‘You Just Have Money, Where I Have Passion’- AEW’s Dustin Rhodes Fires Back at Triple H

The wrestling world rose in anger after Triple H’s recent media call ahead of NXT Takeover. The Game’s comments on NXT’s women’s division weren’t harmful, but it riled up a ton of people. From Thunder Rosa to Dustin Rhodes, AEW stars have fired back the NXT head honcho’s comments.

Dustin Rhodes fires back at Triple H

In a pre-Takeover media call, former WWE Champion and COO Triple H praised NXT’s women’s division. For the past few years, the women’s division has been the focal point of the brand’s success. Names like Io Shirai, Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair and of course the Four Horsewomen all rose to fame from the same division.

“Yeah, if you want to wrestle the best women in the world, come to the WWE. That’s where they are. If you want to go elsewhere and say that they are, that’s an opinion. And you can, but it is what it is, and while I’m all for it. I was one of the biggest drivers of it. Will we do another all-women’s event down the line? Possibly, but you know it’s not the must-have in the moment.

“I think we do an amazing job of displaying our female athletes, and is it perfect? No. Will it always be in flux? Yes. But I think we do a pretty good job, and in my opinion, the best female performers in the world are in WWE, and then if they’re not, they want to be.”

These comments received backlash from AEW’s female competitor Thunder Rosa, and now Dustin Rhodes. Having worked with Triple H for decades, Rhodes did not hesitate in commenting on the issue. He cited that WWE plays the money card but AEW has more passion. He threw further shade on WWE with #HandsNotTied.

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How different is the NXT Women’s Division from AEW’s?

Aside from recency bias, AEW’s women’s division hasn’t blossomed into the cornerstone of the company people envisioned it to be. Often they’ve relied on the joshi pro wrestlers to make up for the lack of roster depth. They have stars like Thunder Rosa, Britt Baker, Nyla Rose and Penelope Ford, but WWE outclasses them in the star power department.

Names like Ember Moon, Io Shirai, Raquel Gonzalez weren’t overnight successes. Shirai’s career stuttered too, but a brilliant heel turn took her right to the top of the division. As for the rest of the division’s stars, they get their time in the spotlight because of more matches on regular television and PPVs.

Takeover cards feature two women’s matches, while AEW has no option but feature their Women’s Title or else it’ll become an afterthought. The change should begin with increasing exposure and boosting their female competitor’s profile. Before you know it, AEW’s women’s division will be on par with NXT’s.

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