Triple H held a pre-WWE NXT Takeover 31 conference call today ahead of this Sunday’s event, which airs on the WWE Network.

Triple H opened the call and previewed the announced matches and said that there will be a unique aspect to the show that will be seen this Sunday. Triple H then put over the return of the WWE NXT UK brand and the start of the NXT UK Heritage Cup which will be contested under the British Rounds rules, saying that he hopes to be able to travel to the UK again when it is safe to do so, before opening the lines for the question and answer session.

The first caller asked about the COVID-19 situation and how it has affected the company over the past week as well as to whether the card will take place as expected. Triple H said that right now, he is confident that it will go ahead as expected, but as always, it is touch and go. Triple H said that the WWE Performance Center is back functioning, but that nobody can control this current situation and no one is going to be able to stop it, however they are doing the best that they can to keep everyone safe, noting that people will test positive, but that they are contact tracing everyone and quarantined those affected with the goal to keep everyone in the company safe, from top to bottom. Triple H said that every walk of life is dealing with it and doing the best that they can in the current climate and that is what they are doing as well.

The next called asked to when NXT will be on television in Spain. Triple H said that they are constantly looking at getting on in markets globally that they are not on now, but that the pandemic has complicated several things.

The next caller asked if there was any type of punishment to those people that brought COVID-19 into the company stemming from a recent party. Triple H said that you try and convey to people as to how serious this is, but that some people believe that it is over, when it is not, noting that they very much urge the talent to follow all of the protocols, but unfortunately, this is real life and sometimes real life poses a risk to people. Triple H said that they are not thrilled when people break the protocol, but that they can’t totally control what those people do in their personal lives.

The next caller asked about WWE NXT Takeover in Dublin, Ireland being postponed until June 2021 and if that means we will see one elsewhere before then. Triple H said that he would love to do one before then, but that with the pandemic, you can’t plan anything out, because everything changes on a daily basis, but as soon as he can travel talent, they will do it and that as soon as they can go to a bigger venue, then they will. Triple H said that if things don’t get better, then he will look into running a venue like the BT Sport Studios or elsewhere, but right now, they have to play things by ear. HHH said that they have a team in place to constantly monitor what they can do and that they will be back to running normally as soon as possible, but for now, he is just happy that BT Sport has given them the access to the studios to do the shows.

The next caller asked about Kyle O’Reilly getting a title match at this Sunday’s Takeover and whether there has been a plan in place to elevate Kyle to a singles competitor for a while. HHH said that it has been something that they talked about doing for a while and that circumstances probably sped up the process a little bit, as he would have rather had more time to flesh out the story, but change is constant, so you react to it. HHH said that Kyle is a great performer and that they have seen him as a singles star for a while now, while Kyle himself is excited for the opportunity being presented to him. HHH said that Kyle is a great person and he is happy for him to be getting this opportunity, noting that Kyle and Balor have been talking about wanting to work together for a long time and now that is a reality this Sunday.

The next caller asked when Triple H realistically thinks we can see fans return to the buildings. HHH said that we are in a pandemic and he doesn’t see it happening for a while, noting that things are ramping up again with cases, but that places are also opening. HHH said that they will watch where things go, but they will not be touring, unless they can do it in a safe manner as the performers come first and they want to keep everyone safe.

The next caller asked if the WWE NXT brand will be involved in the upcoming WWE Draft. HHH said that being honest, he does not know and that he would like to be let known, but right now, he does not know as to whether the talent will be part of things.

The next caller put over Australian talent and asked if HHH is still scouting talent there, even though they can’t go there and is there a place for them in the NXT roster. HHH said that they are still scouting talent from that area and that the scene there is great and that he loves recruiting people who want it. HHH said that they are definitely keeping an eye on the scene there and that they can get footage from there all the time, even though they can’t go there right now, but as soon as they can travel there, they will be back recruiting, noting that he wants the best talent from everywhere in the world.

The next caller asked about the debut of Retribution and how much input they all have. HHH joked around and said that he was unaware that they came from the NXT brand. HHH talked about the process of being told that people were wanted and said that he tells them that when he can get them written out of the storylines in NXT, then they can go to the other rosters and that it is up to the creative teams on those brands then as to how they are used.

The next caller asked about Wade Barrett’s return to the company. HHH said that he has been a big fan of Wade since he was in the company originally and that Wade left and did commentary elsewhere, which left him impressed. HHH said that originally, the timing was never right to bring him in, but then the stars aligned and the deal was made quickly. HHH said that it is a difficult time to do business and travel and he is really happy that they were able to come to a deal, noting that he thinks that Wade is very talented and a great addition to the NXT brand, noting that he is very smart as well and looks forward to watching Wade get even better as he goes on commentary.

The final question asked about NXT airing for the Super Tuesday shows due to NHL coverage and if there is any talk about moving the brand to Tuesday nights or Thursday nights to get away from AEW. HHH said that there has been, but he is happy where they are, but that there are questions around his product all the time, noting that they were on Wednesday first. HHH said that they always look at all aspects and that he has said since the beginning of the brand that it is not a concern to him as he just wants to put on the best shows that he can put on, while it is up to the WWE and their partners and wherever it ends up, he will still put on the best show that he can.

Triple H closed the call noting that for those unaware or those who may have not yet read the news, Tegan Nox has torn her ACL and has already underwent surgery. Triple H said that Tegan has had a rough run of injuries, but that she is a strong woman and that if anyone can return, it is her and he can’t wait for her to come back, because she deserves it. Triple H then closed the call, asking everyone to keep Tegan in their thoughts as she recovers.