With the return of In Your House comes the return of Todd Pettengill.
When NXT brought back the In Your House brand in 2020, Pettengill returned for various video packages, but couldn't make the event due to the pandemic. With the pandemic winding down, Pettengill will be live and in-person this Sunday for NXT TakeOver: In Your House as the host.
Speaking on the Two Man Power Trip, Pettengill explained how his return came together.
"Triple H reached out. When I left, I recommended Michael Cole, so he and I have been very good friends. We left on great terms and I stayed in touch. It seemed like a natural fit with In Your House. Like it or not, I seem to be associated with In Your House from back in the day. It's a good thing for me because it's a blast to do and now to re-create and modernize it as a TakeOver is awesome. Triple H and I had a great relationship when I was there. He remembered me and said, 'This might be fun to have you come in and do,'" he said.
When asked if he likes being associated with the In Your House brand, Pettengill replied, "It's better than being associated with prison. It's a popular thing and nostalgic. It's one of those pay-per-views that seem to have an impact on fans, so why not. There are certainly worse things to be associated with. I'm always amazed that wrestling fans, love you or hate you, they remember you. You can't say that about of a lot of sports or entertainment things. To think I've been gone for 20 years and they still remember and some have an affinity and others don't. It's awesome to have that brand recognition. It means I did something right back in the day. I still have fun doing it and if you can bring something fresh to it, you shouldn't all be about nostalgia. If you're still confident and comfortable in front of the camera and have something to say, it makes sense. If I was doddering in there and had no clue where I was or what was going on, I would say, 'probably not a good idea for nostalgia's sake,' but this seems to work out great and the response overall has been positive.
Along with hosting the event, Pettengill will be part of the NXT TakeOver Global Press Conference on Saturday. As far as hosting goes, while Pettengill is unsure what that means, he wants to make sure he puts over the product correctly.
"I have no idea what I'm doing," said Pettengill when asked specifics of his role on Sunday. "There is a press conference that I'm a part of and I guess I'm hosting the event. I don't know exactly what that means. I guess they'll tell me when I get there. I try to prepare as much as I can and know as much as I can. I think they're finding a place for me for this, so whatever that role is, I'm happy to fill it. I just want to do it correctly. Putting the guys over and telling the right story. When you're doing television, it's the same for any product, just the content is different. I'm comfortable with one aspect and learning to get comfortable with the second."
You can view the current lineup for NXT TakeOver: In Your House by clicking here.
Fightful will have live coverage of NXT TakeOver: In Your House beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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