Triple H Talks NXT vs. AEW, Sheamus on In-Ring Return, Ricochet in WWE Roundup

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Triple H Discusses Whether NXT Has 'Competition'

NXT founder Triple H is aware of the notion that WWE and AEW are about to enter a "war" when they go head-to-head on Wednesday nights, but The Game doesn't view it that way.

In an interview with Alex McCarthy of TalkSport (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), Triple H suggested that the only competition NXT acknowledges is the internal motivation to live up to their own lofty expectations.

"Yeah, look ... to me it's not ... I don't know. People can say what they want, how they want. I don't approach it as, 'Well, this is a competitive thing,' or it's anything else to me, it's ... we just put on our shows. I'm going to put on our shows when we need to put them on, in the best places we need to put them, in the right time slots for them, and with the best talent that I can find in the world, and that we have, and we already have them, I'm confident in that.

"When I look across the board at NXT in general, and at NXT in the UK here, we put on show after show of the highest caliber. Not one match or two matches, the entire shows.

"For me it's not competitive against anyone or anything, I just want to put on the best show possible for fans of NXT, for the fans here in Cardiff tonight, for the fans around the world, that's all this is. You know, it's funny because a few years ago we were doing this and doing the same kind of thing, and wowing people, and there wasn't competitors out there, and I guess we were just doing it for competitive reasons, to compete with ourselves."

Beginning on Sept. 18, NXT will air a weekly two-hour show on USA Network. When AEW on TNT debuts on Oct. 2, NXT and AEW will be going head-to-head in what is widely considered the first legitimate wrestling "war" since WWE bought WCW in 2001.

In addition to NXT, Triple H is also heavily involved with the NXT UK brand, which will continue to air on WWE Network. Last week, NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff aired on WWE Network, and it received significant praise due to the action-packed card it presented.

There is no getting around the fact that NXT and AEW will be compared to each other for as long as they air on the same night, but Triple H is clearly more focused on his own product than anyone else's.

Sheamus Talks Eventual WWE In-Ring Return

WWE veteran Sheamus has not been seen on WWE programming since two nights after WrestleMania in April, but The Celtic Warrior is hoping to return soon.

In an interview on E&C's Pod of Awesomeness with WWE Hall of Famers Edge and Christian (h/t WrestlingInc.com's William Windsor), Sheamus noted that he has been on the shelf with a neck injury. He added that he feels ready to return, but isn't sure when he will be given the green light to come back:

"I don't really know what the crack is. I'm still waiting. I'm just, again, enjoying my time. Like, it's very hard for me to sit at home all the time, but that's why the [YouTube] channel has been a saving grace as well. It's kind of my passion away from the ring and I've really enjoyed doing all these workouts and, again, everybody has been so generous, WWE Superstars, men and women, have also been so generous with their time on the channel.

"But I don't really know what the story is as of right now. I'm still kind of in the dark about it, but I'm just training away like I'm trying to stay in the best shape I possibly can. A, because the channel is there and I'm working out all the time, but also because it is very important just to stay ready just no matter what happens."

While Sheamus has been away from WWE in an in-ring capacity, he has focused on his Celtic Warrior Workouts series on YouTube, which features him doing intense workouts with other WWE Superstars.

With former tag team partner Cesaro moving to Raw as a singles competitor and doing some work with NXT UK as well, it stands to reason that Sheamus will go back to the singles ranks if and when he returns as well.

Although Sheamus and Cesaro enjoyed a great deal of success as The Bar with five Tag Team Championship reigns, Sheamus has done plenty individually as well.

The 41-year-old is a three-time WWE champion, one-time World Heavyweight champion, two-time United States champion and one-time winner of the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank and King of the Ring.

Few can hold a candle to what Sheamus has accomplished in WWE, and he could provide a huge boost to an already stacked roster when he does return.

Ricochet Set for Huge Showcase on Raw

Ricochet and Samoa Joe fought to a double pin in the quarterfinals of the King of the Ring tournament on Monday's episode of Raw, and it was reportedly done as a means to set him up for a big moment next week.

It was announced that Ricochet will face Joe and Baron Corbin in a Triple Threat to determine who will represent Raw in the King of the Ring finals, and Meltzer (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News) noted that WWE is trying to put the spotlight on Ricochet:

"They're doing a three-way, which actually makes no sense, but the idea there is to actually showcase Ricochet, which is not saying that he's necessarily winning. He might be, but the idea is that in the match at The Garden, Ricochet's going to be there as a babyface against two heels and two big heels and he's not a big guy, so the dynamic is supposed to work for him—I mean the match is for him."

The Triple Threat actually does make sense in terms of protecting both Ricochet and Joe, and giving both of them an opportunity to advance to the finals. The Triple Threat is also far more palatable than a Corbin singles match against either Superstar would have been.

Both Andrade and Ali look like candidates to go to the finals on SmackDown, but Andrade has to be considered the favorite, which would make Ricochet the favorite on Raw.

If Ricochet can overcome both Joe and Corbin on what will be a significant episode of Raw since it is emanating from Madison Square Garden in New York City for the first time in nearly a decade, it should get him over even more as a face and give him a ton of momentum heading toward the King of the Ring finals at Clash of Champions.

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