WWE: Triple H Says He Has Had Discussions With AJ Styles About Potential Final WWE Opponents, Thea Hail on Her Shock NXT Women’s North American Title Victory, Reason Why WWE Isn’t Planning A PLE at Wembly Stadium

Jan 28, 2026

Triple H Says He Has Had Discussions With AJ Styles About Potential Final WWE Opponents

A recent episode of ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike podcast featured WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” Levesque as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Levesque’s thoughts about AJ Styles putting his wrestling career on the line against Gunther at this weekend’s Royal Rumble 2026 event and him having talks with Styles about potential final WWE opponents for Styles’ career.

“We’re going to have to see. You know, AJ Styles has not made it a secret this year, 2026, is going to be his last in-ring year. But he has a lot of goals and a lot of people — I know he’s with me every week making a list of people that he would want to face and that he wants to meet in the ring before he retires.
But as Gunther was disrespecting John Cena about doing the one thing he said he would never do, which is quit or give up, Gunther made [Cena] do that in his final match. AJ Styles has taken offense to that. He put his career on the line against Gunther, saying that if he can’t beat him, if he can’t end this streak for Gunther, then he’s done.
I, for one, hope that that doesn’t happen. I hope AJ Styles continues because he’s an incredible talent. But if it does, what an unbelievable run he’s had.”

Transcript h/t: F4WOnline.com

Thea Hail Comments on Her Shock NXT Women’s North American Title Victory

As noted before, the December 16th WWE NXT show featured Thea Hail defeating Blake Monroe to become the new NXT Women’s North American Champion. Hail’s victory was later confirmed to have been due to a botched finish call after Monroe had gotten the wind knocked out of her from Hail’s springboard senton move.

A recent episode of the Busted Open After Dark podcast featured Hail as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Hail’s thoughts about her surprise NXT Women’s North American title victory at the time and it being her first championship victory in her wrestling career.

“So the funniest part of this all is that I never confine my friends or family in the crowd. That night was the first night I have ever made direct eye contact with my best friend Steve, and I hear the one, two, three. I look up, I see Steve — and he lives with me — and I’m like, ‘Steve, I’ve done it somehow. I’m walking back in our house tonight with the North American Title.’ I was like, ‘This is absolutely insane.’ I couldn’t believe it for myself, honestly, because after I’d been in the WWE for about three and a half years now, I’ve been pro wrestling for about five, and in that moment, I knew that I’ve changed the trajectory of the future of my career, and that’s one of the craziest things that — I’m 22 — I have accomplished what so many people have spent a lifetime trying to get and that’s a WWE championship.”

Hail also gave her thoughts about the negative reactions she saw on social media after she had won the title from Monroe.

“I think people just have a lot to say for no reason, sometimes. Sorry guys, but, Thea Hail won. Thea Hail hit the ‘boing.’ One, two, three, and I think a lot of people were upset about that, and I don’t know why because I worked really hard and I think you guys have all seen me work really hard so, let a girl win.”

Hail also gave her thoughts about how WWE Performance Center head coach Matt Bloom had told her before the match that if she was going to do her senton during matches then she needed to ‘lay it in.’

“The Kimura lock is my quote-unquote finisher, but, I got some advice prior to the match and they were like, ‘Hey, if you hit that senton, you gotta lay it in. You gotta hit that senton,’ and I was like, ‘Hmm.’ … Matt Bloom. Matt Bloom is probably one of the most insane, influential coaches in my career, and he’s one of those people that’s like, ‘Thea, you’re little, you gotta hit ‘em. You gotta hit ‘em.’ I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ma hit ‘em. I’ma hit ‘em.’”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

Reason Why WWE Isn’t Planning A PLE at Wembly Stadium

WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select reported in a recent Q&A article that their sources stated that the reason why WWE has yet to hold an event in Wembley Stadium for their return to the United Kingdom for shows in recent years is due to financial-related issues.

It was reported that London city officials and Wembley officials do not want to pay WWE’s current high asking price for a site fee for a WWE event at the venue.

It was reported that this is WWE’s current strategy of wanting big cities to pay up in order to get a big WWE PLE and use it as something they can promote as part of their tourism department. WWE reportedly is not going to shy away from their high asking prices for events meaning if London wants a big WWE event at Wembley, they will have to pay a big price for it.

It was also reported that this is the main reason why Wembley Stadium has been AEW focused instead for wrestling events at the venue.