Triple H Discusses Athletes Transitioning Into Pro Wrestling

It’s not uncommon for athletes from different sporting backgrounds to try professional wrestling. Whether it’s from professional football or mixed martial arts, numerous sports stars worldwide have attempted wrestling. Speaking with Sam Roberts’ Wrestling Podcast, Triple H discussed this crossover appeal as well as the transition period and struggles people have encountered entering the squared circle.

“I am a big believer in athletes. No different than you see Baron Corbin, I know he gets a lot of heat, but he’s a phenomenal performer. He was an NFL player. He was a fan but came into this a little bit later as a performer,” said Triple H. “You see Braun Strowman coming in from Strongman competitions, so you see athletes coming in from all different backgrounds.”

He credited the WWE Performance Center in being instrumental, explaining that the concept of the WWE PC was to create a pathway for these people into sports entertainment.

“I would meet people all of the time in various sporting events or entertainment where they talk to us about saying that they have always dreamed about being in WWE. They are such fans and would love to do it but how would they get into it? There was no clear path to do this. I would meet guys that were in the NFL thinking that they had another year left to play but I’m 23 and I want to continue to be an athlete. I have always dreamed about two things: NFL, which I had done that and WWE. How can I get there? To create a pathway for them and create a place where they can go train so that they can make that transition.”

Triple H then highlighted Ronda Rousey’s successful foray into pro wrestling. He shared that without that system in place, it would have been a lot harder and less likely for outside athletes to succeed.