As WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque is now focused on building the company’s high-profile events from behind the scenes. While a 2021 heart issue forced an abrupt end to his in-ring career at WrestleMania 38, Levesque recently admitted he had already begun to recognize that his time as a top-tier performer was ending.
Speaking on Good Morning America to promote Wrestlepalooza, Triple H addressed his retirement and the feeling of knowing when it’s time to step away.
“You start to get to a place where you’re questioning ‘Can I do what I do anymore, the way I used to?’… When you’re out there doing it, you feel like you’re moving quick. And then you watch it back and you’re like ‘Why am I running so slow? Why am I moving like that?’ You definitely know it’s there.”
He acknowledged that leaving the bright spotlight and fanfare is one of the most difficult decisions any wrestler can face, stating, “this business is really tough to give up.”
However, as Levesque reflects on his retirement, one former WWE star has a starkly different prediction for his future. Speaking on The Stevie Richards Show, the ECW veteran argued that fan perception of Triple H has soured dramatically following the controversial announcement that WrestleMania 43 will be held in Saudi Arabia.
According to Richards, the very executive fans once championed for ushering in a new era is now being cast in a new role.
“I mean, the fans spoke about this part with Taker being there, Shawn being there, Hunter, of course, who’s now starting to become a villain because of this, with most of the fans who wanted the Triple H era so badly. Now it’s turning into, he lived long enough to become the villain,” Richards said.
Richards believes Triple H is taking the brunt of the heat for the deal due to his executive position, and he made a bold prediction that the massive payday offered could lure not just The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, but Triple H himself, back into the ring for WrestleMania 43.
The former WWE star issued a strong warning about the physical dangers of such a move, citing the infamous Goldberg vs. Undertaker match in Saudi Arabia as a prime example of how badly things can go for aging legends.
“Getting in the ring is always a huge risk, no matter what age you are. And we saw the Goldberg–Taker match from Saudi Arabia, where Goldberg could have broken Taker’s neck, and he could have been out just like that. Done,” Richards explained. “Either you’re done, you’re crippled, or even worse. And to me, no amount of millions of dollars is worth that. Taker, Hunter, and Shawn already have paid the price multiple times over. And every time you see them walk or try to do anything, you notice they paid their dues and paid the price.”