Tag: paul triple h levesque

WWE 2K26 announces ‘King of Kings’ edition

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Triple H is front and center on a newly unveiled special edition of WWE 2K26.

We still don’t have a release date for the game or know who the main cover star will be, but it was announced today that there will be a special “King of Kings” edition featuring Triple H on that cover. Like with the recently announced “Attitude Era” and “Monday Night War” variants, this is a special edition of the game priced at a higher point with some additional add-ons. Details regarding the pricing and features have not been announced yet.

This Friday (January 30) is when pre-orders for the game will go live. Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Paul Heyman starred in 2K’s advertisement announcing this new edition.

Triple H is also included on the “Attitude Era” and “Monday Night War” covers alongside other stars from that period.

While not much about the gameplay is known yet, Insider Gaming reported earlier this month that CM Punk will be the focus of the annual Showcase mode, which is a story mode that spotlights a specific wrestler and allows you to play through their journey. The mode will allow you to relive some of Punk’s past matches as well as play through some dream matches that never got the chance to happen.

Triple H addresses R-Truth WWE contract ordeal: ‘He was never fired’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

To promote the new season of “WWE: Unreal,” Netflix has released a sneak peek with Paul “Triple H” Levesque addressing R-Truth’s contract saga from 2025.

Season two of the “Unreal” docuseries arrives on Netflix tomorrow (January 20). One of the focal points will be WWE’s controversial decision to not renew Truth’s contract last year, which sparked fan outcry and ultimately led to Truth being brought back without ever having officially departed WWE.

In the “Unreal” clip, Levesque frames WWE’s decision to not renew as one that was made because communication had broken down between the two sides in contract negotiations. Levesque says that, by making the decision they did, WWE was hoping Truth might change his mind and engage them on a new deal. Instead, Truth took to social media and said he was being released.

“We got to a point in Truth’s run where his contract was coming up,” Levesque says in the clip. “When you are dealing with contracts and money and you’re very far apart in the numbers and communication breaks down, it’s very easy for both sides to read into the communications differently. ‘Okay, well, if you’re not going to come to us, then Truth, we’re going to let your contract lapse. Your contract is at the end. We’re not going to renew.’ Knowing that hopefully maybe this will force his hand to say, ‘Well, hold on a second. Can we talk?’ He immediately went out on social and said he was fired — which, he was never fired, contrary to prior belief. He was never not under contract with us.”

Brief comments from Truth and Brian “Road Dogg” James are also included in the clip. Truth says that, when he was informed of WWE’s decision, he felt like he was being released. James — who is good friends with Truth and is his former tag team partner — called WWE’s decision heartbreaking but believes it made perfect business sense considering that Truth is in his 50s.

The outcry from fans, along with Truth receiving significant support from his colleagues, led to WWE reversing course and signing Truth to a new long-term contract. WWE President Nick Khan played a significant role in making the deal happen.

Celebs star in new WWE WrestleMania 42 promo video

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has released a new celebrity-laden video promoting WrestleMania 42.

With the calendar flipping over to 2026, WrestleMania is now just over three months away. The promotional push to the event has already included advertisements highlighting the WWE men’s division and women’s division — and the company uploaded a new video today with Paul “Triple H” Levesque and a litany of celebrities.

In the comedic video, the celebs contact Levesque all trying to get roles on WrestleMania. Peyton Manning, Jon Bernthal, Pete Davidson, Cooper DeJean, Eric Andre, IShowSpeed, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Lil Yachty, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, Tony Hinchcliffe, Cam Skattebo, and Travis Barker are all featured.

Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas is hosting WrestleMania 42 on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. This is Vegas’ second straight year hosting Mania, with WrestleMania 41 also having been held at Allegiant Stadium in 2025.

“WrestleMania Vegas. Everybody wants in,” the promo video says. “Also, please stop emailing Paul. And texting him.”

The WrestleMania card has yet to come into focus, but we’ll start to get a clearer picture with the Royal Rumble taking place in Saudi Arabia at the end of this month. Riyadh is hosting that PLE on Saturday, January 31.

Triple H explains why WWE avoids stereotypical characters

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Avoiding stereotypical characters is a conscious decision that Paul “Triple H” Levesque makes as WWE’s Chief Content Officer.

During his appearance at the All-In 2025 business summit, Levesque was asked if he believes it’s harder now for WWE to have characters like The Iron Sheik who played on the geopolitical tension that existed at the time. Levesque said that, while WWE is a reflection of the world, he wants it to be a fun reflection where people can come and just enjoy entertainment.

“Absolutely,” Levesque responded. “I just think that if you stereotype somebody into a particular place, a lot of the world would rebel against that. Not in a positive way. And maybe sometimes people that have no real reason to have a position on either side of that, right?

“The one thing about WWE is: we’re a fun reflection of the world. It’s supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be entertainment. It’s supposed to be fantastical. It’s supposed to let you come to an event for three hours and just turn off and enjoy entertainment and some type of representation of the world that is around you. But people get lost in it and they begin to take the representations too seriously sometimes.”

When booking heels, Levesque wants them to be characters that have at least some justification in what they do.

“I have a saying in what I do right now, as long as the bad guy, the heel, is justified somewhere in his mind that what he is doing is right, that leads to the best heel, right? Because if 90 percent of the world disagrees with you but you believe, ‘No, you’re all wrong. I see this and it is right.’ You can run down that road. You’re not just trying to be the, you know, the curly mustache, bad guy heel tying people to the railroad tracks.

“It’s real. You feel it, and it’s real. And it’s why you want to get to that place, right or wrong, for most people.”

Levesque’s appearance at the All-In summit took place in September but was not uploaded until this week. Full video of the conversation can be seen below:

Triple H: Booking WWE is ‘much more akin to Marvel’ than UFC

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Paul “Triple H” Levesque believes there aren’t that many similarities between booking pro wrestling and booking MMA.

During an appearance on the All-In podcast (recorded in September but not uploaded until today), WWE’s Chief Content Officer was asked if he feels pressured to make the product more physical given how popular UFC is. Levesque responded that he thinks WWE and UFC are actually “total opposites” — though both are star-driven industries where fans are most interested in big personalities.

“We tell stories,” Levesque said. “People within our business sometimes take this wrong, but we don’t write the shows based on ‘That’ll be a great match.’ We write it on the stories that we can create, the protagonist, the antagonist, how does that work with each other, telling stories that can resonate with people that maybe they’ve experienced in their real life, some type of fantastical version of that.”

Levesque said the process of laying out WWE storyline arcs is more similar to plotting out movies in the Marvel Universe.

“I would say we’re much more akin to, like, the Marvel Universe, where you’re planning out long term where the movies fit and how they go with all the characters than we are direct MMA,” Levesque said. “At the end of the day, direct MMA is — you’re booking matches and the interest is, ‘That guy’s really good. He’s really good. I’m not sure who’s going to win. Let’s put them together.’ When you get the right personalities involved, then it explodes.”

Led by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, WWE and UFC have the same ownership with both being under the TKO Group umbrella.

WWE reveals official poster for Survivor Series: WarGames

Posted on by Joseph Currier

With last weekend’s Saturday Night’s Main Event now over, WWE is setting its sights toward Survivor Series: WarGames.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque revealed the official poster for the November 29 PLE on social media today. The poster highlights The Vision, who are likely to feature in the men’s WarGames match with Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed competing.

“A show so big and a match so brutal, it could only be held in a stadium,” Levesque wrote. “You don’t rise to the moment…you survive it.”

The competitors for the men’s and women’s WarGames matches have not been announced yet. Despite Seth Rollins being injured and no longer part of The Vision, plans are still for Breakker and Reed to lead a team against a babyface squad featuring new World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk and Roman Reigns.

WarGames has been the theme of Survivor Series ever since Levesque took over as head of creative. He first brought the legendary Dusty Rhodes creation to WWE in 2017 while booking NXT.

Petco Park in San Diego — the home of Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres — will be the venue for Survivor Series. The show is taking place on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend and will stream live on the ESPN app in the United States and Netflix elsewhere.

Triple H praises work ethic of WWE Champion Cody Rhodes

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Paul “Triple H” Levesque is grateful to have Cody Rhodes leading the WWE roster right now.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Levesque praised the work ethic Rhodes has shown heading into Crown Jewel: Perth, crediting him for how he’s taken the time to do media and charity work — along with still working out in the gym — despite a hectic travel schedule. He praised Rhodes for showing the quarterback-type leadership that it takes to be a top WWE star.

“People only see results… they don’t see what it takes to achieve them,” Levesque wrote. “14 hours to Dubai. Find a gym in the airport… grind. 10 more to Perth. Straight to @ESPN hit… meet @MakeAWish
families.

“QB1 stuff. What it takes to be a @WWE Superstar. Thank you to all. (Sorry @CodyRhodes, felt like I needed to share)”

Rhodes — the WWE Champion — is facing World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins at Crown Jewel this Saturday. Neither of their titles are on the line, but the winner will become the Crown Jewel Champion for 2025. Rhodes is looking to repeat after defeating Gunther last year to become the first-ever men’s Crown Jewel Champion.

Saturday’s PLE has a start time of 8 a.m. Eastern, streaming live on the ESPN app in the United States and Netflix elsewhere. The women’s Crown Jewel Championship match will pit WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton against Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer.

AJ Styles accepts John Cena’s challenge for WWE match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Update —

AJ Styles has now responded to John Cena and accepted his challenge for a match. As of now, WWE has yet to make it official.

**********

It looks like we’re getting closer to AJ Styles being confirmed as one of John Cena’s final opponents.

On Monday night, Cena sent out a tweet teasing that he could face AJ Styles one more time. Cena then followed that up this morning with another post advocating for the match. Specifically, he asked Paul “Triple H” Levesque if he’s listening to what the fans are asking for.

“I do not choose my opponents, but I (even through tough times) ALWAYS listen to the fans,” Cena wrote. “@AJStylesOrg are you listening? Better yet @TripleH….. are YOU listening???”

Given that Cena does not have any WWE appearances on his schedule before Crown Jewel: Perth, these tweets could be WWE’s way of setting up his plans for that show. The PLE is taking place at RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia on October 11.

Including Crown Jewel, Cena has five WWE dates left on his retirement tour:

  • Saturday, October 11: WWE Crown Jewel: Perth (Perth, Australia)
  • Monday: November 10: WWE Raw (Boston, Massachusetts)
  • Monday, November 17: WWE Raw (New York City, New York)
  • Saturday, November 29: WWE Survivor Series (San Diego, California)
  • Saturday, December 13:  WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event (reportedly Washington, D.C.)

Styles is considered one of Cena’s best-ever opponents, with the two having had a classic series of matches in 2016-2018. During his retirement tour, there have been occasions where Cena has paid homage to some of his past opponents including Styles.

Cena is coming off a loss to Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza. Despite speculation, WWE is reportedly not planning for there to be another Cena vs. Lesnar match before Cena retires.

Triple H hypes WWE Wrestlepalooza: ‘Expect spectacle, expect surprises’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Paul “Triple H” Levesque is telling fans to expect surprises at WWE Wrestlepalooza.

One day before WWE’s ESPN era begins, Levesque made an appearance on the network to hype the start of their new PLE deal. He told ESPN’s Get Up that, unlike the traditional sports the channel usually airs, WWE controls the narrative and can ensure that viewers always get a great game. He promised that Wrestlepalooza will be a spectacle.

“This card is going to be huge,” Levesque said. “Expect spectacle, expect surprises, expect to have a lot of fun, and ESPN’s going to deliver.”

The PLE is taking place from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday and will stream live on ESPN’s recently launched direct-to-consumer service. To kick off this new PLE era, John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar will be the opening match.

WWE Wrestlepalooza (7 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, September 20) —

  • Mixed tag match: AJ Lee & CM Punk vs. Becky Lynch & Seth Rollins
  • WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Drew McIntyre
  • Stephanie Vaquer vs. IYO SKY for the vacant Women’s World Championship
  • The Usos vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
  • John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar

Triple H names current WWE dream opponent

Posted on by Joseph Currier

If Paul “Triple H” Levesque could return to the ring at the peak of his powers, he would love to face Roman Reigns again.

Levesque, who has not wrestled since 2019, retired from active competition in 2022 due to heart issues. A return to the ring will not be happening, and Levesque is “totally good” with how things have turned out. He now runs WWE creative as the company’s Chief Content Officer.

But Levesque told Good Morning America on Friday that, if he could face anyone from the current roster right now, it would be Reigns.

“If I got back in at this point I’d be wrestling Father Time is what I’d be doing. Nobody, mostly me, wants to see me back in the ring,” he said. “It’s hard for me to say. I think if — in this moment right now, a current superstar — if I could go back in time and do what I did in my peak, it would be Roman Reigns.

“He’s a great guy, incredible talent, incredible performer. Out making movies right now, still a WWE Superstar but branching out into Hollywood. He’s going to be a massive, massive [star].”

Levesque and Reigns headlined WrestleMania 32 against each other in 2016, though that was toward the end of Levesque’s career and before Reigns ascended into his Tribal Chief character.

At the moment, Reigns is away from WWE programming to film his role as Akuma in an upcoming live-action “Street Fighter” movie. He will not be part of the card for WWE Wrestlepalooza this Saturday. Cody Rhodes, who also has a role in the movie, has already finished filming and will be in action at Wrestlepalooza, defending the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre.

Triple H addresses whether WWE will add more two-night PLEs

Posted on by Joseph Currier

During an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter today, Paul “Triple H” Levesque addressed whether we could see more WWE PLEs become two-night events.

WrestleMania has been a two-night affair dating back to 2020, and the first two-night SummerSlam was held earlier this month. Levesque did not confirm whether more PLEs will become two-night shows in the future, but he told ESPN that WWE will continue to super-serve its fan base.

“As far as will more of our larger events go to two nights? I think time will tell,” Levesque said. “It’s really, for us, about super-serving our fans. Just like for ESPN, you guys thrive on super-serving your fan base and the people that watch. So do we. It’s what we want to do. So when we can turn these into bigger events, make them destination weekends for fans, that’s what we will do. It’s all about our fans — our WWE Universe — and making them happy.”

Along with WrestleMania, SummerSlam will again be two nights in 2026.

Levesque, CM Punk, and Seth Rollins all made appearances on ESPN today to celebrate the news that WWE’s new PLE deal with ESPN will begin earlier than expected with Wrestlepalooza in Indianapolis on Saturday, September 20. Levesque confirmed that Pat McAfee will be at the Wrestlepalooza event.

ESPN’s new streaming service — which will carry the WWE PLEs — launched today. It’s priced at $29.99 per month or $299.99 per year, though some viewers who already pay for ESPN through a cable package will get the service at no extra cost.

Triple H addresses Brock Lesnar’s WWE return on ESPN

Posted on by Joseph Currier

During his appearance on ESPN this morning to discuss WWE’s new partnership with the network, Paul “Triple H” Levesque addressed Brock Lesnar’s return to WWE.

Lesnar reemerged from a two-year absence at SummerSlam this past weekend, appearing for the first time since his name was mentioned in Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE. The suit alleges that McMahon sent Lesnar explicit images and videos of Grant and offered Lesnar sex with Grant as an incentive of him signing a new contract with WWE.

ESPN’s Get Up asked Levesque what’s next for Lesnar following his return.

“Have you met Brock? Whatever the hell he wants,” Levesque responded. “When you’re Brock Lesnar, you sort of can — when that music hits and you walk down that aisle, doesn’t matter where he is, he sort of does what he wants to do. So we’re thrilled to have The Beast back. You know, we hit him up and said, ‘Time to come home.’ And he was into it, and here we are. A massive, massive moment for our WWE fans, something that they thought they wouldn’t get to see. And making a statement with John Cena. You know, huge — and we’re thrilled to have him back.”

There was no further discussion of Lesnar’s status past that.

Lesnar attacked Cena at the end of SummerSlam night two after Cena lost the WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes in the main event. WWE will follow up on the angle with Cena appearing live on SmackDown this Friday night.

Levesque’s appearance on Get Up came after it was announced that WWE PLEs will be moving away from Peacock in 2026 — when they will begin airing on ESPN’s new streaming service.

Triple H praises WWE crew following SummerSlam

Posted on by Joseph Currier

With SummerSlam weekend now over, Paul “Triple H” Levesque is showing appreciation for everyone who made the show possible.

SummerSlam was a two-night event for the first time ever this year, taking place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday and Sunday. Levesque sent out a tweet this morning thanking all of WWE’s behind-the-scenes workers who made the show a success, calling them the “most dedicated, passionate, and hardest working team in the business.”

“SummerSlam doesn’t just happen…It’s built from the ground up by the most dedicated, passionate, and hardest working team in the business,” he wrote. “From lighting rigs and camera shots, to pyro and production trucks — this crew is the engine behind it all.

“Thank you to every single member of the @WWE team who made these incredible nights possible. We don’t just put on a show—we create moments that last a lifetime.”

New World Champions were crowned at the end of each night of SummerSlam, with Seth Rollins leaving night one as World Heavyweight Champion and Cody Rhodes winning the Undisputed WWE Championship on night two. The second night also saw Brock Lesnar make his surprise return to WWE for the first time since his name was mentioned in Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE.

SummerSlam will be two nights again next year with U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota hosting the show in August 2026.

Karrion Kross reacts to ‘unreal’ Triple H WWE SummerSlam post-show moment

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Karrion Kross is reacting to an “unreal” moment that took place after night two of WWE SummerSlam.

During Sunday night’s post-show, there was a moment where fans outside MetLife Stadium broke out into chants of “We want Kross.” There may have been some chants for the returning Brock Lesnar mixed in, but the panel — including Paul “Triple H” Levesque — only heard “We want Brock.”

“You’ve got him. You want Brock? You’ve got him,” Levesque responded.

Kross then reacted by tweeting the following: “Unreal. They write the scripts… But the fans write the truth. Thank you, Tick tock.”

There were also Kross chants during the post-show for night one of SummerSlam, which included a match where Kross lost to Sami Zayn.

Kross has gained momentum with fans on social media over the last several months, with a worked-shoot promo about being left off WrestleMania going viral back in April. He and Scarlett’s WWE contracts are said to be up soon and it’s not known if the two have signed new deals, though it’s unclear how much of what’s going on with Kross is legitimate and how much is WWE leaning into the fan belief that he’s disrespected and underutilized.

In an interview with the Battleground Podcast prior to SummerSlam, Kross was asked about his contract status.

“I don’t think I should talk about any of it right now,” he responded. “But I am hoping that when the time is right everyone will know what’s going on, including us.”

Kross is on his second stint with WWE, returning to the company in 2022 after having been released the year prior. He was brought back to WWE following Levesque’s ascension to head of creative.

Triple H: Vince McMahon allegations are ‘totally separate and aside from what we do’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

During an appearance on The Sports Agents, Paul “Triple H” Levesque addressed how WWE has moved forward following the allegations that have been made against Vince McMahon.

McMahon resigned from WWE in January 2024 in the wake of a lawsuit filed by former company employee Janel Grant, who has accused McMahon of physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault, and sex trafficking. McMahon and WWE as a company are both named as defendants in the suit, which is still ongoing.

The Sports Agents — whose host stressed that McMahon has always denied the allegations — asked Levesque how WWE has dealt with the fallout of the situation.

“For us as a company, creative, you know, all we can do is move forward. And allegations are allegations, right? It’s a complicated relationship for anybody in life,” Levesque said. “Nobody is perfect. But accusations are made, and that’s a whole legal thing that is totally separate and aside from what we do.

“My job is to put on the best creative product that WWE can do. And luckily and happily, it’s been successful and it’s been working wonderfully. Business is in an incredible place right now and continuing to grow, especially with our partners at Netflix, and NBC, and CW, and everyone in between. It’s a wonderful time in our business and fans are enjoying it. So we’re headed in a good direction.”

The Sports Agents also asked Levesque if he’s been surprised by how much there is to learn stepping into the role of head of creative.

“Yes and no,” Levesque responded. “You know, I’d been sitting under that learning tree that was Vince McMahon and so many others — from Pat Patterson to Jack Lanza to a lot of people sitting in that learning tree. So I understood. But when they’re your decisions to make, and as the business grows, yeah, the challenges become bigger and bigger. The pull at your time and your mental focus to stay in a creative place — yeah, there’s so much that goes into it.

“It’s hard not to be surprised by it. It’s hard not to be slightly overwhelmed by it. But at the end of the day, you have — or at least I have — an incredible support team around me of writers and producers and performers that are all weighing in to help make the product everything that it is.

“So to me, that’s my favorite part about it is sitting around with talented people and creatively coming up with ideas and riffing. I would imagine it’s like a band creating music where they all just sit around and have the parts that they put into it and then are just blown away by the outcome of it. It’s a wonderful process for me. Shocking to some degree, yes, but in some ways, everything I expected it to be.”

The Sports Agents’ full interview with Levesque can be watched below: