WWE‘s search for its next megastar has been well-documented for a number of years now. The days when icons like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin main-evented shows on a nightly basis are long gone, and even John Cena’s full-time run atop the company. Roman Reigns is widely viewed as the company’s top star, and given his remarkable run as “The Tribal Chief”, he’s widely expected to follow Cena and Johnson into Hollywood at some point.
Beyond Reigns, WWE is still looking for its next transcendent star, and during his full interview with Stephen A. Smith on Stephen A.’s World, Triple H, the company’s executive vice president of Global Talent Strategy & Development discussed this process. He began by discussing WWE’s emphasis on larger-than life characters, like The Rock and The Undertaker, who are truly special. Triple H described the philosophy that fans want to see these remarkable talents, not people who remind them of others they would encounter in everyday life. He went on to name Reigns, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flaiir as some performers who could become a transcendent figure in the same mold as Cena.
“Larger than life is what we’re after,” said Triple H. “You’re not looking for the guy you can see, nobody pays to see their next-door neighbor. Their next-door neighbor lives next door, you don’t need to pay, just look out your window. They want to see somebody larger than life that they can’t believe exists.
“When you look around today, you see that already. I think when you look back then years from now, you’re gonna see Roman Reigns as one of those transcendent figures. I think you’re gonna see people like Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair as those transcendent figures. Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar. They’re already there.”
Triple H elaborated by saying that even with the best examples of transcendent stars, nobody expected them to reach such incredible heights. He pointed out that becoming a next-level name takes time, and some of the members of WWE’s roster right now could become crossover success stories, but it’s hard to predict exactly who will break out.
“It’s funny that in the moments of it, when John Cena was first coming along, people were like he’s never gonna be that transcendent figure, but here he is, where he is,” said Triple H. “‘The Peacemaker’, all the things that he has going on, transcends. The Rock, biggest box office star in Hollywood. All those things happen over time. The people are there in place now.
“The funny thing about what we do is sometimes you can plan for this person to be the biggest thing and it’s not that one, there’s one over here that you’re not looking at that won’t take no for an answer. And they just light the world on fire. Becky Lynch is a great example of that. She just came in and said I’m gonna be the biggest thing here and no matter what anybody thought about it, she went and did it. And she succeeded.”
Triple H recently announced his retirement from in-ring competition, bringing his legendary career as an active competitor to a close.
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