The door to WWE is wide open—at least according to Triple H. The head of creative claims his phone is blowing up with messages from talent eager to return.
He says this influx of interest is a direct result of a major cultural shift within the company. According to The Game, a reduced workload has transformed WWE into a more desirable destination for wrestlers.
However, not every homecoming has a storybook ending. Andrade’s second run with the company recently fizzled after just 18 months, with reports suggesting WWE had “buyer’s remorse” amid backstage disciplinary issues and a wellness policy violation. This stands in contrast to the company’s 2025 talent cuts, which saw former Universal Champion Braun Strowman, Shayna Baszler, and The O.C.’s Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson all released earlier this year.
But for every cautionary tale, there’s a feel-good moment. AJ Lee made her shocking return on September 5, stepping back into a WWE ring after a decade away. She quickly got back in the win column, teaming with CM Punk to defeat Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch at Wrestlepalooza.
Triple H expanded on this new environment during an appearance on Countdown to Wrestlepalooza.
“I think myself, Nick Khan, we approach it differently. I think the layout of how we operate here, when you’re trying to get to the top of the mountain, your drive, that grind has to be different, right?
The workload here used to be very, very difficult. It took a special person to be in that grind, a special person, a special performer to want to do that day in, day out for years on end, and it seemed like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a bit different. Now, the culture is a bit different.
Now, the way Superstars approach things is a bit different. I just think it’s a different timeframe. Yes, we’re more open. There’s less workload, but that less workload opens itself up to a bit of scarcity, which leads to a demand for me.
There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t get a text or a voicemail from somebody saying either, ‘I want to come home,’ or ‘I’ve never been there, is there an opportunity for me there? I’m overseas right now. I have this time left on my deal. Hey, I would love to explore WWE and come into the Performance Center. NXT, whatever that is.’
The opportunity right now, where we sit, opportunities, like Netflix, like the CW, like USA, like ESPN, especially, open that door for talent to say, ‘Man, I’m in this place in my life, but I either want to go back to the top of the mountain, or I want to be on the top of the mountain.’” (h/t Fightful)