On July 22, Vince McMahon retired as WWE CEO amid a WWE board investigation into alleged sexual misconduct and hush money involving McMahon.
With McMahon stepping down, Triple H stepped up, assuming all creative duties and becoming head of talent relations. Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan were named Co-CEOs.
For the longest time, many believed Vince wouldn't leave his position in WWE until his last breath and when he announced his retirement, the majority of fans and performers were caught off guard.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani of BT Sport, Triple H recalled the moment he learned his father-in-law would be stepping down.
"It sort of wasn't a moment where, 'Hey, this is what's going to happen.' There were moments as it was coming up. It's been a discussion point for a lot of years. 'What happens if? What is the plan if?' It's always been sort of talked about as a succession plan and all those things, but when it really comes to that moment and becomes to be, it's a different conversation. Even if some manner, I'm thinking to myself, 'Wow, eventually, this is where I'm going to get to.' There is that moment where it's like, 'This is really happening, right now.' As we were easing into it, not easing into it, but having the decisions come about of what Vince is going to do, I'm hearing the conversations and I know it's coming, but then there is still that moment where they go, 'this is happening. Tomorrow morning, 8 o'clock, this is happening.' It's like, 'Well, here we go.' There is really nothing you can do about it, so you take a deep breath and go, 'Alright, you've been talking about it for a long time, let's go put your money where your mouth is,'" said Triple H.
When asked if Vince gave him any advice as he stepped down, Triple H replied, "He did. In some manner, I think for both of us, it's a tough situation for him. It's even hard for me to picture now that he's not in the equation, and he's not, in any way, shape or form, but it's hard to think, that he's not there. In that moment, it's hard for him to think about it and for somebody coming in and doing what he's done for 50 years successfully, better than anybody in the world. There was definitely that moment, definitely giving me advice. Most of that advice was centered around, 'this is what you've been sitting next to me, learning how to do for 25 years. You got this. Just be confident in your decision-making. Listen to people. Be open to ideas. Be collaborative with other people.' Things like that, that was wonderful advice. It's my father-in-law, he's not involved in the day-to-day business, but if I had to say to him, 'I find this difficult to deal with,' he would give me some overall advice. 'Listen to people, work with the team, do these things.' That guidance, he's a wealth of knowledge. In our positions now, with myself, Steph, and Nick Khan, and so many other people that are an integral part of WWE, he's built such an amazing team for all of us, that you have such a support system around you. I couldn't imagine trying to do this if you were by yourself and trying to do it. Having that team around you, that support system around you, it's a wonderful team. It's a lot of work, but it makes the work fun and easy."
Triple H continued, discussing how he can't think of what Vince would do in certain situations and he has to pick his own flavors.
"One of the things that he, I don't want to say outright said, but he alluded to me, 'You're going to do things. You cannot think about how I would do things. You have to think about what you want to do and how you feel it's best for the product. I might not like it, but I understand why you're going to do the things you're going to do. You have to do what you feel is right.' It is a tough thing to get to. No one works together for that long of a period of time, everyone thinks, 'I would have done that slightly differently.' Doesn't mean it's right or wrong. We use the term all the time in the business, chocolate and vanilla. I want chocolate, you want vanilla, one of us has to pick a flavor, he would always pick the flavor. Now it's my turn to pick the flavor. It's all good, it's all ice cream, but it's my time to pick the flavor and I have to be confident in those decisions. I can't look back and say, 'what would Vince want to have?' It just wouldn't be authentic then," he stated.
Triple H has made immediate changes to the product, allowing wrestlers to use words like "wrestling," bringing back previously released stars, having longer matches, and more.
Elsewhere during the interview, Triple H discussed the "communication breakdown" with Sasha Banks and the previous regime and her potentially returning to the company. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
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