Is Triple H Best for Business? Examining Possible Replacements for WWE’s Head of Creative

Before we get into today’s article. RIP Joe Doering and fuck cancer.

Triple H’s current run as Head of Creative goes back to September of 2023. When TKO bought the WWE, Triple H was given back the book and the job of leading WWE into the future. And most fans were happy with the decision. Triple H had done an excellent job with NXT, as well as during Vince McMahon’s first ousting before the sale.

And everything seemed to be firing on all cylinders; 2024 was a great year of storytelling from WWE. And then the Netflix deal was announced, and the debut show happened, and it was odd. It was loaded with nostalgia pops and celebrities. We had a great main event, but the World Champion, Gunther, was relegated to a video package.

As 2025 went on, there was a noticeable decline in storytelling. The Rock butted himself into Cody’s story again (at the request of Nick Khan). This led to Cena’s turn at Elimination Chamber, The Rock would never show up again, and we had one of the worst run-ins ever to finish WrestleMania (a run-in that didn’t have any payoff). There is a level of both Nick Khan and Ari Emanuel sticking their noses into things. Like the previously mentioned Rock issues, as well as Pat McAfee being shoehorned into this year’s Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes match.

And while I see the move to have more celebrities and some of the more questionable decisions as corporate involvement, I see a lot of discourse about this being all Triple H’s fault and how he should be replaced. The question I am proposing today is, who could replace him?

Paul Heyman

Heyman is probably a lot of people’s first pick to take over the book. Heyman’s run with ECW has been mythologized for decades now. His time booking the SmackDown Six is looked back on fondly. I understand why people would want this. Hell, I wouldn’t be opposed to it from a pure creative standpoint.

Unfortunately, there are two major issues Heyman would run into. One of them is his track record in corporate environments. Going back to his days in WCW, Heyman has always clashed with those in charge. Sure, he has done fine in his current role for years. But he is mainly a manager and has a hand in the creative direction for those he manages.

I don’t know how long Heyman would last having to answer to Nick and Ari. It would only be a matter of time before Ari wants Heyman to shoehorn some celebrity into a top storyline. And then Heyman is going to Heyman and go off on Ari.

The other issue is that, in recent years, Heyman has started to lose some favor with fans. He has made some remarks, out of character, that have been distasteful at best and outright racist at worst. And while it is very clear that the company is firmly leaning right, they still want someone in charge who can control their mouth.

Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels has done an amazing job with the book in NXT. He has let the women flourish and become the biggest stars on every show –which I will say has been a slight detriment as well, as the men’s side has seen a serious downfall. But NXT is still one of the easier shows to watch each week, a light two hours with nothing overly offensive on it.

Honestly, I wouldn’t mind seeing what Michaels could do with the main roster. Especially the SmackDown Women’s Division. But we have no idea how he would do with a much bigger roster and way more television to book. Yes, he would have a bigger creative team around him, but it is still a big shift.

There is also a question of loyalty. Shawn and Triple H are longtime best friends, and if Triple H is fired, would Michaels want to replace him? Would TKO want someone so close to take the job?

The Undertaker

The Undertaker and Jeremy Borash have done an excellent job making AAA the best booked hour of wrestling every week. They have helped to establish AAA stars with the wider WWE audience. And had a huge hand in making the El Granda Americanos saga such a huge success.

If anyone was able to slide into the role, it would be Undertaker (with Borash). They have a very straightforward and simple mentality to booking wrestling. Which is a good thing, wrestling doesn’t need to be super complicated. Wrestling works well with the Keep it Simple Stupid formula. And Undertaker seems to understand this more than most.

The issue here is a combination of Heyman and Michaels. We don’t know how well Taker would do with a bigger roster and more time to fill. We also don’t know how well he would do having to answer to corporate overlords. He doesn’t seem like the guy who is going to be okay with something like the Pat McAfee situation. And while he wouldn’t deal with it like Heyman, he wouldn’t be happy with it.

The Reality of the Situation

Despite the wishes of some fans, Triple H doesn’t seem to be in danger of going anywhere. And looking around, I think that is a good thing, at least for now. There are very few options to take over. This isn’t the territory days or even the 1990s, where there were a ton of creative wrestling minds. And the only person with the experience Triple H has is currently running AEW.

A few outliers could be looked at in Gabe Sapolsky and Scott D’Amore. But I don’t see either of them getting a shot due to a lack of national experience. And honestly, at the end of the day, anyone who takes over would have even more corporate oversight. It isn’t great with Triple H, but anyone else is going to have Ari and Nick constantly putting their noses in and messing with stuff.

So, for better or worse, Triple H is the best option to run the WWE. That may change down the road. Someone like Cody Rhodes or CM Punk could one day be a better option to run things. But for now, we are in Triple H’s hands, and we just have to hope his bosses let him do his thing.