Triple H Reportedly Has Final Say on Latest WWE Releases – New reports indicate Paul “Triple H” Levesque is directly responsible for determining which talents are cut as WWE undergoes internal restructuring.
In the wake of WWE’s surprising wave of talent releases on May 2, which included notable names like Braun Strowman, Shayna Baszler, and Dakota Kai, questions have mounted over who is truly calling the shots behind the scenes in the TKO Group Holdings era.
While many initially speculated that higher-level TKO executives were behind the roster purge, new insights suggest that WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque holds the final authority when it comes to talent decisions.
Speaking on a recent livestream, Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp stated emphatically:
“From what I was told, if he wants somebody to be there, they’re going to be there. Gonna be there. Let me be clear about that — if he wanted them there, they would be there. They would absolutely be there.”
Further details were shared by Ibou of WrestlePurists, who echoed that Levesque is solely responsible for choosing which performers are released:
“Triple H is the final say on any roster personnel decisions. Most non-injured wrestlers that are benched from the TV that he books are candidates to get cut whenever he’s told it’s time to shed roster salary… Figuring out the WHEN on these matters is Ari and Nick. Figuring out WHO goes is Paul Levesque.”
Ibou also emphasized that these cuts are primarily driven by shareholder expectations and financial reports, noting that rising base salaries and an influx of WWE ID talent make the system unsustainable without periodic reductions in roster size.
“The actual WWE product, roster, talent acquisitions, and business transactions with other promotions is Triple H’s domain. This was always going to be the end result of an influx of WWE ID talent trickling in through the system on the cheap and other avenues of acquiring talent. Especially when the base salary for main roster talent increased to $350,000/year. The people that scapegoat TKO solely and pretend HHH has nothing to do with it when being mad at releases need to get real. Ari Emmanuel is likely unable to name more than 15-20 talent on the entire WWE roster.”
The latest wave of releases occurred just one day after a corporate shake-up involving longtime employee Ryan Pappolla, fueling speculation that these cuts were not solely performance-based but also connected to broader restructuring efforts within WWE and its parent company, TKO Group Holdings.
As of this writing, 17 talent releases have been confirmed, along with one additional unverified release still awaiting confirmation.
Confirmed WWE Main Roster Releases (90-Day Non-Compete – Free Agents on August 1)
- Shayna Baszler
- Katana Chance
- Kayden Carter
- Dakota Kai
- Braun Strowman
- Shotzi
Confirmed WWE NXT Releases (30-Day Non-Compete – Free Agents on June 1)
- Javier Bernal
- Joe Coffey
- Mark Coffey
- Gigi Dolin
- Jakara Jackson
- Cora Jade
- Oro Mensah
- Riley Osborne
- Eddy Thorpe
- Wolfgang
- Dani Palmer
No official comment has been made by WWE regarding who holds decision-making authority in the release process. However, these recent insights paint a clearer picture of Paul Levesque’s central role in shaping WWE’s evolving roster under the TKO era.
Stay tuned to WrestlingAttitude, WA.Com On Facebook, Twitter/X, Bluesky and Google News for more.
Triple H Reportedly Has Final Say on Latest WWE Releases
