Triple H On Convincing Bruno Sammartino And CM Punk To Return To WWE

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul โ€œTriple Hโ€ Levesque appeared on the SI Media Podcast with Jimmy Traina to discuss various topics, including the conversations he had with CM Punk and Bruno Sammartino that led to both menโ€™s WWE returns.

Triple H said, โ€œThere are people out there where, because of things they did where you just canโ€™t get outside of the scope of โ€˜that would be a negative. No matter how you cut it, it would be a negative.โ€™ But I would always be open to the conversation, no matter who it was. When Punk and I were having these conversations with Nick and going through this, when we first got on the phone, one of the things I said was, โ€˜I want to clear the air. Iโ€™m not the same guy I was 10-15 years ago. If I was, I wasted 10-15 years of my life. Iโ€™ve grown. Iโ€™ve changed. I have a different point of view. I would believe youโ€™re not the same person you were 10 years ago and that you have changed. Letโ€™s both assume that and then wipe everything else, bad thoughts, whether real or imagined, letโ€™s get rid of them and say these are two different people that are going to talk about doing business together. How can we approach that in a way that is just, letโ€™s talk about it. If we find that we donโ€™t have a common goal, no worries, thatโ€™s just business. If we do, wonderful, letโ€™s do something big together.โ€™ Everybody changes, everybody grows, everybody moves on, whether positive or negative, and things people did in the past or bad blood can be overcome for the right reasons. I believe that now, I believed that years ago when I was talk to Bruno. I believe it when I was talking to Warrior. All these people that, over time, people told me, when I first went to Vince and said, โ€˜I want to talk to Bruno,โ€™ he said, โ€˜If you want to waste your time, go ahead. Itโ€™s never going to happen.โ€™ It took me two and a half years, but we got there. I believe those conversations can happen and people can change. I will never say never, but weโ€™ll have to see.โ€

You can check out the complete podcast below.

(H/T to Fightful for transcribing the above quotes)