Tag: Triple H

Daily Update: Paul Levesque’s contract as head of creative extended, other WWE town hall notes

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • What did people think of WrestleMania, the strengths and weaknesses of both shows
  • Brock Lesnar
  • Reigns vs. Punk
  • The machinations behind the scenes and in front of the camera of Rhodes vs. Orton
  • Ari Emanuel, Mark Shapiro and who has the final say and when it’s used
  • Injuries
  • Pat McAfee and Jelly roll
  • The overdoing commercials
  • All the business notes for the week
  • TV ratings
  • Netflix ratings
  • Full coverage of both shows
  • Coverage of other major shows over Mania week
  • The Ali Act, Nick Khan, Oscar de la Hoya and the arguments before the senate
  • Court filings on what percentage of revenue goes to talent in WWE
  • Why the idea of a second major MMA group is very difficult even if Ronda Rousey’s fight does big numbers
  • Mark Shapiro’s deposition contradicts claims on Vince McMahon regarding the UFC and WWE merger
  • Life and times of Van Hammer
  • Weekly wrestling odds looked at
  • The most detailed look at the TV ratings for pro wrestling shows this past week with demos, segment notes and comparisons with a year ago
  • CMLL tournament of champions final
  • How much business is up in CMLL
  • CMLL vs. MLW show next week
  • Stardom has its biggest show of the year this week
  • Major promotion parent company taking out sizeable loans
  • Kenta Kobashi shares the ring with Hiroshi Tanahashi
  • Maple Leaf Wrestling TV
  • Who had the most top matches so far this year
  • Alberto is wrestling again but not in the promotion that was to be built around him as they’ve washed their hands of him
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Double or Nothing notes
  • UFC signs new overseas deal
  • Mark Hunt arrested for domestic violence
  • WWE headed to Saudi Arabia
  • Security issues at MGM Grand for Mania week
  • How much the top TKO executives earned
  • How much Peacock has lost
  • Ric Flair speaks
  • New NXT star whose uncle was part of one of the most famous heavy metal bands

This Week’s Back Issue

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Sunday Update

— Bryan and I will be back tonight to talk about Raw, Hulk Hogan, today’s WWE meeting and other pro wrestling news.

— There was a WWE Town Hall meeting today, first reported on by Post Wrestling. They announced Paul Levesque’s contract as head of creative has been extended. This was to quell a lot of speculation going around regarding his future in that position. I didn’t think there was much to that speculation as I didn’t see anyone who would replace him, and he’s popular with the talent. It was pretty clear that they are bothered by criticism of the current product and/or WrestleMania, pushing to employees by Nick Khan at the behest of Mark Shapiro, that the complaints are from a vocal minority and not to listen to social media criticism. He brought up criticism of the 2015 WrestleMania to show that it is always this way.

— Some quotes from a tape of the event Post Wrestling received:

“A number of us [TKO President] Mark [Shapiro], [TKO CFO] Andrew [Schleimer], others, were able to get Paul Levesque to extend with us in a multi-year deal,” Khan said. “We’re excited about that. He’s the head of creative amongst other things and has been doing a great job for and with us.”

Shapiro asked how WWE is addressing “concerns about over-commercialization and creative direction.”

“To me, if you make business decisions based on online sentiment, just know that you’re going to be making said decisions on a minority percentage of voices, a vocal minority,” Khan said. “Allow me to give you an example,” he said as he seemed to read online criticisms of years’ past. The comment was about Roman Reigns saying, “I can’t remember the last time the WWE Universe hated a wrestler this much. He will never work.”

The WWE President went on to recount the negative fan reaction to Reigns after his Royal Rumble 2015 win.

“When Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble in 2015, fans went to Twitter with the hashtag, #CancelWWENetwork. It trended for two days.”

Khan also read, “Why does WWE insult fans like this with a bum like Roman Reigns?”

And another, “I’m losing my mind. Why is Bad Bunny in the WWE? Bad Bunny single-handedly ruined the Royal Rumble,” a comment that seems to refer to Bad Bunny’s involvement in the 2022 Rumble.

And another, “On The Rock’s return to WWE: ‘The people don’t want the People’s Champion. The Rock came back one too many times, and now people are sick of him.’”

Next, Khan cited criticism of John Cena, continuing to frame these criticisms as unrelated to business results.

And another, “On John Cena’s retirement tour: ‘Who needs a John Cena retirement tour? Haven’t we seen enough of him? … John Cena’s retirement year was so random.”

And another on CM Punk: ‘Why would they ever return this bum to the WWE? He will never main event again.’”

“I said CM Punk, Roman Reigns, as anyone who watched it [knows], stole the show,” Khan said. “Pretty good re-signing CM Punk, who’s been a model citizen here.”

While discounting online reactions from fans, Khan also encouraged internal dialogue.

“So the most important thing is to have open dialogue. Myself, Paul, the creative team, what’s working, what’s not working, who to push, who not to push.”

— Raw tonight is from Laredo, TX. The only matches announced were Bayley & Lyra Valkyria vs. Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez and Penta vs. Rusev for the IC title. Joe Hendry will be in concert. Roman Reigns will give his answer to Jacob Fatu regarding a main event title match at Backlash. Seth Rollins also appears. They had 8,246 tickets out at last word, which is like 200 shy of capacity so it’s going to be sold out.

— We’re looking for your thoughts on yesterday’s Stardom show at the Yokohama Arena, thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]

— Mighty John Cox, a British heavyweight from the 1960s, who wrestled the likes of Andre the Giant (when he was Jean Ferre) and had famous television matches with Billy Robinson and Kendo Nagasaki, passed away yesterday in Scotland at the age of 86.

— UFC has announced an 8/1 Fight Night show in Serbia, the first time UFC has ever run in that market.

— There is a lot of talk today that Tyson Fury will box Anthony Joshua during the fourth quarter of this year. This came from a report from Ring Magazine, Turki Alalshikh’s publication. But first, Joshua will face Kristian Prenga on 7/25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

— Was told last night’s Mistico & Neon & Mascara Dorada vs. Barbaro Cavernario & Difunto & El Clon match at Arena Mexico was great. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so behind in watching great matches that have been recommended.

— Mistico is leaving for Japan where he’ll be until 5/4. Puebla tonight airs live on the CMLL YouTube page for subscribers which is the second week in a row for that. Also Tuesday night’s Arena Mexico has Dorada & Titan (back in action) Atlantis Jr. vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero & Stuka Jr.

— Salvador Lutteroth confirmed running five nights a week in Mexico City during World Cup soccer season. It had already been reported they were adding Wednesday nights during that period at Arena Mexico.

— Luca Crusifino announced he was retiring after being cut Friday by WWE.

— Rey Mysterio and Rey Fenix represented WWE at the major league baseball game in Mexico City.

— Merab Dvalishvili will face Frankie Edgar on the 5/30 RAF show in Dallas.

— 39 years ago today, a very famous match took place, with Austin Idol vs Jerry Lawler hair vs. hair in a cage. This is probably the feud that put Paul Heyman on the map as a manager as well.

— Jeanine Mjoseth/Mad Maxine turns 67 today. Oleg Prudius/Vladimir Kozlov turned 57. Johnny Devine turned 52. Frank Gotch was born on this day in 1877. Kay Noble was 65 when she passed away 20 years ago today. Verne Gagne was 89 when he passed away 11 years ago today.

Ric Flair pitches WWE’s next creative head after Triple H

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Appearing on the latest episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, Ric Flair pitched The Undertaker taking over WWE’s creative head role after Triple H.

Speaking with Ariel Helwani about The Undertaker’s career and his current work as a booker for AAA in Mexico. Helwani asked Flair about his thoughts on it. The 16-time World Champion addressed the current situation and pitched The Undertaker taking over Triple H’s role in WWE if he is ever let go by the promotion.

“If they let go Hunter [Triple H] and Taker [The Undertaker] is physically able to do it, he should be the next head of creative.”

However, when asked if Flair believes Triple H should leave WWE, he responded, “No, no, no. I’m saying if something happens with Hunter, because, you know, he has some very serious health issues. You know that, right? Nothing’s guaranteed.”

In the same appearance, he also opened up about his relationship with Triple H. “Well, it’s good, I mean, we exchange pleasantries, but here’s the deal with Triple H. He did do much for me. He did so much for me after [Eric] Bischoff destroyed me. And when he brought me into the company, which he did, I think more than Vince [McMahon] did, we did Evolution, which restored my confidence because Bischoff had completely killed me. So, I can’t get mad at him. Our relationship is not the same, but he has a lot on his plate. Running the WWE and being in charge of this and that, constantly being scrutinized.”

Triple H and Flair were once part of the villainous stable Evolution alongside Randy Orton and Batista.

Triple H expresses gratitude after WWE WrestleMania 42

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Just days after concluding WWE WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the second time in a row, Triple H has shared a grateful message.

On social media, WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Paul Levesque, aka Triple H, shared a message expressing his gratitude to everyone involved in producing and delivering WrestleMania.

“Another historic [WrestleMania] in the record books, another opportunity to say THANK YOU to our performers, staff, and crew who make this event the spectacle it has become. No one does it alone.

He finished his message by stating WWE’s International presence and beginning the countdown for WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia.

“Grateful to our fans who bring their energy and passion to wherever [WWE] goes around the globe – we are nothing without you. The countdown to [WrestleMania] 43 begins…”

Retired from in-ring action, Triple H has mostly maintained a backstage presence for the past few WrestleManias. His wife, Stephanie McMahon, was also inducted into the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame.

John Cena & Danhausen WWE WrestleMania 42 segment ‘evolved into something bigger’ 

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

A member of Danhausen’s WWE WrestleMania group disclosed plans on how the segment came about. He detailed The Miz approaching them backstage with ideas to hype the comedic moment. 

In an interview with Rewind Recap Relive, Richard Fitzwell of MicroMania Midget Wrestling cited the initial plans for the Danhausen segment evolved as they ran through rehearsals. He cited that The Miz came up with the idea of the little people carrying him out of the ring after Danhausen’s attack, and did a trial run in the dressing room.

“It was phenomenal. It was supposed to be something simple, just walk out with him down the ramp and it evolved into something bigger.”

“We had The Miz come to our dressing room, he asked us if we could pick him up. He started that. Backstage, we lifted him up and he said, ‘Alright, I’m gonna go to production and see if we can add it to the skit.’ Then we went to rehearsal, John Cena was sidestage, Danhausen asked John Cena to be part of the production.”

“Then they asked if we would come into the ring and then one of the gentlemen gets pushed, and then one of our other guys punched Kit in the lower area, then we pummel him. Then, again, we go to Miz and carry him out.”

“So that was all built out, evolved, like I said – it was simple and then it evolved into something big. And to have John Cena out there, plus The Miz, and Danhausen, that’s like a dream come true.”

Fitzwell appreciated Cena and Triple H commending their work after the segment. He added that Triple H looked forward to their return for another collaboration in the company. 

“And then after the fact, John Cena and Triple H came to us and said, ‘What a great job and we would love to have you back in the future.'”

Later, Cena cited the Danhausen segment as one of his favorite moments from WWE WrestleMania 42.

Triple H comments on Brock Lesnar WWE retirement tease

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Paul “Triple H” Levesque didn’t offer much clarity while addressing Brock Lesnar’s apparent retirement at WWE WrestleMania 42.

After losing to Oba Femi on Sunday night, Lesnar left his boots and gloves in the ring before becoming visibly emotional as he seemed to bid farewell to the crowd. There has been no official confirmation of a retirement yet — and Levesque claimed during an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter that he did not have a conversation with Lesnar backstage after the match.

“Well, it certainly seemed that way,” Levesque responded when asked if this was the end for Lesnar. “Brock is not a walk back through the curtain and have a long conversation guy. Brock is a walk back through the curtain very angry and go to his bus and that is the end of it. So there was not a discussion had after. I will say this — [Lesnar is] probably the most famous combat sport athlete of our generation. One of a kind, nobody like Brock Lesnar.”

It was expected that Lesnar would be retiring soon, with him admitting recently that he was only back in WWE for a short time. Most rumors suggested that Lesnar would retire at SummerSlam this August given that the PLE is being held in his former home state of Minnesota.

Levesque, keeping kayfabe, suggested to SportsCenter that the retirement decision was one Lesnar made in the moment after losing to Femi. Praising Femi, Levesque called this result a changing of the guard.

“The one thing that nobody gives him credit for is the intelligence of a fighter. They see Brock as this hulking brute. ‘The Beast,’ right? They see him as all that,” Levesque said. “There comes a point in time when somebody comes along that’s bigger and badder and just pushes you to a place that you can’t come back from. The smart ones know when that happens, and they call it a day.

“I don’t think that was a planned thing. I think Brock went to the ring, he walked into a wall called Oba Femi. Brock walked up to the next big thing and ran into a brick wall. And the intelligence in him said, ‘Maybe I should call it a day.’ And he took his boots off and he put his gloves down and he walked away. That is not a statement of Brock being afraid of it. That is an intelligent man meeting something that cannot be stopped. It is as much of a statement of Oba Femi as it is Brock Lesnar. You witnessed a changing of the guard at the apex of our business.”

Femi vs. Lesnar aired on the ESPN TV simulcast portion of the WrestleMania night two broadcast, with WWE clearly pushing Femi as one of the company’s biggest stars for both the present and future. It was Femi’s first-ever WrestleMania match after being called up from NXT at the start of 2026.

Triple H praises WWE WrestleMania 42 main event: ‘One of the greatest matches I’ve ever seen’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Appearing on ESPN after the conclusion of WrestleMania 42, Paul “Triple H” Levesque had very high praise for the show’s main event.

Night two of Mania concluded with Roman Reigns defeating CM Punk to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. Levesque told SportsCenter that it was among the greatest wrestling matches he’s ever seen.

“Just epic,” WWE’s Chief Content Officer said. “You can see the passion and the pride of two guys that absolutely to the very core of their soul believe that they are the best in the world. And they’re out there to prove it to each other, they’re out there to prove it to the 55,000+ fans that were here tonight. Everything about them screamed, ‘I have to show I am the best.’

“And you see it all the way down to the end. Knock-down, drag-out fight that just someone won’t give. And you finally get to the end of it, no one really loses. But Roman Reigns comes out the winner. Roman Reigns is the new World Heavyweight Champion. To me, one of the greatest matches I’ve ever seen, doesn’t get bigger.”

The match went nearly 34 minutes before Reigns got the win, beginning his first title reign since dropping the WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. Reigns said after the show that he will not be a part-time champion and plans to be around all summer.

Triple H: Love him or hate him, Pat McAfee makes people talk

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Paul “Triple H” Levesque is happy that Pat McAfee has people talking heading into WrestleMania 42.

WWE’s Chief Content Officer stopped by ESPN’s First Take on Friday morning to preview this weekend’s show. While discussing the Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton night one main event, Levesque teased that we could potentially see McAfee have some physical involvement with someone getting payback on him.

“There’s something on the horizon for this, for sure. You know, when you run your mouth as much as Pat does, eventually somebody is going to try to shut it,” Levesque said. “Really, as a WWE fan, what I’m really looking forward to is that moment — mentor-student, Cody Rhodes-Randy Orton, locking up over that WWE Championship. It’s just a moment that transcends a couple of generations to me, and that’s what’s really cool about it.”

McAfee will be in Orton’s corner for the Undisputed WWE Championship match. Though McAfee’s inclusion in the storyline has brought a lot of criticism from fans, Levesque thinks it’s always good when people are talking about the product.

Levesque was asked if he feels any added pressure when fans question his decisions.

“It’s always pressure, but the thing is — talk is good, right? People are talking,” he responded. “And that’s a good thing. Love him or hate him, Pat makes people talk. I think that’s what is important here, is people are talking. This is going to be an amazing show. This will be incredible, and it will deliver on all levels.”

Each night of WrestleMania 42 has a start time of 6 p.m. Eastern, streaming live on the ESPN app in the United States and on Netflix internationally this Saturday and Sunday.

Becky Lynch says Triple H made sure she still got paid during WWE hiatus

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While appearing on a new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Becky Lynch revealed the truth about her WWE contract status during the year she was away from the company.

Lynch was gone from WWE between May 2024-April 2025. At the time, she didn’t feel like her babyface run was working and was “kind of tired” from wrestling so often, raising her daughter on the road, and writing her book. Lynch didn’t intend on going anywhere else, but Paul “Triple H” Levesque insisted on extending her contract so she would still get paid.

“I told Hunter, I said, ‘Look, I’m stepping away. I’m not going anywhere else, but I just need some time.’ And he was great about it,” Lynch said. “He was like, ‘Hey, okay, all right, look, but let’s just extend your contract so you can at least get paid.’ Which was just so nice of him.

“So I was like, ‘I’m not going anywhere. I promise, pinky promise.’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, but you might as well get paid while you’re doing it.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, all right.’ So that was very nice. And I thought it would be like three months. It ended up being a little bit longer than three months. 10 months, I think it ended up being.”

Spending more time at home was the biggest benefit of the hiatus for Lynch. She also took time to focus more on acting opportunities, including a role on the short-lived Paramount Plus series “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.”

At WrestleMania 42 night one, Lynch is challenging AJ Lee for the WWE Women’s Intercontinental title. The Saturday card also includes a match with Lynch’s husband Seth Rollins facing Gunther.

Stephanie McMahon: WWE Hall of Fame induction is ‘biggest thing ever in my career’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE has defined so much of Stephanie McMahon’s life — and she’s grateful to be taking her place in the company’s Hall of Fame.

A new episode of McMahon’s “What’s Your Story?” podcast debuted today with her husband Paul “Triple H” Levesque interviewing her about her upcoming Hall of Fame induction. He asked McMahon how it feels to be going into the Hall of Fame.

“My God, it feels — it’s such an honor,” she responded. “And I’m so grateful. It’s the biggest, I never, ever imagined it. And it’s just the biggest thing ever in my career. And, you know, I’m really proud.”

Levesque feels McMahon is one of the most deserving people who could ever join the Hall of Fame. But when she was surprised with the news, Levesque could tell that McMahon couldn’t understand why she was being inducted. McMahon addressed whether she’s come to accept that she’s worthy.

“Well, I don’t know that worthy is a word I would use. But like I definitely am accepting and I’m in such a great place and I’m so excited and I’m just so grateful,” she said. “You know, that’s the thing. It’s like, no matter what happens in WWE moving forward, this has been my life. And I’m so grateful to have had this remarkable, incredible life surrounded by these characters and people who are probably the most honest sort of truthful versions of themselves, right? Because when you’re on the road with people and I don’t know, I love our community.”

McMahon said she’s gone through several iterations of the draft for her speech and has written it in pieces, remembering new things throughout the process. People within WWE have told McMahon that they were struggling to put together the video package for her induction because it has to encapsulate nearly 50 years of history into such a short video.

For McMahon, WWE is the only place she’s ever wanted to work, calling it the “best business in the world.” She loves that she’s gotten to do so many things over the years both on-screen and behind the scenes.

“So to have had all of this, you know, this is my world,” McMahon said. “WWE is my actual world and always has been.”

Levesque became emotional toward the end of the podcast while discussing how deserving McMahon is of her induction. He credited McMahon for making WWE a family instead of a cutthroat, Wild West-type business.

“There’s very few people that I could look at and say deserve it more. Like, truly. I don’t say that because you’re my wife. I don’t say that because it’s you. I say that because of your accomplishments and what we’ve done and, you know, the things you’ve accomplished and especially the stuff that you’ve accomplished that people don’t even see,” he said.

“People come along and participate in the business. People come along and add to the business. Very few people change the business… You put the culture in what we do. It didn’t exist before that. It was just the f***ing Wild West. It’s just what the business was. And then you came in and sort of changed it.”

The 2026 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is taking place in Las Vegas at midnight Eastern/9 p.m. Pacific this Friday night, streaming live on the ESPN app in the United States and on YouTube internationally.

2026 WWE Hall of Fame class —

  • Stephanie McMahon
  • AJ Styles
  • Demolition (Ax & Smash)
  • Dennis Rodman
  • Sid Vicious (posthumously being inducted as a Legacy Award winner)
  • Bad News Brown (posthumously being inducted as a Legacy Award winner)
  • WWE Immortal Moment Award: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant from WrestleMania III

Triple H: I’m the first guy to say something wasn’t good or ‘we screwed up there’

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Since Vince McMahon stepped down from his position of power a few years ago, fans have seen his son-in-law, Triple H, step up to take the role of WWE’s Chief Content Officer.

Responsible for the show’s creative, Triple H, aka Paul Levesque, recently sat down for an interview with Joe Tessitore ahead of WWE WrestleMania 42. Addressing fans’ creative criticism and the impossible task of satisfying everyone, the Hall of Famer emphasized the trick of maintaining a balance.

“You know, it’s a funny thing when people will say like — you know, if you’re online or you hear fans talking and they’re like, ‘I didn’t like that.’ Yeah, I know. Believe me, I’m the first guy going, ‘That didn’t work. That wasn’t good. We screwed up there.’ Sometimes you’re putting things out there, you’re like, ‘Eh, this’ll be decent. This is not going to be A++.’ It has to ebb and flow throughout the year.

“There’s times when, you know, like, ‘This show will be good. It’s not going to be guns blazing.’ There’s times when you know you gotta’ put your foot on the gas,” Triple H stated.

Levesque further opened up about the concept of maintaining balance while performing creative duties. “The trick is keeping everybody else, I think sometimes, in the same mindset of — you know, we talked about thinking about tomorrow,” he shared.

“All the time, people make suggestions of like, ‘What if you did this, and this whole thing?’ And it’s like, ‘Yeah, that’s amazing, it just doesn’t leave us a place to go.’ So you have to balance out the ‘What do I do today that’s epic,’ and ‘What do I get to tomorrow?’ It’s always a mix and a challenge to balance that out.

“Nobody bats a thousand, I’m no different, right? But you want to try as best as possible to manage everybody to stay in the same ballpark so somebody’s not trying to swing for the fences while everybody else is trying to hit a double, you know?”

Levesque was named Chief Content Officer in September 2022, but he believes there was no clear moment when he actually took over.

Triple H says WWE has ‘no backup’ for top-tier stars

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Paul “Triple H” Levesque believes WWE’s top-tier stars like Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, and CM Punk are irreplaceable.

Ahead of WrestleMania 42, Levesque sat down with SmackDown commentator Joe Tessitore for a long-form interview posted by WWE. Levesque said there have been “a lot” of surprises on the road to WrestleMania. As a booker, factors like injuries disrupt your plans and change the original vision you had. Levesque feels that injuries in WWE have an even greater impact than they do in other sports, where there is always a backup ready to take over.

“Oh, there’s a lot of them [surprises]. Because sometimes it’s surprises of the way that you think a crowd is going to react to something and they react different,” Levesque said. “Sometimes it’s — when you’re putting stuff together in your mind, Dusty Rhodes used to say this all the time to me, ‘In your mind, you see things 100 percent. If you can get 70 percent of that to come out on the screen, that’s a grand slam.’ In your mind, you picture it perfect. In execution, it’s different. There’s a million variables that can change it that bring it down a notch, or two, or three, or 20, or whatever it is, right? So things turn out differently. Fans begin to react to things differently. What you thought you had locked in four months ago is not the path anymore. The path has changed.

“The other thing about our business is, unlike a sport, and as bad as it is, if you lose your quarterback, if you lose your first-string offensive lineman, if you lose your star center or star guard in the NBA, you have a second-string guy to back them up. And you hope that those second-string guys are pretty good. There is no backup Cody Rhodes. There is no backup Randy Orton. There is no backup Roman Reigns. There’s no backup CM Punk. It’s different because it’s the individual attraction.”

Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, and Rey Mysterio were some of the names who suffered injuries prior to WrestleMania 42. Rollins and Mysterio have returned in time for the event.

All four of Rhodes, Orton, Reigns, and Punk are available and will be headlining this Saturday and Sunday. Rhodes vs. Orton is the night one main event, while Punk vs. Reigns will close things out on night two.

Triple H: Stephanie McMahon’s impact on WWE is ‘second to none’

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Triple H discussed Stephanie McMahon’s impact on the women’s division and fans ahead of her Hall of Fame induction this weekend. 

Joe Tessitore interviewed Triple H to discuss the road to WrestleMania. From talking about the stacked match card, competitors, rising up and comers in WWE’s roster, Triple H discussed an array of themes relevant to the Premium Live Event. He emphasized McMahon’s influence ahead of her Hall of Fame induction this year. 

“Yeah, it’s so hard to even put in words because also Steph sometimes looks at herself as this inconsequential piece of the business. Yet I believe one of the most influential characters, especially on the women’s side, all the time when we’re out, people come up to Steph and talk about ‘when you were one of the only powerful women characters, female characters on TV at that time. And when I was 10 or I was 12 years old, man, I wanted to be you. I wanted to be that powerful woman in business, the powerful woman that, physically wasn’t intimidated all.’”

He addressed the impact she had on fans and the industry without her realizing it and everybody backstage in WWE says she’s the ‘heart and soul’ of the company. 

“These things, but forget how impactful that character was and what a big factor it was in the business. And that’s on camera. Behind the scenes to this day and she hasn’t been around for a few years, but to this day, if you walk through here and you bring up her name to anybody, either in this place or the crew, they will say ‘heart and soul’ of the company. Heart and soul of the company. She knew everybody that worked here. I can’t remember names to save my life. Steph knew everybody’s name. Steph knew their families, knew their kids’ names. We would laugh all the time because it would take us 45 minutes to leave the building as we were trying to get out of there when the show would be over ’cause Steph was stopping and saying goodbye to everybody along the way where we’d be like, ‘we’re gonna see him tomorrow at TV. Can we go and get in the car?’ It’s just who she is and her impact on this business is second to none. And I mean that, second to no one. So whether fans fully understand that or not, that it’s hard for me to think of many people that deserve Hall of Fame as much as she does and she doesn’t think she deserves it.”

McMahon was the first inductee announced for the Hall of Fame in September 2025. The ceremony will take place on April 17 at Dolby Live at Park MGM. In addition to McMahon, AJ Styles, Demolition (Ax & Smash), Dennis Rodman, Sid Vicious and Bad News Brown will be honored. Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant’s WrestleMania III match will also be honored as the Immortal Moment. 

WrestleMania 42 will emanate from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18 and April 19, 2026. 

Triple H addresses WWE physiques: ‘Variety makes everything better’

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

In WWE, a wrestler’s in-ring ability outweighs the importance of physique adhering to a standard mold. 

Paul “Triple H” Levesque believes wrestling should showcase a variety of physiques, emphasizing that ultimately the performer’s in-ring capabilities matter the most. Speaking with Cody Rhodes on “What Do You Wanna Talk About?”, he expressed, using examples from the past on the mix of different body types rather than a single ideal look. 

“I feel like it’s mixed, depending on who you are as a performer, and what you’re bringing to the table. Would Brock Lesnar be as frightening if he didn’t look like Brock Lesnar? But I don’t think you have to have it, I don’t think it has to, I’m a bigger believer in the variety of things. There needs to be some semblance of believability to what we do, right? But I don’t think that means you have to be a bodybuilder, I don’t think it means you have to be lean where you can see your abs. I think that works for some folks, but there’s also room for the Gunther’s.”

“I’d love to see the Kamala shape and size. There’s something for everybody across what we do. You know I talk about history a lot cause we’re both history buffs in the business and stuff but Abdullah the Butcher, Kamala, people like that were just as frightening to me as the Road Warriors were, or anybody else who was jacked up and on a different level.”

“So, I’m a big believer that variety makes everything better. When you get fed one thing for a while, after a while you get tired of eating the same thing, so you want that variety.”

Levesque took over as Chief Content Officer in September 2022. In the interview, he explained taking over WWE creative was a gradual process and not an instant transition. 

Triple H knew there was no ‘serious malice’ in Cody Rhodes AEW throne smash

Posted on by Joseph Currier

With Paul “Triple H” Levesque joining Cody Rhodes on his podcast this week, there was one topic in particular that the two had to address.

There was a moment at AEW’s inaugural show in 2019 where Rhodes, while making his entrance, took a sledgehammer and smashed a throne that was clearly supposed to look like Levesque’s. They cleared the air on “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” with Levesque saying he knew there was no serious malice in what Rhodes did. Instead of viewing it as a shot, Levesque saw it as Rhodes trying to make a name for himself by doing cool stuff.

Levesque and Rhodes’ conversation about the moment is transcribed below:

Rhodes: You never once, when I came back, asked me about clearly taking your throne, making it imagery in my entrance away from here, starting my own thing, and taking your hammer to it.

Levesque: I saw it as your hammer because it was smaller than mine [laughs]. No, look, that kind of sh*t to me is like, I remember when people brought it to me and were showing it to me and I was like, ‘F**k yeah, all right, good for him.’ You know what I mean? That’s the kind of sh*t you do, you’re trying to make a name for yourself, you’re trying to get out there, you’re trying to do some cool sh*t, trying to do some different stuff.

Believe me, if I would have thought there was malice in it, and maybe indirectly there was some at the time, I don’t know. But if I would have thought there was any serious malice in it, I would have called you and said, ‘Hey, dude, like, are we okay?’ Because I was so close to your dad, but then I always felt like a connection to you. And when you were here, and it was difficult for me when you left, because I couldn’t say like, I couldn’t over the top go like, ‘Dude, get the f**k out of here and go out there and make a name for yourself and make yourself, what you said, desirable and we’ll f**ing come chasing after you and bring you back.’ Sometimes you got to get out of the rut you’re in. You just got to bite it off and go in a different direction. Make the left turn, right? And it was so difficult, but during that time, I remember thinking like, all right, that’s getting out there. That’s being bold and making a statement.

Rhodes: You did tell me, because you said, ‘Go rattle the cages.’ And you kind of made yourself the target for me to rattle in terms of the optics of wrestling. And there was no malice for sure because this is after I won the Ring of Honor title. One of the first texts I got back to was yours: ‘Congrats.’ As I was walking to the hospital in Lowell because my lip was busted open holding my first World title.

Levesque: You know, it’s one of those things where you see somebody going off, doing their own thing, and having success. And I’m like, ‘F**k yeah, Cody. Come on.’ Like, get yourself in that spot where we’re like, ‘Hey, we should go like, I don’t know what he did different, but let’s go get him.’ You know what I mean?

Rhodes: I’m glad the feeling is good on it versus — because I’m thinking, man, if he’s mad about it, it’s a long road to whatever the payoff is.

Levesque: He’s waiting on that receipt [laughs].

Rhodes: Oh, now it’s happening [laughs].

Levesque: No, man, I never even — I never thought about anything other than, ‘F**k yeah, good for him. Go get it.’

After departing AEW in 2022, Rhodes returned to WWE and has been one of the company’s top stars since. Levesque said it’s been a “dream” to work with Rhodes in his second run.

Rhodes is currently on his third Undisputed WWE Championship reign and will defend the title against Randy Orton in the main event of WrestleMania 42 night one on April 18.

Triple H details conversations with AJ Styles after WWE retirement

Posted on by Joseph Currier

AJ Styles knew he still wanted to contribute to WWE after retirement — he just had to find the behind-the-scenes role that was right for him.

This January, Styles retired from the ring with a loss to Gunther at Royal Rumble 2026. Styles has since reached a new contract with WWE for his post-wrestling career, where he helps talent behind the scenes along with scouting wrestlers for the company.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque appeared on a new episode of Cody Rhodes’ “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” podcast and detailed some of the discussions he had with Styles about retirement. At the end of his run, Styles was done in the ring and wanted to get that part of his career over with. Styles sat in on creative and production meetings to try those roles out, but they weren’t the ideal fit.

“At the end, AJ was like, ‘I don’t want to be done with the business. I want to be done wrestling.’ And I don’t think I’m betraying a confidence here,” Levesque said. “But even in his last match, he was telling me like, ‘I so know I’m done because I was out there in that last match thinking like, let’s just get [it] over with, I just want to get to the end.’

“He wants to participate in the business, right? But being an agent or a producer, it’s a different world. Being in what we do, there’s different fits for different people. AJ came in, he sat in on some creative meetings, he sat in on some production meetings. And I think he realized like, the writing thing’s not for me, the producer thing, I don’t think is for me. What I really like is getting to these young kids and spotting talent and then trying to help fan the flames of the little spark that’s there and try to make them into something more, the developmental side of it. So, great, let’s utilize him in that and grab those talents there.”

Levesque noted that he thinks Rhodes is another person who will still be able to make a big impact in WWE whenever he decides to step away from the ring.

“It’s your show and I’m not trying to blow smoke up your ass,” Levesque said. “You’re one of those guys that I believe as you come to the end of your career, it behooves you to start to pay attention to the other things.”