Triple H is officially back. WWE sent out a press release today announcing that Paul “Triple H” Levesque has returned to his executive position as Executive Vice President of Talent Relations. “I look forward to returning to my prior position as head of Talent Relations,” Triple H said in the statement. “I’m healthy, fired up, and ready to take charge.” The former WrestleMania headliner continued his enthusiasm on Twitter, writing, “Proud and honored to work with the best talent in the world.” This past fall, Triple H stepped back from his corporate positions due to a heart condition, which ultimately forced him to retire from in-ring competition.
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The role of EVP of Talent Relations was previously held by John Laurinaitis, who was placed on indefinite leave earlier this year following an ongoing internal investigation of alleged misconduct. Triple H had previous served in the role until March 2020, when his title was altered to EVP of Global Talent Strategy and Development. Senior Vice President Bruce Prichard had replaced Laurinaitis in the interim, but it looks like Triple H has come to permanently assume Laurinaitis’s position.
This announcement comes shortly after a reported WWE Performance Center speech from Triple H, where he stated that “he’s back.” The Game’s last televised appearance came at WWE WrestleMania 38 this past April, where he kicked off the show by making his grand Motörhead entrance. That spectacle culminated in Triple H leaving his boots in the ring, marking a symbolic end to his wrestling career.
“We have three young girls [ages]: 15, 13, and 11. Suddenly, I come home and I’m a little bit sick, and their dad, who’s strong, always, suddenly is in the hospital,” Triple H told ESPN earlier this year. “I don’t know if they understood the consequences of it, but there’s moments in there when they’re putting you out for stuff [pauses to collect himself] and you think, ‘Is this it? Do you wake from this?’ That’s tough to swallow, And makes you think differently… about life. It doesn’t make you any less driven for the things that you do, but it certainly makes you appreciate the things you have more — your friends, your family. For me, as far as in-ring… I’m done. I won’t — I will never wrestle again. First of all, I have a defibrillator in my chest, which it’s not a good idea for me zapped on live TV.”
One of Triple H’s most famous projects within WWE, developmental brand NXT, underwent significant changes while he was absent. The former black and gold brand has moved away from its indie wrestling feel and more towards an extension of Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown. NXT is currently headed up by Shawn Michaels, one of Triple H’s best friends. It’s unclear if Triple H will take back control of NXT, but current rumors have said the Cerebral Assassin’s power within WWE “is growing” compared to when he first returned to work earlier this year.
