It's time to finally give Triple H some credit

Triple H on WWE’s signing of Kenta

On July 12, 2014, WWE made the huge announcement that the company had signed Japanese wrestling sensation Kenta. WWE Hall of Famer and pop culture icon Hulk Hogan presided over the ceremony, which took place in the ring at a Live Event in Osaka during WWE’s recent Japan Tour. Hogan, who became a star in Japan before Hulkamania ran wild at Madison Square Garden, mentioned Kenta in the same breath as Japanese legends (and Hogan contemporaries) Antonio Inoki, Riki Choshu and Tatsumi Fujinami.

Kenta has the potential to be as transformative as any of those stars. Rising to fame in Pro Wrestling Noah — an organization he helped build alongside owner Mitsuharu Misawa — Kenta caught the attention of American audiences during stints with independent organization Ring of Honor, where he wrestled Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins in acclaimed bouts.

WWE.com spoke with WWE’s COO Triple H to learn more about Kenta’s unique style and the global ramifications of him joining WWE.

WWE.COM: When did Kenta first come on your radar?

TRIPLE H: I’ve known about Kenta for years. He’s one of the biggest stars in Japan. He’s a huge talent, obviously. I’m excited for him to try to bring his brand of sports-entertainment to WWE and see how he does.

WWE.COM: Had you seen his work or was it only word of mouth?

TRIPLE H: No, no, I was absolutely familiar with him. It’s funny, because WWE is a different world. You’ll hear players all the time talk about making the switch from college football to the NFL and the difference in the game. I think it’s the same when you come to WWE. I don’t care where you’ve been or how big you’ve been anyplace else. When you get here, it’s a whole different world. There’s no ceiling for anybody in WWE. You just have to come here and prove that you belong to be in the ring with the best in the world. If you can hang with them, that’s exactly where you’ll be. Kenta has all the tools to be able to do it — he’s proven that for years in Japan. Now let’s see what he can do in NXT. Adapt or perish.

WWE.COM: Who would you like to see Kenta wrestle in NXT when he goes down there for the first time?

TRIPLE H: There’s a massive amount of talent I’d love to see him work with down there. The obvious guys are Sami Zayn and NXT Champion Adrian Neville, but there are ton of guys down there like Tyson Kidd, Justin Gabriel and anybody in that class. NXT is the proving ground to get to WWE, and that’s where Kenta’s gonna have to prove himself. He’s gotta prove that he belongs in WWE.

WWE.COM: What is Kenta’s training status and when can we expect to see him on Raw?

TRIPLE H: He just signed with us. I was there when he had his tryout at the Performance Center and I met with him there. We’ve been working on this for a while. His training will start when he gets here. The thing is, you can be a big star anyplace else in the world. That gets you in the door. What you do once you get here is a whole different ballgame. He’s no different than anybody else once he walks through the door of the Performance Center.

WWE.COM: What makes Kenta different than other international stars WWE has signed in the past, and what does he do for WWE’s international appeal?

TRIPLE H: For the Japanese markets, it’s a huge opportunity to see one of their stars come try to make a name for himself in the US and on a global basis. We are a global company and we recruit globally. We are looking for the biggest and brightest athletes all over the world.

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WWE NXT Holding a Tag Team Tournament

On the July 24th episode of NXT, Tag Team Champions The Ascension will announce a tournament to crown new #1 contenders. That tournament kicks off on the August 7th episode and we will have more information later.

Major Reason Why WWE Signed KENTA, Backstage Details on His Involvement in WWE’s Japanese Expansion

According to The Wrestling Observer, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to WWE signing KENTA, and him joining the company is more than a simple talent signing.

A major reason why WWE signed KENTA is because the WWE Network will be launching in Japan next year, and the company has wanted a top Japanese star to help with WWE’s expansion in Japan.

As we previously noted, KENTA will be reporting to Orlando this coming week, and is expected to be a regular on NXT TV by the fall. This coincides with WWE’s announcement that J Sports, a Japanese satellite channel, will begin airing NXT very soon.

Once KENTA arrives at the Performance Center in Orlando, another press conference is expected to take place.

Sting Talks About Working with WWE and a Possible Match Against The Undertaker

Sting recently spoke with The UK's Mirror Online to promote the WWE 2K15 video game. Below are some highlights:

Being involved in the game:
"Why now? It's a now or never thing. I've done so many things in the wrestling business but the one thing I'd never done was wrestle or be a part of the WWE family. I didn't want too hang it all up and retire and disappear again without having done that in some capacity."

Having a match for WWE against The Undertaker:
"I've made it clear I'd love to have one last hurrah, one last big match hopefully. And of course I've been outspoken about Undertaker being the opponent. I know what happened at Wrestlemania where Brock Lesnar broke his streak. I think, or at least I'm hoping, that Taker's still going to come back and that he's not done. If he's not done, and he would consider doing it, I'd love to work with him one time. I'd love to wrestle him one time before I call it quits."

Sting also noted that he's "all for" appearing on WWE TV to promote the video game and the match with The Undertaker could take place at WrestleMania 31. Sting also said it would be an honor to go into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Natalya Talks About Learning from Triple H and What She Thinks Is Her Most Important Match

Natalya talked to Newsday about their match at NXT Takeover earlier this month. Natalya called that match the most important of her career:

"I'm actually getting goose bumps talking about it. It was about honoring and representing two legacies. And it was the first time my uncle Bret and Ric Flair kind of reunited in decades. They haven't always had a great relationship . . . It connected Bret and Ric in a way they never connected before . . . It was one of the moments I'll never forget."

Natalya also said she believes it wasn't until her recent appearances on NXT, under the mentorship of Triple H, that she began to really gain confidence. She said:

"Getting a chance to listen to him and hear his ideas and his philosophies, it's such a great asset . . . You can make all the suggestions in the world but you cannot teach experience. I've actually learned how to be a ring general by working with people who have less experience that me, because I'm feeding off their hunger."

Triple H Talks About the Process Behind Adam Rose's Character, Rose on "Becoming Himself"

The Miami Herald recently spoke with the former Leo Kruger, now known as WWE's Adam Rose, to promote the July 21st RAW in Miami. Some of the interview was in-character but he commented on how similar he is to the Rose character:

"I don’t think there’s much of a difference between Adam Rose and myself. I think people around me know that. I think a lot of people who know me and saw Adam Rose for the first time are like, ‘Oh wow, you finally became yourself.’ Just be yourself, basically."

Triple H also commented on Rose:

“There’s all these pieces to the puzzle. Your entrance. Your music. Your presentation. What you’re wearing. All those things are components to making a star. If you’re writing the movie, ‘Rocky,’ a big part of that movie is Apollo Creed coming to the ring dressed as Uncle Sam and throwing the money. It’s part of the pageantry. You’re writing a TV show and a movie, and that’s how you create characters. In the past, we’d give a guy some music, and he goes to the ring. ‘What are you going to do when you come out? I don’t know. I’ll wave to the crowd and go up in the corner and put my hands up.’ That was just what you did. You just figure it out over time."

"Now, with the beauty of the [WWE] Performance Center [the state-of-the-art all-purpose training ground for WWE hopefuls], we can step back prior to all that stuff and try to get these guys to a place where a lot of those kinks and things are worked out, so we’re not waiting six months to see that this guy now has a pretty cool entrance. It’s coming out the shoot when he first appears on Raw or SmackDown. He’s already got something really cool. Now, how can we make it even cooler. How can we make it more epic and more big main stage, and how can we make that more worthy of Raw or SmackDown. That’s all part of the process."

WWE signs Japanese star Kenta to NXT

WWE today announced it has signed Kenta, one of Japan’s biggest stars, to its NXT division. The announcement took place during a signing ceremony at a WWE Live Event in Osaka, Japan with WWE icon and Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan presiding.

Kenta’s intense and straightforward in-ring style has led to his success in Japan, as well as during visits to the U.S. He is expected to reach new heights of global success with WWE.

“Kenta is an incredible performer who brings the crowd to its feet when he steps into the ring,” said Paul Levesque, Executive Vice President, Talent, Creative and Live Events, WWE. “WWE’s signing of Kenta reflects our continued dedication to creating a diverse roster that appeals to our global fan base.”

“I am humbled to join WWE’s NXT division and look forward to honing my craft with the global leader in sports-entertainment,” said Kenta.

Kenta will relocate to Orlando, Florida, where he will train at WWE’s state-of-the-art Performance Center to enhance his talents both athletically and creatively.

Triple H Talks WWE Performance Center One Year Later

WWE's website has a new article up on the WWE Performance Center turning one year old. Triple H commented:

"Our goal for the Performance Center was to create an environment that would both educate and facilitate growth with the developmental talent. Over the past year, we have seen tremendous success in these areas and are excited for the future of the center as well as what it means for WWE as a whole."

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Top UFC Star Responds To WWE Rumors, News On MMA Fighters In WWE

We noted earlier this week that UFC star Rashad Evans recently inquired about a pro wrestling career with WWE. It's not known if Evans directly spoke with someone at WWE but he was talking to people in the wrestling business this past weekend about the idea of getting involved. Rashad recently commented to MMA Mania about the rumors:

"If I ever did anything like that, it would be after I finished fighting, and I'm not gonna (sic) be done fighting for at least four years. I had a million people asking me if I was retiring for wrestling, but honestly speaking, if I didn't get seriously paid to do it I wouldn't do it. I think it would be disrespectful to my legacy in the UFC if I didn't do a deal that would make sense where I got paid! Besides, that s--t is harder on my body than fighting."

MMA stars Chael Sonnen, Roy Nelson, Frank Mir and Shayna Baszler have all tried to open talks with WWE in recent years and at one point there were very vague ideas suggested for Baszler. It's said that Vince McMahon is leery about using former MMA stars because they are used to huge payoffs and he doesn't think they would be able to deal with WWE's schedule. Years ago, Vince really wanted to sign Bob Sapp but their negotiations failed due to money and scheduling issues.

Regarding Sonnen possibly working with WWE, there may have been some interest in having him come in to work as an announcer but that likely won't be happening now due to his multiple failed drug tests and the controversy that goes with Sonnen's name.