Triple H thinks CM Punk and AJ Lee could ‘absolutely’ return to WWE one day.
The COO of the company – whose real name is Paul Levesque – has echoed comments made by his wife Stephanie McMahaon last month and described both stars as ‘phenomenal performers’ while leaving the door wide open for a potential comeback that seemed incredibly unlikely even a year ago.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk in a conference call ahead of NXT UK Takeover Blackpool II this weekend, he said: ‘If it was right for them, for the company, for everyone involved, then absolutely. I don’t think that’s ever been a factor, of somebody saying “this person should be here, or that person should be here”.
‘Incredible talent are always incredible talent – but there’s so much more to the business than just being a talented performer… I can fantasy book and say I’d like to be young again but that ain’t happening too!
‘In a perfect world? Yeah, sure. Again, you’ve heard Vince echo that sentiment so many times of the years, never say never!’
His comments come after CM Punk made his sensational return to wrestling programming last year as part of the Backstage pundit team on Fox Sports, but it still remains to be seen if the former world champ can be tempted back into the squared circle.
It also remains to be see if Triple H himself – whose last match came when he won an all-out brawl with Batista at last year’s WrestleMania in New Jersey – will lace up the boots for another match, as he becomes more and more involved in his role behind the scenes.
He laughed: ‘Sometimes I look at the talent and I think, oh man, if I was 25 and could step in the ring with them – but then the reality quickly comes back to me. “You’re not 25 and you can’t do that!”
‘The business evolves, and in some way – I look at it, from a story telling standpoint, that’s what we’re sort of teaching them and that comes from experience. But the physicality of it and the things that a lot of talent are able to do – I couldn’t do that anyway!’
For The Game, there is a whole wealth of rising stars he’d love to have the chance to share the ring with, but the 50-year-old legend described the WWE as a ‘young man’s business’.
‘While, yeah, in a fantasy world that’s very intriguing and there are a lot of talent… there are a lot of talent that I look back on my career and think, if I was in my prime, I’d be all over pitching ideas to do something with this talent,’ he said. ‘But the reality is, you’re not young anymore. It all moves on and it’s a young man’s business, and hopefully that always continues.’
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