a documentary about me and the evolution of my character from "Lord"till now."

No word yet on if this documentary will be available on DVD or if it will be exclusive to the WWE Network.

WWE How Did Edwards and Richards Get Another Tryout with WWE?, More News on Their Future

We noted before that Ring of Honor stars Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards were not offered a WWE deal after their tryout because Triple H felt they were built from the same mold as guys like Sami Callihan, Sami Zayn, Daniel Bryan or CM Punk, and WWE has enough "indie-looking" guys. A WWE source said, "Triple H feels we have enough Tyson Kidds."

With Richards and Edwards currently at the WWE Performance Center for a week-long tryout, many fans have been wondering what led to WWE bringing them back. Word is that William Regal went to Triple H and really fought for Richards and Edwards, explaining that they are really good in the ring and deserved to get another look.

Many feel that this week-long tryout may be a precursor to Edwards and Richards being signed to a short three-month deal. The duo may be finishing up with Ring of Honor at the December 14th Final Battle event.

Triple H, Daniel Bryan and Several Other WWE Superstars Praise William Regal

WWE’s website has a new article up with Triple H, Daniel Bryan, Robbie Brookside, Antonio Cesaro, Wade Barrett and Fit Finlay talking about how they respect William Regal. Here are quotes from Bryan and Triple H:

Triple H: “I think William Regal’s passion for this business has allowed him to not only succeed but to change with the times. If you look at the things he’s done during his career, from contesting serious matches to making people laugh, that passion has allowed him to fill whatever role needed to be filled. Not a lot of people can do that. That’s a rare quality, to be able to do both.

“For me, WWE NXT is my environment and what I deal with on a daily basis — William Regal is a huge component of that. He’s got a remarkable eye for talent. The rare thing with him is that most guys see new talent in the mold that they are, and that’s what they are interested in. He has a unique ability to look at everything. It can be someone who works in the complete opposite style that he does, but he can still see value. To me, that’s where he plays a huge role — spotting and understanding talent, who can make it.

“As for his jokes, I never hear him, because he’s such a soft talker. We were on the road together for years, and I spent the majority of my time saying, ‘What?’ He has that English sense of humor; you know, in which the joke is so rotten it’s actually funny. It’s not that I’m laughing at the joke, but more at how bad the joke is.”

Daniel Bryan: “One of the things that’s cool to me about William Regal is that he’s a gentleman. He is professional in every aspect of the word. He shows up to the building, and he’s wearing a suit and looks presentable. Also, he’s got that quiet toughness. Some guys are very brash and want to wear their Affliction shirts, but he’s not that guy. You know he’s tough, but he never has to say anything about it. He’s somebody who came up in a different era.

“I was with WWE when I was 18 and then got let go in 2001, but he was responsible for getting me booked in the UK. And I spent six months there in 2003 and another four months in 2005 and another three months in 2008, and that’s all because of him.

“It’s hard to get feedback from good people when you’re on the independent circuit. A lot of those shows I was on, I was main-eventing and people were asking me for advice, but then who do I go to for advice? Regal was always there. Anytime I asked him to watch a match, he’d watch it. And then he’d give me feedback and constructive criticism. When I first got to WWE, he really helped me navigate the waters, as far as, what you should do and don’t need to do here and what’s important.”

NJPW Champ Headed to WWE?

Current IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Prince Devitt announced via Twitter that he was coming to WWE, in order to look for a new member for his "Bullet Club" faction.

I am going to WWE.... To find a new member of #BulletClub..

— Prince Devitt (@fergaldevitt) November 2, 2013

Back in August, we reported that WWE was interested in signing Devitt after William Regal showed Triple H a tape of his match against Adrian Neville, who is currently under contract in NXT, and among the names being discussed for a WWE roster spot in the near future.

Rumor Mill - More Backstage News On JR's WWE Retirement, WWE Superstar To Take Over His Duties?

There were some rumors within WWE about Jim Ross being let go days before it actually happened. On September 10th, the day before Ross was let go, someone in WWE's book department called an author to tell him that WWE had chosen him to write JR's autobiography.

According to F4WOnline, one WWE source thought that it was weird for WWE to even publicize his retirement since if you are a casual viewer of the product you never see Ross anyway and would probably presume he'd already retired. It was also noted that WWE cutting JR loose would never have happened even a few years back and that it proves that Vince McMahon doesn't care about TNA at all.

Regarding JR's job working with talents in WWE NXT, there's speculation that William Regal may be the guy who takes those duties over.

WWE Sends Scout to Los Angeles for Major PWG Wrestling Event

WWE sent William Regal to this weekend's Pro Wrestling Guerrilla event, Battle of Los Angeles, which ran both Friday and Saturday night. Several talents in the locker room have stated that Regal was there as a scout for WWE, looking for potential developmental talent for the new Performance Center in Orlando, FL.

Battle of Los Angeles, or BOLA for short, is one of the biggest independent wrestling events of the year in the United States. Former winners include Adam Cole, Davey Richards, El Generico, Joey Ryan, and Low Ki (former WWE Superstar Kaval). This year's lineup features some of the biggest names in indy wrestling, including Kevin Steen, Michael Elgin, Kyle O'Reilly, ACH, and many more.

Rumor Mill - Ricky Reyes & WWE

WWE officials have strong interest in independent wrestler Ricky Reyes, who has had several tryouts and received good reactions from people within the company. Word going around is that Triple H and William Regal were both complimentary of Reyes’ work. Apparently WWE writers have been discussing potential character ideas for Reyes.

Blast From The Past - Triple H will do Anything for a WWE Championship Match

WWE Stars Corrupted By Power

WWE is featuring an article looking at 10 WWE stars that have let power corrupt them. The Triple H and Steve Austin tandem topped the list, followed by Michelle McCool, the nWo, Chris Jericho and William Regal.

William Regal Gives Advice to Future Wrestlers

William Regal went over some tips for becoming a professional wrestler on his Twitter account. Here is an excerpt:

To make it in the WWE you have to be very adaptable and willing to make any character or opportunity work.Heres some very good advise.Make a list of the worst possible situations and character traits you be asked to do.Now make up a character and promos involving those traits and work on perfecting that character and promo(on your own otherwise you’ll get locked up).Make those things second nature.Now you’ve taken away some of your fears so whatever you are asked to do should be easier.Don’t skip this task.Very few people who come to the WWE end up being the character they envisioned.

The most important things you have to make you connect with an audience are your eyes.If you believe in yourself and your persona it will be evident in your eyes.You cannot show any real emotion without your eyes.So,if you’re interested in being taken seriously then never wear anything to cover them.This will offend a lot of people but you don’t look cool wearing sunglasses indoors. You look a divvy. There are many big stars who have worn them but you’ll find most will take them off when they’re making a serious point or they just have that special magic that only 1 in a million have.

If you are a normal person like myself and you don’t have that one in a million Elvis quality(a lot of people are delusional about this) then to make yourself valuable I suggest you study as many different styles of our business as possible.You never know how the industry will change and if you can only wrestle one way you may be left behind.It goes back to the being adaptable tip from before.

Possible Names for Interim General Managers

WWE will be bringing back former General Managers for RAW and SmackDown while the Board of Directors finds permanent replacements. Some of the names that potentially could be used for the role include Steve Austin, Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Jonathan Coachman, Mike Adamle, Bret Hart, Vickie Guerrero, William Regal and the Anonymous General Manager.

Jim Ross Praises FCW Talent After Final Taping

Jim Ross has posted a new blog, which consists almost entirely of talk about the final FCW taping, which was held last night:

The atmosphere Thursday night at the last FCW TV taping was intimate and exciting from the sell out, turn away crowd. 

As much as the crowd delivered the kids delivered more. I'm amazed at the teamwork and team spirit these young talents possess. It's refreshing and motivating even for an old veteran like me.

Lots of kids stood out. Rollins, Steamboat, Cesaro, Ohno, Bo Dallas, Bray Wyatt, Brad Maddox, Ascension, Big E Langston, Jason Jordan, Paige, and several others who I'm sure that I'm inadvertently omitting while doing this on the fly from 35,000 feet. 

I like the team of  Jake Carter and Cory Graves. Their match w/ CJ Parker and Mike Dalton was really nice. 

Loved the @thedeanambrose vs @realkingregal bout that had a shockingly, real, physical conclusion.  That match was on hour three and will likely air in July but I'm not sure of any of the air dates. When FCW's TV show runs its course on the Brighthouse Network in Florida, FCW will be replaced by NXT. I'm unaware if the rebranded NXT will air on WWE.com ( doubtful) but will air outside the USA where NXT is currently airing. 

I had a blast blast broadcasting  w/ WWE HOFer Dusty Rhodes as you will hear if you are able to assess the show which many watch on You Tube. 

With FCW in the rear view mirror we turn our attention to the next, NXT taping at Full Sail University in Orlando next Thursday June 14.