Speculation has surrounded the direction of WWE creative since Vince McMahon stepped away and Paul “Triple H” Levesque took over in 2022, only for McMahon to return in early 2023 and start influencing WWE programming again. Now, however, it appears that The Game is back in control, and people are pleased with it.
PWInsider reported Monday that people believe Vince McMahon is no longer involved in creative and that Endeavor has “knighted” Triple H as the man in charge.
Fightful Select (subscription required but recommended), adding details to the story, expounded on the thought of Triple H controlling creative while McMahon steps back and the feeling behind it within the WW locker room.
The report notes how Triple H’s creative direction has caused a significant boost in optimism within the company since the Sept. 25 episode of WWE Raw compared to the prior eight months, lifting talent morale from an all-time low at the start of 2022. Wrestlers and staff have supposedly not been explicitly told that Vince McMahon is no longer involved, and most understand that he had been making changes since returning.
McMahon has not attended creative meetings, but instead has been making changes to the show remotely and submitting them prior to the show, with the most notable instance being the Raw after WrestleMania 39.
One WWE talent told Fightful Select that most of WWE’s roster said they felt a sense of relief when McMahon retired, both morally and creatively.
Fightful Select was told by a WWE higher-up to look at Johnny Gargano’s return, Tegan Nox’s presence on the show, Dragon Lee’s appearance, Carlito’s comeback, Bronson Reed’s winning streak, and Cameron Grimes’s return as evidence of Triple H’s influence.
However, there remains a sense of “I’ll believe it when I see it” regarding McMahon being out of creative for good.
Shows have felt different compared to ones with McMahon’s reported influence. WWE is featuring different talents and giving larger main event spotlights to other championships than the world titles, which are always main eventing premium live events or receiving the primary focus of Raw and SmackDown.
Endeavor’s takeover of WWE becoming official coincides with the changes, but that might not mean anything. Either way, Triple H’s fingerprints are seemingly more apparent than ever, prompting the question of whether this will become a permanent change.