In the wake of WWE's surprise wave of talent cuts on May 2, 2025—which saw the departure of high-profile names like Braun Strowman, Shayna Baszler, Dakota Kai, and others—questions have swirled over who truly holds the power when it comes to making these roster decisions under the new TKO Group Holdings banner.
While initial speculation pointed fingers at corporate leadership, new insider reports suggest the person calling the shots on these tough decisions is none other than WWE Chief Content Officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque.
"If He Wants Them There, They Stay": Triple H's Reported Authority
During a recent Fightful livestream, insider Sean Ross Sapp directly addressed Triple H's role in deciding which wrestlers remain with the company. Sapp didn't mince words:
“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.”
This quote underscores a growing belief that the WWE’s top creative mind isn't just overseeing storylines—he’s reportedly determining who stays employed, too.
WrestlePurists Report Sheds Light on WWE's Internal Structure
Further details came from wrestling news outlet WrestlePurists. Analyst Ibou posted on Twitter/X about the internal workings behind talent cuts, stressing that Triple H is the central figure in these decisions, especially when non-injured wrestlers are off TV.
“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.
The priority is that their books, and profit margins look good to shareholders after every quarter, which is why to juice up numbers, they shed contracts. Figuring out the WHEN on these matters is Ari \[Emanuel] and Nick \[Khan]. Figuring out WHO goes is Paul Levesque. I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you’d have to be impressively naive to believe otherwise.”
The post emphasized that while business figures like Emanuel and Khan manage timelines and financial goals, Levesque is the one determining which names are shown the door.
Backlash Grows Over Released Talent
Recent cuts have sparked wide-scale backlash from fans and wrestling communities alike, particularly because a good number of the released names were seen as key components of the company's current and future plans.
Among the top names struck off were Shayna Baszler, Dakota Kai, and Cora Jade—all three having seen either recent television action or expected to return to it from injury.
Despite becoming a hot topic, WWE yet has to come out with an official position on who was responsible for making these decisions. Rather, the very closeness of the talent releases to the recent wave of corporate layoffs, which included longtime WWE staffer Ryan Pappolla, has done nothing but increase the feeling of unrest.
Public Perception Might Be Changing
The revelations about Triple H's influence haven't gone down as easy with many fans, given that many assumed that the TKO Group executives were behind some of the budget-related talent cuts.
Ibou’s blunt assessment further fueled this change in perception:
“The actual WWE product, roster, talent acquisitions, and business transactions with other promotions is Triple H’s domain…
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.”
While fans continue to process the latest round of WWE releases, these reports may cause a significant shift in how decisions at the top are perceived. With Triple H now seemingly confirmed as the final voice in talent retention, future roster changes could be scrutinized even more closely—not just from a corporate standpoint, but creatively as well.