Tag: Triple H

WWE executive Paul Levesque (Triple H) has assumed \”all responsibilities related to WWE\’s creative,\” the company announced Monday morning.

Vince McMahon\’s retirement on Friday has sent shockwaves throughout the wrestling world. It\’s led to a significant shakeup to WWE\’s management structure, with Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan serving as co-CEO\’s.

Prior to the Vince retirement announcement, WWE announced Levesque was appointed as the new head of Talent Relations. In a press release about his new role, Levesque stated,

“I look forward to returning to my prior position as head of Talent Relations. I’m healthy, fired up, and ready to take charge.\”

Triple H Assumes Control of WWE Creative

In a press release sent out Monday morning, WWE and its Board of Directors addressed the updated management structure:

WWE & BOARD OF DIRECTORS ANNOUNCE NEW CO-CEOS STEPHANIE MCMAHON AND NICK KHAN

WWE (NYSE: WWE) and its Board of Directors today announced the appointment of Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan as co-Chief Executive Officers. Ms. McMahon has also been appointed Chairwoman of the Board, and Mr. Khan will continue to serve as a member of the Board. These appointments follow Vince McMahon’s retirement announcement on Friday, July 22.

We are grateful for the opportunity to lead WWE together with our unmatched management team,” said Ms. McMahon and Mr. Khan. “We recognize this is a tremendous opportunity and responsibility, and we look forward to serving the WWE Universe.”

Additionally, WWE executive Paul Levesque will assume all responsibilities related to WWE’s creative, in addition to his regular duties.\"

Monday’sRaw will be the first broadcast under the new creative regime headed by Paul Levesque.

On July 22, WWE made a major announcement revealing that Triple H is back.

WWE sent out a press release announcing that Paul “Triple H” Levesque has returned to his executive position as EVP, Talent Relations.

WWE said:

STAMFORD, Conn., July 22, 2022 – WWE today announced that effective immediately, Paul Levesque will resume his executive position as EVP, Talent Relations.

“I look forward to returning to my prior position as head of Talent Relations. I’m healthy, fired up, and ready to take charge,” said Levesque.

Triple H\’s Time Away

In the fall of 2021, Triple H left his duties as NXT producer to take care of his health issues. This included undergoing a successful procedure following a cardiac event. 

During his time away, NXT rebranded to NXT 2.0 with more focus on newer talent and a brighter display. He did make on-screen appearances at NXT Stand & Deliver and night two of WrestleMania 38.

In March, Triple H announced his in-ring retirement and detailed his health scare from viral pneumonia. 

It seems Triple H has some level of power in WWE again.

At one point, it seemed like Hunter would be the one to take over once Vince McMahon\’s time is up. He ran NXT to his liking and the brand garnered huge praise.

Triple H ran into problems when WWE wanted NXT to go head-to-head with AEW. NXT was often beat in viewership and \”The Game\’s\” power soon dwindled.

Once the WWE legend suffered from heart failure, his entire NXT team was pretty much gutted. It seemed like it was a point of no return in terms of HHH\’s power within the company but things may be turning a corner.

Triple H May Have Gained Back Power

It was reported by John Pollock that during a recent visit to the WWE Performance Center, Triple H declared that he\’s back.

Details have been scarce on exactly had that means. With that said, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer says that it would appear Triple H has gained some power within the company again.

What that exactly entails going forward remains to be seen.

Of course, this is all happening in the midst of an investigation into Vince McMahon\’s alleged secret $3 million hush pact with a former employee. Vince has voluntarily stepped back as the CEO and Chairman of WWE.

With that said, Vince still runs creative.

Triple H may have just given a big update on his future with WWE.

\”The Game\” has been dealing with health issues, which forced him to retire from in-ring action. He has a defibrillator in his chest due to heart failure and many have questioned whether or not he can take on a potentially stress-inducing role behind the scenes ever again.

While details are scarce at this time, Triple is said to have made quite the statement during a recent visit to the WWE Performance Center.

Triple H Says He\’s Back

John Pollock of POST Wrestling is reporting that Triple H spoke while inside the WWE PC on June 22. It\’s been said that \”The Game\” declared he\’s \”back,\” although exactly what he means by that remains to be seen.

\”According to multiple sources, Paul Levesque was in Orlando today and spoke at the Performance Center. Of the people I heard from, Levesque stated \’he\’s back\’ – it is unknown what that entails but that was the wording I was given.\”

Many have speculated that this is in regards to a potential return on the creative side of things for NXT 2.0. When Hunter was forced to step away due to health issues, his NXT team was gutted and the vision was changed.

The show has been doing far worse in viewership than it was when Triple H was at the helm. The whole point of the change, however, was to make the NXT brand a true developmental system to build the type of characters Vince McMahon would want on the main roster.

It\’s pretty much certain that Hunter isn\’t talking about an in-ring return. As one would imagine, WWE\’s medical team wouldn\’t clear him to have another match.

Cody Rhodes isn\’t expected back on WWE TV for months following his torn pectoral muscle suffered while training.

Despite the injury, Rhodes muscled through to defeat Seth Rollins at WWE Hell in a Cell 2022 in one of the gutsiest performances of his career.

On the Raw after Hell in a Cell, Rhodes was written off TV by a sledgehammer attack by Rollins.

Losing Rhodes is a huge blow to WWE who have made him the de facto face of the company since returning at WrestleMania 38, but the \”American Nightmare\” can expect a huge push upon his return.

Cody Rhodes – The New Triple H

A new report in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that there\’s been talk about giving Cody a huge return, akin to Triple H in early 2002.

After \”The Game\” tore his quadriceps in mid-2001, he was out for months and had a lot of build to his January 2002 return.

WWE\’s production team filmed Triple H\’s surgery and recovery, with weeks of promotional videos hyping his return.

Triple H eventually returned to a thunderous response inside Madison Square Garden and captured the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 18.

Similarly, WWE reportedly recorded the entirety of Cody\’s surgery and plans on using the footage in promotional packages.

Despite WWE reporting that he will be out for nine months, Cody is expected to return much sooner, and could be a selling point for the 2023 Royal Rumble.

The 2002 Rumble match marked Triple H\’s first televised match back from his injury and he would win the 30-man bout.

It\’s been a wild turn of events for Vince McMahon and WWE.

The Wall Street Journal recently dropped a bombshell report of an investigation. McMahon allegedly made a secret $3 million hush pact who a former employee. Vince supposedly had an affair with the ex-employee.

WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis may also be in hot water. The report notes that Vince allegedly passed the ex-employee to Laurinaitis \”like a toy.\”

The investigation is being conducted by the board of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.

Vince McMahon\’s Potential Replacement

The belief is that this could be the greatest threat to Vince McMahon\’s power in WWE since the 1994 steroid trial. While Vince was facing prison time for that trial, this current situation is still serious and pressure could mount on the WWE Chairman.

During a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that there are two key people to look out for should Vince McMahon actually be forced to step down.

Bruce Prichard has been described as the \”number two guy\” in WWE right now in terms of booking the shows. Meltzer notes that many within the company don\’t believe Bruce would be able to fill Vince\’s shoes due to health problems and other things.

Triple H is still in play as well. He also has had some major health issues and many wonder if he should even take on such a role if offered. Of course, his vision for NXT being dismantled has many skeptical that he\’d be the first choice to take over the booking.

PWInsider is reporting that WWE is taking the \”business as usual\” approach for the June 17 episode of SmackDown. The WWE crew has been informed that Vince McMahon will be at the show.

Triple H continues to make more public appearances for WWE after suffering a life-threatening medical situation last year as he recently was with the new WWE NIL class. 

On Monday, the company announced that 15 college athletes will be joining the “Next In Line” program. The second NIL class features athletes from 14 universities. The first NIL class was announced last year. 

Second WWE NIL Class

• Ali Mattox of Ole Miss, a 5-foot-7 cheer & dance athlete from Little Rock, Ark.
• Case Hatch of Arizona State, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound football player from Gilbert, Ariz.
• Chandler Hayden of Tennessee, a 5-foot-11 track & field athlete from Pittsfield, Ill.
• Cohlton Schultz of Arizona State, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound wrestler from Parker, Colo.
• Derrian Gobourne of Auburn, a 5-foot-4 gymnast from Sarasota, Fla.
• Ericka Link of Elon, a 5-foot-6 volleyball player from Hedgesville, W.Va.
• Keshaun Moore of Hampton, a 6-foot-3, 270-pound football player from Suffolk, Va.
• Luke Ford of Illinois, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound football player from Carterville, Ill.
• Maliq Carr of Michigan State, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound football and basketball player from Inkster, Mich.
• Mikala Hall of Central Michigan, a 5-foot-5 basketball player from Danville, Ill.
• Rachel Glenn of South Carolina, a 6-foot track & field athlete from Long Beach, Calif.
• Ruben Banks of Arkansas, a 6-foot-4, 270-pound track & field athlete from Binfield, England
• Thunder Keck of Stanford, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound football player from Northfield, N.H.
• Tyanna Omazic of Miami, a 6-foot-2 volleyball player from Kansas City, Mo.
• Zachary Knighton-Ward of Hofstra, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound wrestler from Rosedale, N.Y.

Triple H is back full-time in the WWE office after he suffered a cardiac event last September where he was struggling with viral pneumonia and was at risk for heart failure.

Brian \’Road Dogg\’ James is one of the most prominent backstage figures released by WWE this year. Some people wondered if his departure was related to Triple H losing power in the company.

The Game had to step away from WWE due to heart issues last year. The company has revamped the NXT brand since then and released numerous key members of his team.

Road Dogg addressed the rumors of his release being related to it during an interview with ITRWrestling.com. He noted how WWE released over a dozen people on the day he was let go and it probably saved the company $5 to $10 million per year:

\”So from a business perspective, ‘Hey, we got to trim some fat down there.’ Now, if by trimming that fat, my name came into play because I was a Hunter guy. I can’t speak to that and I don’t think that would be the case.\”

• Road Dogg On How Higher Ups Viewed NXT During Triple H’s Time

Per Road Dogg, the officials must have decided to just cut down people who were making the most money. He also revealed that he talked to Vince McMahon after his WWE release and thanked him:

\”These are the people that are making the most money, to be quite honest with you, but how else do we trim the fat? Vince and I spoke after that via text and it’s all gravy, I thanked him for the ten years of life experience and ten years’ worth of pay.”

You can check out Road Dogg\’s full interview below:

Kevin Owens doesn\’t think he\’d be where he\’s at in his professional wrestling career without Triple H.

Owens was recently interviewed by TalkSport, and during the conversation, touched on \”The Game\’s\” impact on his career. \”KO\” had nothing but praise for Triple H, saying he\’s all about growing the industry and giving people a chance.

“I wouldn’t be here without him That’s all that comes to it. When you say full stop, that really is it. Nobody has done more for me than Triple H in my career.

\”There was always this reputation about him, right? I always thought he was really good at what he did and to me, he always elevated the shows he was on and the people he was working with so I never really got that vibe of the reputation.

\”I wasn’t surprised when I met him that he was a guy who was all about growing the industry and giving people a chance.

\”He proved my assumptions right many times over the past few years and a lot of us – a lot of us – wouldn’t be here without him.”

Triple H was a big part of Owen\’s first World Championship victory storyline. In August of 2016, Triple H turned on Seth Rollins to assist Kevin Owens in winning the Universal Championship.

It was Owens\’ first World Title victory in WWE. Since, Owens has gone on to do a tremendous amount under the WWE banner. He\’s a two-time Intercontinental Champion, a three-time United States Champion, and, as aforementioned, an ex-WWE Universal Champion.

Owens was also one-half of one of the most iconic segments in WrestleMania history. At WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, Texas, Owens welcomed WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin back to the ring.

\”KO\” and Austin competed in a No Holds Barred match to close out Night One of \”The Show Of Shows.\” The pair put on an extremely entertaining segment on \”The KO Show,\” which led to Owens challenging Austin to a match.

When it was all said and done, Owens was defeated by Austin. However, it\’s a moment Owens will cherish for the rest of his career.

WWE superstar Drew McIntyre says he pitched to have a matchup with Triple H at this year\’s WrestleMania 38.

The Scottish Warrior revealed during an interview with TalkSport that without the Game\’s assistance he would not have returned to WWE back in 2017, a run that saw McIntyre become NXT champion, Raw tag champion, a Royal Rumble winner, and a two-time WWE champion.

\”He’s the reason I’m back in WWE 100 percent. My mind was set at the time when I wasn’t going to re-sign with IMPACT that I’m going to Japan.\”

McIntyre later elaborates on the pitch he made to face the Cerebral Assassin at the Showcase of the Immortals, stating that it\’s unfortunate he had to retire for health reasons but is happy that he\’s going to be okay for his family.

“I wanted a match (with Triple H). It’s unfortunate it won’t happen but I’m just glad he’s healthy for himself and his family. I pitched (a match) at every opportunity I could. How about us at WrestleMania? ‘What’s the story?’ [Triple H said] and I’d say ‘What’s the story? We’ll figure it out, but what about you and me at WrestleMania?!’ How awesome would that be.\”

This wouldn\’t have been the first time this duo stood across the ring from each other, but a proper singles-matchup at this point is off the table. McIntyre does recall in the interview the few times he got to share the ring with Triple H, and what a pro he is, even calling him a general in the ring.

\”It was cool to go back and forth a little bit and you understand just how good he is, what a ring general he is. You can see watching, but you don’t know until you’re in there with them just how good. Just some interactions during an 8-man tag in Japan I could tell like ‘wow, he’s really frigging good.\’\”

McIntyre seems to be headed towards another showdown with Roman Reigns at WWE\’s upcoming Clash at the Castle pay-per-view, their first major event in the U.K. in over three decades.

Triple H has taken to Twitter to pay homage to the 20-year anniversary of his good friend, Batista\’s, WWE debut.

On May 9, 2002, Batista made his WWE TV debut on SmackDown as Deacon Batista, an enforcer for Reverend D-Von. Nobody knew at the time that Batista would go on to become one of the WWE\’s biggest and most accomplished stars of all time.

Triple H, Batista\’s longtime friend and former Evolution stablemate, has taken to Twitter to offer his reaction to the 20-year anniversary of Batista\’s WWE debut.

\”In the 20 years since @DaveBautista was first introduced to the @WWE Universe, he has never stopped growing and evolving. A main event player, multi-time champion and Hollywood star, one thing has stayed the same: he never stopped chasing his dreams. Congratulations Dave!\”

Throughout his time with WWE, Batista was able to rack up six World Title runs. He has shared the ring with some of the biggest performers in WWE history; such as John Cena, The Undertaker, Triple H, and so many more. Batista is also a four-time Tag Team Title winner and a two-time Royal Rumble winner.

Batista left WWE as a full-time performer in 2010, instead venturing off into the acting world. He certainly found some success in front of the camera, landing major roles in projects such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe\’s \”The Guardians Of The Galaxy,\” \”Army Of The Dead,\” \”See,\” and much more.

He also tried his hand in mixed martial arts (MMA), taking a pro MMA fight in 2012 at heavyweight. Batista actually won the fight via first round knockout under the CES MMA banner. It was \”The Animal\’s\” first and only MMA fight to this day.

Batista has since returned to WWE a handful of times for short programs, including his latest against Triple H in 2019. Putting his career on the line against Triple H at WrestleMania 35, Batista was defeated and later announced his retirement from professional wrestling.

W. Morrissey has reflected on the time Triple H was none too pleased with him over a promo that wasn\’t in the script.

Morrissey performed as \”Big Cass\” under the WWE banner. He teamed with Enzo Amore and there was a time when the team received red hot crowd reactions. Eventually, the two were split and their WWE careers never quite took off like many were hoping.

W. Morrissey Leaves Triple H Fuming

During an appearance on The Sessions with Renee Paquette, W. Morrissey revealed that the decision he and Enzo made to sing a Frank Sinatra song at SummerSlam got them an earful from Triple H due to concerns of copyright (h/t Wrestling Inc).

“Creatively, it was just a new set of talent to work with, to do promos with. We got to do things with the New Day, which was awesome to kind of feed off of other tag teams and have fun with that. We did the one segment with the New Day overseas in the UK, and it’s just a totally different ballgame. NXT is, I guess it’s less worrisome, it’s less nervewracking, and it’s not as big of a deal. When you get to WWE, it’s kind of like everything you do is a big deal and it could have consequences. We messed up a few times.

“I can think of one time when we really messed up. We went off-script at Summerslam in Brooklyn and sang a Frank Sinatra song. You can’t sing or imitate things that are copyrighted. That was a stern talking too. He was furious, Hunter. We didn’t know. We didn’t know those sorts of things.

“I think everything is amplified and it’s so much bigger, and the magnitude of things you do and the consequences of the things you do are way bigger. That’s something that maybe, in the moment, I didn’t realize. But you’re on live television. If you mess up or do something that can cost the company, that’s on you. It’s way bigger, it comes with a lot more money and a lot more glory, whatever you want to call it, but you have to watch yourself a lot more.”

Morrissey currently works for Impact Wrestling. It has been heavily implied that Wardlow\’s mystery opponent for the May 4 episode of AEW Dynamite will be Morrissey. Impact and AEW have worked together in the past, so this wouldn\’t be surprising to many.