Arn Anderson On Triple H Mentioning Him In WWE Hall Of Fame Speech

On the latest episode of The ARN Show, Arn Anderson talked about Triple H mentioning him in his WWE Hall of Fame speech and more. You can check out some highlights below:

Arn Anderson on Triple H mentioning him in his WWE Hall of Fame speech: “Well when he first started, he came to WCW and Ric knew him through Gold’s Gym up north when Ric owned his Gold’s Gym. So that’s how he met him, and he was training to be a wrestler and just a gentleman. Perfect gentlement from the first time you meet him, just really a quality guy. And we took him under our wing, let him travel with us, and figured out pretty quick he’s a non-drinker, so he was the designated driver. Yes, that is absolutely correct. We were renting Cadillacs back then, so I’m sure that was okay with him.

“And for him to mention me in his Hall of Fame speech was very generous. Very nice things to say. And you know, his speech was long, but when you had the kind of career he’s had, that really doesn’t seem like a long time to recap all the things he’s done for the business. And I think we owe him a debt of gratitude.”

On Triple H as a person and professional: “Yeah, just the way he handles his business and the way he wants to learn every single thing he can from everybody that he talks to that he can learn from. So he’s dedicated to being smart and business-like. And besides his ability to work and the fact that he looked like a million dollars too, he’s the whole entire package. He’s a smart, well spoken — you name it, he’s got no flaws…

“He knows his business like — like you said, he’s always looked like a million dollars. He’s learned the business side of it. He’s a great worker. Everybody that works with him is better the next morning for having worked with him. He’s — no holes, no flaws, nothing missing. He’s the guy to have as a figurehead of your company, that’s for sure.”

credit The ARN Show 411mania.com

WWE Gives First-Ever Look Into Writers’ Room and ‘Calculated’ Process in Netflix Doc: ‘We’re Gonna Lift the Curtain’

Netflix is pulling back the curtain on the WWE.

“WWE: Unreal,” a new docuseries set to debut this summer, will give viewers an exclusive, closer look at the organization. Produced by Omaha Productions, NFL Films, Skydance Sports and WWE, the series will consist of 10 episodes, each 50 minutes long.

Here is the official logline: “For the first time ever, step into the WWE writer’s room and outside the ring with your favorite WWE Superstars, where the drama is just as intense offstage as it is under the spotlight.”

WWE commentator Michael Cole first teased the doc on Sunday during the second night of WrestleMania. A premiere date has not yet been announced.

Chris Weaver directs and Erik Powers serves as showrunner. Executive producers include Peyton Manning, Jamie Horowitz, Ross Ketover, Keith Cossrow, Ken Rodgers, Jessica Boddy, Lee Fitting, Ben Houser and Marc Pomarico.

Netflix obtained WWE’s “Raw” at the top of 2025 for a massive $5 billion ($500 million per year for 10 years), beginning their cohesive relationship. Since the inception of “Raw” in 1993, it has lived on linear television, airing on USA or briefly, Spike TV. The first episode of “Raw” on Netflix, which debuted in January, pulled in 4.9 million views globally.

Netflix not only became the exclusive home of “Raw” in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Latin America and other territories, it also became the home for all WWE shows — including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and the Royal Rumble — outside the U.S.

source: variety.com

Triple H: Chyna Is Definitely Going Into The WWE Hall Of Fame

Chyna is in the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of D-Generation X, but her contributions to wrestling went beyond the group as she is a former WWE Women's Champion and WWE Intercontinental Champion, breaking barriers by regularly wrestling men during the Attitude Era.

At the WrestleMania 41 press conference, Bill Apter of Sportskeeda asked Triple H if Chyna could possibly go into the WWE Hall of Fame as early as next year.

"I don’t know about next year, but it’s definitely happening. There are a lot people, when you say ‘Hall of Fame,’ there are a lot of people that should be in the Hall of Fame and will be in the Hall of Fame. You just can’t put them all in at once. As far as Chyna, her contributions to the business alone. I can see it in all these women when they get in there. We’re at the age, unfortunately, where they all grew up idolizing her. I see it in their work, their gear, in what they think works and doesn’t. It all stems from that. She is in the Hall of Fame with DX, but she will be in the Hall of Fame by herself when the time is right, for sure," he said.

Sadly, Chyna passed away in 2016.

Triple H Opens Up About Tensions With Vince McMahon During Creative Transition

Triple H has opened up about the ups and downs of working under Vince McMahon during his time rising through the ranks in WWE, revealing moments of personal frustration with the WWE Chairman's leadership style and creative approach.

Speaking on the High Performance podcast, the WWE Chief Content Officer looked back on his journey from wrestler to executive, acknowledging the major influence McMahon had on his path. Triple H made it clear that despite any personal differences, he would not be where he is today without McMahon’s guidance.

“I got involved in creative early on,” he recalled, stressing how much of a mentor McMahon was in those earlier stages of his behind-the-scenes career. However, as he transitioned from performer to a creative figure, their differences in philosophy became increasingly clear.

“From when you learn, especially from mentors, you learn what to do and what not to do,” Triple H explained. “There were things that bothered me about the way he did things. Certain things with his personality. He would run things totally different than I would, and we’ve talked about that before. Even when I was running NXT he would be like, ‘Why do you do it like that?’ I’d be like ‘Because it’s working for me.’”

The tension between their methods became more apparent over time, especially as McMahon took a more hands-on approach to controlling WWE’s creative direction. Triple H recalled one particular shift that came as a shock—when performers, including himself and Shawn Michaels, were suddenly handed scripts for their promos after years of creative freedom.

“He was much more controlling, especially as he got older,” he said. “When I first came in, when we started DX, it was funny, we were just doing our own thing. Nobody was scripting anything, we were doing our own thing. Most times we were coming back and he was mad at us and screaming at us, ‘You’re gonna get us thrown off the air, God damn it, don’t do that again.’ We were just like, ‘Whatever,’ and we’d go do it again the following week.”

According to Triple H, this freewheeling, rebellious approach began to pay off in terms of ratings and business. But soon, the creative environment changed dramatically.

“Now all of a sudden we show up to TV one week and they hand us a script, ‘What is this?’ ‘It’s what Vince wants you to say tonight.’ ‘What? He doesn’t tell us what to say.’ Well now he wants to start. We’d go into his office, ‘What is this?’ ‘It’s a script. It’s what I want you to say.’ ‘This is terrible. It’s not funny. It’s not us.’”

Triple H then shared how Shawn Michaels, frustrated by the direction, stood his ground.

“We’re sitting in the meeting, we read it a couple of times, we had the argument with him and he said, ‘That’s what I want you guys to do. Just go do it.’ Shawn crumpled up the piece of paper and said, ‘I ain’t saying any of this sh*t.’ He threw it at Vince and we walked out of the office. I was like, Wow, we’re getting fired.”

While those tensions flared, Triple H recognized that McMahon’s controlling nature stemmed from a desire to protect and shape his product. There were moments where even McMahon’s most trusted lieutenants questioned the direction.

“We would all talk about it and would all be like it would be better if we did this. Even Pat Patterson would come to me, ‘Vince wants to do this thing and it’s so stupid. Let’s do this instead. It would be better, we should talk him into this…’ I’m like, ‘Pat, I talked to him until I was blue in the face. You go talk to him.’”

Despite the creative friction, Triple H emphasized that McMahon did some things exceptionally well, particularly in dealing with talent. Even now, as he oversees WWE’s creative direction following the Endeavor takeover and McMahon’s resignation in early 2024, Triple H acknowledges the legacy left behind.

“I would see how he dealt with talents and there are some things he would do way better than I do and some ways he handled talent where I think I wish I could handle talent that way but it’s not just how I am.”

Triple H Receives Full Sail University Industry Icon Award for NXT Legacy

Triple H has earned yet another milestone in his illustrious career. The WWE Chief Content Officer was recently presented with the Full Sail University Industry Icon Award in Orlando, Florida, in recognition of his significant contributions to NXT during its time at Full Sail Arena.

For nearly ten years, Full Sail served as the backdrop for WWE NXT, hosting the brand from 2012 until the pandemic forced a shift to the WWE Performance Center. Under Triple H’s guidance, NXT emerged as a highly praised brand, serving as the launching pad for some of WWE’s biggest stars.

Reflecting on this honor, Triple H took to social media to express his gratitude, saying:

“Last week I was honored to receive the FullSail Industry Icon Award. Full Sail gave WWE NXT a home and helped us create industry-defining moments. Will always be proud of our connection. Thank you to President Garry Jones and congratulations to all this year’s honorees.”

The Undertaker Pushes Back On Criticism Of Triple H Going Into WWE Hall Of Fame

On the latest episode of Six Feet Under, The Undertaker talked about Triple H going into the Hall of Fame, criticism of the move and more. You can check out some highlights below:

On Triple H going into the Hall of Fame: “Regardless of what people think, he is not going to put himself in the Hall of Fame. And if there’s anybody that is up there that deserves to be in the Hall of Fame — now I know he’s there in DX, but that’s completely different, right? But his resume speaks for itself. Anybody that understands anything about wrestling, he’s a first ballot Hall of Fame guy, but he is not going to put himself in there. And it’s just — there’s just certain people, it’s not a Hall of Fame if they’re not in it. And it has to be done. It has to, it had to be done.”

On backlash to Triple H going in: “And you know, all the jagoffs that have nothing to do but to get on social media sites and — you know, what? Screw them. It had to be done.”

credit Six Feet Under 411mania.com

WWE Hall Of Fame Icon Package Includes Meeting Triple H And Lex Luger For $8500

WWE has revealed the ticket packages for the 2025 Hall of Fame ceremony, including exclusive tiers featuring private meet and greets with Triple H and Lex Luger – but at an eye-watering cost.

The ticket details were posted via On Location, an event management company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The lowest tier, the “Ultimate” package, is priced at $2,500 per person and includes premium balcony and lounge seating, all-inclusive beverages with dedicated servers, a priority pass entrance, and on-site support staff.

For those looking for a more exclusive experience, WWE is offering two higher tiers, the “Icon” and “Legend” packages, both of which include Hall of Fame stage access, upgraded seating, and a private meet and greet with the company’s Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Lex Luger, both of whom are to be inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame at the event. Fans purchasing these premium packages will also receive a professional photo opportunity with both stars. However, these experiences come with a steep price tag. The “Icon” package starts at $8,500 per person, while the top-tier “Legend” package is priced at an astonishing $9,950 per person.

The 2025 Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled to take place on 18 April at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, where the promotion will honour its latest class of inductees. The full lineup of honourees has yet to be confirmed, but currently announced to be inducted are Triple H, Lex Luger, and Michelle McCool.

ESPN Reveals Full List Of WWE Stars And Air Dates For Stephanie McMahon's 'Stephanie's Places'

The premiere date for the newest ESPN Original Series has now been set. Stephanie’s Places, produced by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions in partnership with ESPN and WWE, will debut Wednesday, March 26 on ESPN+.

The 10-episode series will follow Stephanie McMahon as she explores the pockets of America that helped shape the journeys of some of the most famous names in WWE history. Names like CM Punk, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley, Stone Cold Steve Austin and the reigning WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.

"WWE has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” said Stephanie McMahon. “I’m looking forward to having viewers join me as we visit some of the most iconic stars of past and present, in places of meaning for them, and hear how they overcame adversity to become who they are today.”

“The world of WWE has never been more popular and exciting than it is right now,” said Peyton Manning. “There is no one better than Stephanie to tell the stories of WWE’s greatest stars and uncover the moments that shaped them.”

New episodes of Stephanie’s Places will premiere every Wednesday at 12 a.m. ET on ESPN+ and will also be available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ for Disney Bundle subscribers.

April 2 - The Return of CM Punk

Stephanie McMahon visits her husband and WWE Chief Content Officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, at the new WWE Headquarters before she heads to Cleveland for SummerSlam, where she meets up with CM Punk who reflects on his shocking return to the WWE after nearly a decade away from the ring.

April 2 - Cody Rhodes Takes Center Stage

Stephanie meets with “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes at the historic Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, the former home of the WCW. Cody shares his unique path to WWE stardom and what he envisions as his legacy.

April 9 - Rhea Ripley’s Rise

Stephanie visits the WWE Performance Center in Orlando where she meets up with Rhea Ripley and the WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels to discuss how the next generation of stars are trained. Later, Rhea surprises Stephanie with a dramatic makeover to prepare for a wild entrance.

April 16 - Stone Cold Rides Again

Stephanie spends a day with Steve Austin at Broken Skull Ranch to learn about how he became ‘Stone Cold’ and life after the WWE. The two end their day with Stephanie experiencing Steve’s newest adventure: off-road racing.

April 23 - The Evolution of Charlotte Flair

Stephanie meets up with the “Queen”, Charlotte Flair at Nassau Coliseum to discuss the origins and evolution of women in the WWE, before they take a helicopter to MetLife to relive her epic WrestleMania 35 arrival.

April 30 - Roman Reigns and The Bloodline

Stephanie hits the open waters of Miami on a yacht with Roman Reigns and “The Bloodline” to discuss the Anoa'i family's wrestling legacy. Stephanie then enjoys some traditional Samoan cuisine alongside the family, including a unique delicacy.

May 7 - Pat McAfee Can’t Be Stopped

Stephanie sits down with Pat McAfee to find out how the art of a WWE “promo” helped him become one of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. A visit to Indianapolis allows Stephanie to pick Pat’s brain and hear his unlikely journey from NFL punter to podcaster and his dream job at WWE.

May 14 - Digging Deep with Undertaker

Stephanie heads to Madison Square Garden, the location of the first WrestleMania, and meets up with The Undertaker. They discuss his career and his own iconic moments at the Garden.

May 21 - Triple H’s Perfect Entrance

Stephanie and Triple H examine the power of an iconic WWE entrance, later they head to Las Vegas to get a first-hand look at the pageantry and spectacle that can only be found at WrestleMania.

May 28 - John Cena’s Final Round

Stephanie meets up with John Cena as he reflects on his incredible 20-plus year sports entertainment journey. She gets a tour of his personal gym and sees how one of the most decorated WWE Superstars of all time stays at the top of his game as he winds down his incredible career.

Triple H Praised For Ability To Play The Long Game

Triple H made sure to be in the right place at the right time.

After signing with WWE in 1995, Triple H set about making himself the biggest and best wrestler he could be. This saw him rise up the card and become part of the most influential backstage factions in WWE history, The Kliq.

As the years passed, it was clear The Game was firmly under the wing of Vince McMahon, and that feeling was cemented when he married Stephanie McMahon in 2003.

Less than a decade later, his in-ring career began to wind down, and Triple H took control of NXT and, eventually, the main roster when Vince left in 2022.

During an appearance on the No-Contest Wrestling Podcast, Sean Waltman — a long-time friend of Triple H — said no one is better at playing the long game than the former World Champion. He explained that his journey to the top of WWE hasn’t always been straightforward, but he had a goal in mind and made sure he got there.

“Paul is a guy that, not many people are better at playing the long game than Paul is. He has a destination point and a goal and he sees where it’s at. Getting through the sh*t that he had to go through was the past to get there. It’s just like all the crazy stuff with Vince coming back and Paul being gone. He just stayed the course and now, he’s the f*cking man.”

When asked whether he saw Triple H going on to have a position of power while they were working together back in the 1990s, Waltman said it was clear he’d eventually have great influence.

“I totally envisioned it. Absolutely. Without a doubt. More so after DX. Not in the early car rides. Not before we all left and went (to WCW). It was obvious to me when I came back where he was going eventually, at some point. When we were doing DX, he was already really involved then in creative and had Vince’s [Vince McMahon] ear and Vince’s confidence.”

Speaking after Elimination Chamber, The Rock said:

“It meant something. I’m a long gamer. I like long gaming. I like creating with Paul [Levesque] and Brian Gewirtz and Maya Lasry, who is on my side of the team. I like creating with Paul and his team as well. We’re long gamers."

John Cena teams with The Rock in jaw-dropping heel turn on Cody Rhodes at WWE Elimination Chamber

John Cena has done what was once unthinkable.

The 16-time world champion and longtime WWE babyface, who is on his year-long retirement tour, has finally turned heel by aligning with The Rock and rapper Travis Scott to double-cross Cody Rhodes in front of a stunned crowd at Rogers Centre to end the Elimination Chamber PLE on Saturday.

It’s uncharted territory for Cena and WWE. Consider that no one has granted more “Make-A-Wish” wishes than Cena.

“The thing I’m excited for is watching John perform this,” The Rock said in the post-show press conference. “Because if you think about it, John has been our Babe Ruth, our Superman. He is the guy you never, ever, ever, thought would turn in this way and he did. And it’s a big risk and it’s ballsy to do something like that and it’s gutsy and he put a lot of thought into it.”

The trio was loudly booed and Cena was showered in chants of “You sold out!”

The “Peacemaker” star will be a true heel for the first time in his 23-year career in WWE after a moment that will be compared to Hulk Hogan’s heel turn to join the nWo at WCW’s Bash at the Beach in 1996.

Cena, 47, won the Chamber match by making CM Punk pass out on the STF to punch his ticket to WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas on April 19-20 for a match with Rhodes, the Undisputed WWE champion.

“When you get to a place in your career where you know you undoubtedly have months left on your career and your dream and the thing that launched you to the rest of world, to movie stardom, to everything else he has as in his life, it puts you in a different perspective and it puts you in a place where it’s now or never and you can ride that out and you can rest on the things that you have done and you couldn’t really blame John for doing that (if he did),” Triple H said. …

“Or someone like him can double down and say, ‘screw it I want to be challenged right to the last moment. I want to go out on my shield. I want to give everything I have. I want to challenge myself. I want to do something different. I want to be scared of it. I want to go out there and do it all.’ And that’s the beauty of John Cena.”

Cena remained in the ring after winning the Chamber match as Rhodes came out to give Rock his answer to whether he would be the one selling his soul to “The Final Boss” and be given unlimited riches and fame.

Rhodes, WWE’s top babyface, told The Rock to “go f–k himself” because his soul belongs to the ring and the fans.

The Rhea Ripley problem hanging over WWE’s women’s Elimination Chamber match Cena, who has been a real-life mentor to Rhodes, then shook Rhodes’ hand and hugged him in what appeared to be a celebration of his rejection of The Rock.

Instead, the camera showed Cena’s face turn stern and sour while he looked at Rock.

The Final Boss then made the slit-his-throat motion and Cena then kicked Rhodes low.

“I felt like tonight stood by all of that, the iconic angles,” Rock said.

A vicious beatdown ensued, and Cena punched Rhodes with the gold Rolex Rhodes was gifted by WWE’ Chief Content Officer Triple H and WWE CEO Nick Khan after his championship match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 last year.

The Rock eventually whipped Rhodes with a custom weight belt that had the date of his father Dusty Rhodes’ death on it and rubbed the champ’s blood on it.

Rock acknowledged during the post-show press conference that Scott’s presence will likely lead to the rapper getting into a WWE ring for a match at some point. Scott, whose presence felt Dennis Rodman-like, even slapped Rhodes at one point.

The entire angle tied in Rock’s Bad Blood appearance, his graciousness to Rhodes at Raw’s Netflix premiere and the character shift in Cena after his Royal Rumble loss.

“The one thing I loved about tonight is that it was nowhere, because nobody knew,” Triple H said. “When I say nobody knew, nobody. Right before the finish of the Chamber, I said to the truck ‘everybody lay out, I have all traffic on what’s next’. It was a very tight circle of people.”

WWE will need to give a believable reason for Cena turning heel because he is nearly as famous in Hollywood as The Rock. A silent Cena simply dropped the mic at the post-show press conference.

It could be the fact that Cena hasn’t won a singles match since April 2018 and is running out of time to win world title No. 17.

Either way, WWE has completely flipped the dynamic and added some spice to Cena and Rhodes’ match at WrestleMania.

source: nypost.com

Ted DiBiase Praises Triple H For What He Has Done With WWE

On the latest episode of Everybody’s Got a Pod, WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase talked about Triple H being in charge of WWE and more. You can check out some highlights below:

On today’s WWE and Triple H being in charge: “I’ll be honest with you, I think he’s doing a good job. You know, Vince’s forte wasn’t wrestling so much because he never really was a wrestler. Where Triple H was a wrestler. So he obviously knows more about wrestling than Vince. But Vince’s gifts — again, we wouldn’t be having this conversation if it weren’t for Vince McMahon and what he did for the wrestling world, for sure. But I think that Triple H is doing a pretty good job. It’s kind of like, what I get from a lot of fans — and even some fans who tune into this program — is, ‘Gosh, it’s just not like the old days.’ And it’s like, ‘The good old days’ happens to be that era when it was me and Duggan and all those guys, Andre and what have you. And it’s just not like it used to be. But with Triple H at the helm, I think it’s going to get back to being more like it used to be. I think it’s a good thing. I really do.”

Triple H Unveils New WWE ID Championships To Spotlight Up-And-Coming Talent

As announced by Triple H Tuesday afternoon, the Men's and Women's WWE ID Championships will be defended across the independent scene in the near future.

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul 'Triple H' Levesque has unveiled new men's and women's championship titles for the WWE Independent Development (WWE ID) program.

The WWE ID program, which launched last fall, was created to help provide assistance and publicity to some of the best wrestlers on the independent circuit. In many cases, the program would provide talent with recourses they need in order to properly pursue their dreams of being signed to a major promotion.

Levesque showcased the Men's and Women's WWE ID Championship belts in a post on social media Tuesday afternoon, writing:

The top independent wrestling prospects have been ID’d… and now, we’re ready to spotlight the best of the best.

Here’s your first look at the Men’s and Women’s WWEID Championships.

source: si.com

Triple H Receives Certificate From Connecticut State Assembly

WWE Chief Creative Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque received an official citation from the Connecticut State Assembly, recognizing his recently announced WWE Hall of Fame induction.

Triple H wrote, “An honor to receive…Thank you to all in the Connecticut State Assembly for the recognition and the excitement around this year’s #WrestleMania.”

The WWE executive and former champion will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2025 later this April during WrestleMania Week.

Jim Ross Responds To Critics Of Triple H’s WWE Hall Of Fame Induction

WWE recently announced that Triple H will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2025. WWE Hall of Famer and current AEW commentator Jim Ross has shared his thoughts on the upcoming induction, which was met with plenty of criticism.

While speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross congratulated Triple H and made it clear that he believed that he deserved the honor.

“Congratulations to Triple H for being inducted or going to be inducted soon,” he said. “Certainly… You know, anybody that says, ‘Well, he’s not deserving. The only reason he’s in is because of who he married.’ Is such bullsh*t. It’s weak. If you’re saying that stop. And stop embarrassing yourself.

“He was the top heel in the hottest era, one of the hottest eras of WWE, and now he’s the quarterback, the head coach of that same team that’s setting records. Give me a break. You know. Stop it. You’re embarrassing yourself by showing your ignorance. Don’t do that.”

JR also shared that he texted Triple H, and he heard back, as Triple H didn’t forget those who helped him.

“And so, I’m happy for him. I sent him a text the other day congratulating him. And believe it or not, it was the day after the Rumble, he texted me right back. So, he’s… He doesn’t forget those that have helped him along the way and those that he respects. And he’s doing a great job there,” Jim Ross said. 

Arn Anderson Says No One But Triple H Should Run WWE

WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson has voiced his strong support for Paul “Triple H” Levesque as the creative force behind WWE, stating that no one else is more qualified for the role.

Speaking on his ARN podcast, Arn Anderson reflected on his longtime acquaintance with Triple H, recalling his early days in WCW and his passion for the business.

“I’ve known Triple H since he very first started in the business with WCW, and I liked him right away, I could just tell—here you got a young guy that’s a student of the business, he’s studying, he’s learning, and he’s asking questions.”

Triple H’s career trajectory saw him transition from WCW to WWE, where he became one of the most decorated wrestlers of all time. His shift from in-ring competitor to top executive has impressed Anderson, who believes he is uniquely suited to lead WWE’s creative direction.

“The evolution that he’s had… to be in the saddle where he is right now—you’ve got a wrestling person with a wrestling mind, but he’s smart enough, and he’s learned so much about the business, he’s into every other aspect—the marketing, you name it. He is a well-rounded boss.”

Since taking charge of WWE’s creative direction, Triple H has been widely praised for his approach to storytelling, talent development, and long-term booking. Anderson believes WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, fully recognises his value.

“If somebody asked me, ‘If it wasn’t him, who would you put in that seat?’ nobody comes to mind. He’s doing a phenomenal job across the board, and I’m sure TKO is very happy to have him and thrilled to have him because he’s a leader.”

Triple H Discusses His Reaction To Upcoming WWE Hall Of Fame Induction

This year's WrestleMania weekend will once again see the WWE Hall of Fame take place, which will be headlined by WWE CCO Paul "Triple H" Levesque. At the Royal Rumble Post-Show press conference, Triple H commented on his upcoming Hall of Fame induction.

"Nick [Khan] and I talked about the Hall of Fame many times, and he would always bring up the fact that, 'When are we are gonna put you in?' And I would say, 'Not now because no matter how I do it, it looks like I'm putting myself in the Hall of Fame,'" Triple H remarked. "He would say, 'Well, we have to do it eventually,' and I would say, 'Okay, well if we have to do it eventually, let's wait 3, 4, 5 years and then we'll talk about it.'"

At the company's town hall meeting last week, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker made surprise appearances to give Triple H his Hall of Fame news. When Triple H noticed Khan walk aside, he got the impression that something involving him was happening. Soon to be a two-time Hall of Famer, Triple H's first induction came in 2019 as part of D-Generation X. 

"We did it with DX, it was a lot of fun. It's different when it's you, and while I've been a part of all of these and I've seen some talent see it as the biggest honor, I've seen other talent be like, 'Eh, whatever,'" Triple H continued. "Because of our passion for what we do, it hit me way harder than I thought it would. It's one of the most meaningful things in my career, and to have it come from Shawn and have it come from 'Taker ... [Khan] doing that for me was incredibly meaningful."

credit: "Royal Rumble Post-Show" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription

CM Punk Compares Triple H And Vince McMahon’s Leadership Styles

CM Punk appeared on Friday’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show, where he discussed a range of topics, including the differences between working under Triple H and Vince McMahon.

Punk highlighted Triple H’s openness to feedback and willingness to consider other people’s ideas—something he believes was less common under McMahon. However, he also acknowledged the importance of having a definitive leader in charge.

“I think he’s receptive to other people’s ideas, whereas maybe Vince wasn’t. He was like, ‘I’m the boss. We’re doing this, and this is how we’re doing it.’ And that’s great. If you run a company, you need somebody who is the yes and no man and [has] the final say.”

Punk continued, emphasizing Triple H’s collaborative approach:

“But I think Triple H thinks he’s surrounded, and oftentimes is, by a lot of really, really genius wrestling minds. If he has an idea or see something one way, he’ll look at Michael Hayes and be like, ‘What do you think?’ He’ll turn and look at Paul Heyman. These are people who have Bonafide resumes. They have literally done everything you possibly could do in the sport. I think their voices should be heard. Not all the time everybody’s going to have this dynamite idea. But I think the best idea always wins in today’s WWE.”

Paul Levesque To Headline WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2025

Insider reports that WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque, aka Triple H, will headline the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame class. Despite his position of being in charge of the promotion, Levesque was said to be caught off guard by the decision, which was revealed to him today in a meeting by his wife, Stephanie McMahon, and fellow Hall of Famers Undertaker and Shawn Michaels.

Levesque has largely sat atop the WWE pyramid since the initial retirement of his father-in-law, Vince McMahon, in 2022, and has been credited for revitalizing WWE under his direction. However, his Hall of Fame induction has less to do with his executive career and more with his in-ring accolades. 

Levesque first gained notoriety in WCW from 1993 to 1994, before joining WWE and assuming his Triple H moniker. When he ended his in-ring career in 2022, he had wracked up 14 World Title reigns, as well as runs with the WWE Intercontinental, European, and Tag Team Championships. He also won the 1997 King of the Ring, the 2002 and 2016 Royal Rumbles, and along with Michaels was a founding member of the popular stable, D-Generation X.

Michael Cole Explains What Makes The Triple H Era Better

The differences between the Paul "Triple H" Levesque "era" of WWE and that of Vince McMahon are noticeable to fans of the product, but it's also being felt backstage.

Veteran WWE commentator Michael Cole discussed the changes on "The Pat McAfee Show" ahead of the Netflix debut of "WWE Raw" on Monday. Cole said he believes everyone, from the talent in the ring to the production crew, is reinvigorated by the lightened schedule with fewer live events, as well as the new regime. He said Levesque takes a step back himself, and lets the talent across the board do what they do best.

"I think that freedom has really allowed the superstars, and I know for me and I know for Pat as well, has allowed us to be more entertaining, to be more relaxed, to be able to sit back and enjoy this product as a fan," he said. "Also, who knows characters better than the character? Seth Rollins knows his character better than anyone on the planet, so why not allow him to be able to bring that character forward."

Cole said that Levesque understands he has an "all-star team" in the company, from the talent to the announcers to camera and audio people, and those who handle props. He agreed with McAfee that Levesque has "empowered" everyone behind the scenes as they put all their energy into WWE's television products.

"I've seen everything in this business for nearly 30 years," Cole said. "I have never had as much fun as I've had the last couple of years. Not only working with you, but working with Paul [Levesque]."

credit "The Pat McAfee Show" Wrestling Inc.

WWE’s ‘Monday Night Raw’ Netflix Debut Draws 4.9 Million Views

The first episode of WWE‘s “Monday Night Raw” to stream live on Netflix pulled in 4.9 million views globally.

That is according to Live+1 data provided by Netflix, with a view defined as total hours viewed for the program divided by its runtime. The 4.9 million views came from countries like the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Latin America, but did not include 92 countries/territories where Netflix doesn’t yet distribute WWE, including France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Philippines and South Korea.

The Netflix debut of “Raw” was also viewed by 2.6 million households in the U.S. according to VideoAmp, compared to the 1.2 million households “Raw” was averaging in 2024.

It is difficult to make a direct comparison between the Netflix and USA Network viewership for “Raw,” as linear channels measure their viewership differently than Netflix does. For the sake of some comparison, however, the final episode of “Raw” on USA Network averaged approximately 1.596 million viewers across its two-hour runtime, according to Nielsen Live + Same Day data. From the beginning of October through the end of December, “Raw” averaged approximately 1.65 million viewers per week on USA Network.

During the first “Raw” on Netflix, Roman Reigns defeated his cousin Solo Sikoa in a Tribal Combat match for the sacred ula fala and the title of Tribal Chief. Later, Rhea Ripley defeated Liv Morgan to regain the women’s world championship title, Jey Uso defeated Drew McIntyre, and CM Punk won a brutal main event match against Seth Rollins.

The night also saw John Cena kick off his 2025 retirement tour, while Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson opened the show and later appeared alongside Reigns. WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan made an appearance toward the end of the show, but was met with a barrage of boos from the crowd.

This is the latest in push by Netflix into live streaming. Previously, the streamer aired a boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul that drew an estimated average minute audience (AMA) of 108 million live viewers globally. The event peaked at 65 million concurrent streams, with 38 million concurrent streams in the US. Over Christmas, the NFL matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans averaged 24.3 million viewers on Netflix, while the earlier Chiefs-Steelers bout brought in 24.1 million viewers.

source: variety.com