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.
And his first show leading creative is tonight…in Madison Square Garden. No pressure. https://t.co/94nn4Crj3z
— Phil Strum (@UnderTheRing) July 25, 2022
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.