As noted by 411Mania , Triple H took questions from the media following NXT Takeover: Toronto II , a show that will go down in the history books as another well-received outing for the black and gold brand.
One of the questions, however, probed The Game about the violent main event between Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano. In the final Steel Cage round of their Two Out of Three Falls match, the duo used barbed wire — in addition to several other weapons — to heighten the drama of the bout.
While the match went down a storm with fans, it seemingly contradicted Vince McMahon’s recent comments about WWE not being interested in “blood and guts” wrestling, which The Inquisitr previously covered.
In response to a question from journalist Mike Johnson, who noted how the match featured blood and alluded to violence, Triple H said that there was no intentional blood and the wound on Adam Cole’s back — which Johnson was referring to — was accidental.
He also accused Johnson of “digging deep” to find a reason to connect the match to McMahon’s recent comments, while also saying that the media is trying to create conspiracy theories about the company that do not exist. According to the former World Champion, it makes the press look stupid.
Triple H also highlighted how the barbed wire wasn’t actually used, despite hints that it would be. The Game said that every weapon featured — kendo sticks, chairs, tables, etc. — is incorporated into WWE programming regularly, and nothing about the main event was unusual in that regard.
At the same time, this match was another example of WWE’s recent shift towards edgier programming.
The Inquisitr previously reported that tonight’s SummerSlam pay-per-view will be rated PG-14, meaning that it’s highly likely we’ll see an edgier show compared to other WWE shows in the current era.
WWE Rumors: ‘SummerSlam’ Rated TV-14 Because WWE Is ‘Going To Get Violent’. WWE may have ‘SummerSlam’ going in the direction of ‘blood and guts.’. #WWE #Wrestling https://t.co/lpNBTzoKfk
— INQUISITR Sports (@InquisitrSports) August 10, 2019
Edgy doesn’t necessarily have to mean bloodier, though, so perhaps SummerSlam will push the envelope in other ways. With storylines featuring attempted hit-and-runs taking place on recent WWE shows, we’re starting to see the company incorporate more mature content without going too overboard.
With All Elite Wrestling — the company McMahon was referring to with his “blood and guts” remarks — debuting on TNT in October, we’re likely to see WWE change its product accordingly. AEW promises to be more in tune with what modern wrestling fans want to see, though the company has promised a sports-centric approach as opposed to hardcore.
In the past, McMahon has never shied away from controversy to create cash. If the new upstart promotion takes off and challenges WWE, the company will likely do whatever it takes to bring more eyes to their product.
