Tag: Triple H

Triple H era indeed: Paul Levesque promoted to WWE Chief Content Officer

Welcome to the C-suite, Paul “Triple H” Levesque.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque is now a member of WWE’s C-suite.

WWE announced today that Levesque had been “elevated” to Chief Content Officer, reporting to co-CEO Nick Khan. In his new role, Levesque will “oversee Creative Writing, Talent Relations, Live Events, Talent Development and Creative Services.”

The press release announcing the move credited Levesque for “a 15% spike in Monday Night Raw viewership and double-digit increases in social media engagement” since he took over creative following the retirement of Vince McMahon.

“WWE is one of the most prolific producers of premium content in the world and I look forward to this amazing opportunity,” Levesque said in the release. “Having spent my entire career in this business, I’m confident that we have the right pieces in place to continue to grow our audience and deliver for our fans around the world.”

So far, two big themes have emerged during Levesque’s short tenure in charge of WWE creative. The first is a re-emphasis on wrestling, which was literally a forbidden word during parts of Vince McMahon’s time in charge. WWE programming has seen a number of longer, more thoughtful matches, as well as obvious effort to improve the prestige around titles like the Intercontinental and United States Championships.

The other trend has been one of former WWE and NXT returning to the company and immediately finding roles on weekly TV. Dakota Kai and IYO SKY have settled in nicely alongside Bayley as part of the Damage CTRL stable, Johnny Gargano and Dexter Lumis are appearing regularly on Raw, and Braun Strowman arrived on this week’s Raw in Kansas City while promising to show up on SmackDown as well.

While it remains to be seen how Levesque juggles his additional duties as Chief Content Officer, it should be a comforting thought for WWE fans who enjoy the product even more since he was given creative control to know that he’s now even more entrenched as an executive.

Chris Jericho on Triple H’s recent AEW competition comments: ‘NXT sucks, it’s not a good show’

Chris Jericho left no doubt about what he thought of Triple H’s comments on AEW beating “our developmental system” by saying “NXT sucks.”

When Paul “Triple H” Levesque sat down for a 75-minute interview with Ariel Helwani, one of the biggest names in combat sports journalism, it was bound to produce some talking points. We’ve now reached the point where people in the industry have had time to absorb Levesque’s comments and respond, which is exactly what Chris Jericho has decided to do.

One of the portions of the interview that drew attention around the wrestling industry was Levesque dismissing the idea that NXT and AEW Dynamite were in direct competition when both shows were on against each other on Wednesday nights.

It never was that. Look first of all they beat our developmental system, good for them, right? No it was never that. There was never even a pressure of like you have to beat that.

While fans have gone back and forth on social media about the “our developmental system” part of that quote, Jericho was a lot more direct and blunt in his assessment when talking to Alex McCarthy of Inside the Ropes.

Once again it is just changing the narrative and changing the history, which makes me laugh. Because when it started, it was not developmental, it was a third brand, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon, and all the other bulls–t that they said, so of course we [AEW] beat the developmental or whatever you want to call it, but who gives a s–t?

It’s such old news, and the show sucks, NXT sucks, it’s not a good show, and they know it. Whether they were punished or not, they probably were punished. That’s probably why Triple H said those things because he is angry that we beat them, and he is probably angry that we exist. But you know, we don’t care about WWE, we care about our show, we care about putting on the best stories that we can put on, we care about building our fanbase and building our ratings.

The truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle. NXT wasn’t a pure developmental promotion during the time the two shows were on Wednesdays, but it also wasn’t like Dynamite was up against Raw. Nevertheless, Jericho’s retort is fair in the sense that it was definitely competition at the time, and WWE ended up blinking by moving NXT to another night.

In the end, though, most people are just going to focus on the “NXT sucks” part, and that’s understandable. It’s always fun when anyone throws a little gas on the fire of a wrestling rivalry, even if it’s all the way up at the company level.

Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque talks Sasha Banks return: ‘It has to be right for everybody’

The door is open for a Sasha Banks return, according to Paul “Triple H” Levesque, but the ball seems to be in her court.

Since Paul “Triple H” Levesque has taken creative control of WWE programming, returns have been the order of the day. In the span of just a few weeks, Karrion Kross, Johnny Gargano and Dexter Lumis have returned to the fold, to name a few. Which raises the obvious question: What about Sasha Banks?

Banks and Naomi infamously walked out on WWE during the May 16 episode of SmackDown, and while there have been rumblings about a reconciliation since, neither wrestler has made a return yet.

A potential comeback for Banks was an obvious topic of discussion during Levesque’s recent interview with Ariel Helwani for BT Sport, and he seemed open to it while cautioning that Banks’ options include things outside of wrestling, so it would have to be something she wanted to do and would make sense for both sides (h/t to Fightful for the transcription).

Time will tell. Time will tell. In a lot of ways, communication breakdowns are terrible. There was a communication breakdown there, for whatever reason. Starting back up that communication, it’s not a difficult process, but it’s a process, and you have to go through the process.

She’s an unbelievably talented young woman that can do just about anything she wants. It just comes down to, what does she want to do now with her life, her career, whatever that is. The passion, clearly, for what we do, there is a passion for other things as well.

It comes down to what does she want to do? It has to be right for her. It has to be right for everybody. She is, as you’ve seen over the course of her career of coming into the PC [Performance Center] at NXT, is an unbelievable performer that I believe in with everything I have. That is one of the biggest stars in our business. It’s just what she wants to do.

The “other things” Levesque refers to could be more TV and movie roles. Banks has already made a high profile appearance in several episodes of “The Mandalorian,” and it’s not hard to imagine her pursuing acting on a more regular basis.

Still, WWE fans are anxious to see her back in the ring, and with Levesque (who has been a vocal Banks supporter throughout her career) in charge of creative, it would now be a surprise if it didn’t happen. For the time being, it’s just a matter of waiting and seeing if Michael Cole gets to yell out “It’s Boss time!” again soon.

First Raw of Triple H era posts highest ratings numbers in 2 years

The Aug. 1 episode of WWE Raw, the first with Paul Levesque in charge of creative, drew ratings numbers not seen in two years.

The combination of post-SummerSlam fallout and curiosity around the first episode with Paul “Triple H” Levesque in charge of creative was enough to draw more viewers back to watch WWE Raw live on Monday, Aug. 1 than at any point in the last two years.

As reported by Variety and a number of news outlets, the most recent Raw drew an average of 2.3 million viewers and scored a 0.6 rating in the crucial 18-49 demographic. Both numbers were up more than 20% over the previous week, and were the highest posted for Raw since 2020.

Dave Meltzer offered additional context in his article for Wrestling Observer:

The show was first in every key demo on cable, doubling everything but Better Call Saul in men 18-49. It also beat every network show in 18-49 except The Bachelorette, including first-run shows on ABC in hour three, NBC in hour one, and Fox all night.

In total viewers, Raw was fifth behind four news shows.

While the first Raw under Levesque didn’t mark a radical departure in terms of content or presentation from when Vince McMahon was in charge, there were a few noticeable differences. Several commercial breaks during matches were taken in a picture-in-picture format, something AEW does regularly but WWE has rarely tried.

The show also featured IYO SKY and Dakota Kai, two performers either rumored to be leaving or already gone from the company, and for whom the feeling around the industry was that they would likely not have returned had McMahon still been running the show. That, plus the elevation of Ciampa thanks to a big victory over AJ Styles, suggested that booking will indeed be a big different going forward.

The obvious question now is how many people who tuned in for this highly anticipated episode will stick around going forward. If even a good chunk of them do, that’s good news for WWE as it fully transitions to life without the all-watching eye of the man who’s guided it for the last four decades.

Lincoln Financial Field to host WWE’s WrestleMania 40

Philadelphia and the Eagles’ home stadium of Lincoln Financial Field to host WWE’s WrestleMania 40

Philadelphia has several wrestling fans on the roster and Wednesday’s announcement should be huge for guys like Lane Johnson.

The Eagles announced that Lincoln Financial Field will host WWE’s pop-culture extravaganza, WrestleMania 40, on Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 7, 2024.

“The Philadelphia Eagles are thrilled to partner with WWE as WrestleMania makes its much-anticipated return to Philadelphia in 2024,” said Eagles President and PHL Sports Chair Don Smolenski. “We are excited to help showcase the industry’s most iconic event in front of a global viewing audience and look forward to providing WWE fans in attendance with a first-class experience at Lincoln Financial Field.”

A week-long celebration and two-day spectacular, it’ll be the first time Philadelphia has been the host city in 25 years.

Additional information and ticket prices for WrestleMania at Lincoln Financial Field will be announced soon.

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WWE confirms Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque in charge of creative

A WWE press release on July 25 officially confirmed Paul “Triple H” Levesque is in charge of creative after Vince McMahon’s retirement.

It’s now officially Game time for WWE.

Answering one of the bigger questions in the wake of the retirement of Vince McMahon last week, the company revealed in a press release on Monday that while Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan are now co-CEOs, Stephanie’s husband Paul “Triple H” Levesque will fill the role that Vince McMahon arguably adored most.

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

Levesque has been a WWE executive since 2011, when he was named Executive Vice President, Talent and Live Events. His power within the company reached its highest previous level when he became Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy & Development in 2020, overseeing talent development as a whole.

But his official influence has ebbed and flowed during the last decade, and his career had to take a backseat to his health when Levesque had heart surgery last September. He revealed earlier this year how serious his condition had been, telling ESPN’s “First Take” that he had been in “bad” heart failure and would never wrestle again thanks to having a defibrillator implanted in his chest.

To WWE fans, Levesque is best known in the post-wrestling phase of his career for being the architect of NXT during its original black and gold iteration. That alone will assure him of plenty of goodwill as he takes over creative for the main roster, though he’ll get the highest profile baptism of fire possible with SummerSlam looming this week and the most famous venue ever for Raw this Monday.

Levesque’s ascension also leaves WWE in a place many observers long felt it would eventually reach, with Stephanie McMahon in charge of the business side (though with the added twist of Khan, who has risen rapidly in power in just a few years, alongside her) and her husband calling the shots for what goes down during events. That should provide some reassurance to investors and fans alike as the company attempts to ride out some of the shockwaves from the stunning and quick departure of Vince McMahon over the last few months.

Who has won the most WWE championships of all time? Here’s the top 10

See who has won the most WWE championships of all time as we run down the top 10 list of most decorated superstars.

The Bloodline knows a thing or two about having a lot of gold.

Roman Reigns and The Usos have made a lot of noise as of late in WWE by uniting the promotions top singles and tag team titles for men, effectively holding two championships at once. It’s an impressive feat, and adds two more titles to the tallies of both the Tribal Chief and the Uso brothers.

In the case of Reigns, it also adds to his overall haul of WWE championships. Since his main roster debut in late 2012, Reigns has held every major WWE title at least once, including the WWE Tag Championship (with Seth Rollins, back when there was only one) and both the Intercontinental and United States Championships (one time each).

But are Reigns’ nine total titles enough to make the top 10 list of wrestlers who have held the most WWE championships? We dove in to find out.

Before we get to the list, some ground rules. For the sake of these rankings, we’re counting only what we consider major WWE championships, singles and tag team, for both men and women. We’re not counting titles won in WCW (sorry, Sting and others) but are including those same belts when won in WWE, like the current United States Championship.

We’re also not counting anything the wrestlers themselves invented, like Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Championship, nor are we considering the 24/7 Championship, which changes so often as a condition of its gimmick that it makes the number of title reigns essentially meaningless. Much respect to everyone who continues to chase that strap, however, because mid-card championships are fun too.

Also not included are the Hardcore Championship, for similar reasons to the 24/7 title, or the Light Heavyweight/Cruiserweight titles.

With those specifics out of the way, let’s jump into the list of who’s won the most WWE championships of all time, starting with No. 10 and working our way to the top.

Stephanie McMahon announces leave of absence from WWE

Stephanie McMahon announced on social media Thursday that she was taking a leave of absence from “the majority of my responsibilities at WWE,” effective on May 20.

Stephanie McMahon announced on social media Thursday that she was taking a leave of absence from “the majority of my responsibilities at WWE,” effective on May 20.

McMahon is currently Chief Brand Officer of WWE, a position she has held since 2013. She was previously executive vice president of creative, having progressed through a number of roles with the company since she was in her 20s.

The 45-year-old daughter of Vince McMahon is also well known to longtime WWE fans for her various on-camera roles. Over the years, she’s appeared as a manager, authority figure, and even participated in matches herself, most recently teaming with husband Triple H to take on Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 34. But like Vince, Stephanie had appeared much less frequently in recent years, a far cry from the early 2000s when all four McMahons — including mother Linda and brother Shane — were fixtures on WWE television.

A mother to three daughters, McMahon’s desire to spend more time with her family would be an understandable reason to want a break from corporate life, especially given Triple H’s health scare last fall. His heart episode required the implantation of a defibrillator last September, and he announced in March that he was officially retired from in-ring competition as a result.

Nevertheless, the wrestling community is bound to be in full speculation mode about McMahon’s announcement, given that she and Triple H were long thought to be the people who would most likely guide WWE into whatever a post-Vince era would look like. With Stephanie stepping back, WWE has the least McMahon family members at the helm as it has ever had, and while her tweet makes it clear she expects to return to the fold, it’s at least fair to wonder what it would mean for the company if she doesn’t.

WWE Monday Night Raw: Preview, Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

WWE champion Brock Lesnar, Undertaker, and Becky Lynch all scheduled to make an appearance tonight.

WWE continues to broadcast its shows from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida and tonight will be no different, where WWE stars have been performing without fans for the last month.

Fans watching on television should expect another big show with this being the last Raw until WrestleMania 36. WWE champion Brock Lesnar, Undertaker, and Becky Lynch all scheduled to make an appearance tonight.

WWE: Monday Night Raw

  • Date: Monday, March 30, 2020
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET/PT
  • TV Channel: USA Network
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

WWE is learning quickly how to keep the fans engaged during this time by keeping the storyline alive leading up to WrestleMania 36. I’d expect to see a few surprises especially with this being the final Monday Night Raw before this weekend’s extravaganza.

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Gronk seems headed to WWE SmackDown, WrestleMania

Rob Gronkowski is deep in talks to return to WWE as WrestleMania approaches. The former Patriot could appear as soon as March 20.

The FOX-WWE connection seems headed toward bringing former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski back to the wrestling ring.

The WWE Backstage show on FS1 Tuesday reported Gronk was close to working out a deal with the sports-entertainment juggernaut. The show went as far as saying he could appear on SmackDown March 20, which will take place in New Orleans.

WrestleMania 36 will take place April 5 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fl.

Ryan Satin, a reporter on the show, said the capacity Gronkowski would not be used is not known at the present time. However, he is in deep talks with the company.

This fits perfectly as WWE SmackDown appears on FOX and Gronkowski is a football analyst for the network.

Gronkowski had a role in WrestleMania 33 when he assisted his friend, Mojo Rawley, win the Andre the Giant Battle Royale. You can watch Gronk’s part in that event below.

WWE execs Triple H and Stephanie McMahon — husband and wife in real life — hung out with the former gridder at his “Beach Party” Super Bowl week.