Report outlines WWE creative process, which ‘for the moment’ doesn’t involve Vince McMahon

Earlier this week, reports hit that Vince McMahon isn’t currently involved with WWE’s creative process.

After his return from a brief scandal-triggered retirement and with the sale of the company earlier this year, WWE’s long-time owner had resumed offering notes and making changes to Raw and SmackDown plans. But now the new owners are said to have “knighted” Triple H, so he’s the one calling the shots.

While confirming that in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer also identified two other key players in the Trips-led writing & booking operation:

Regarding the creative process, right now Paul Levesque is the person in charge. He’s the one making all the key decisions. Bruce Prichard is a conduit between creative, talent relations and talent services. Ed Koskey is the operations person who keeps the scripts flowing.

Initial reports on McMahon’s absence from the process mentioned that some talent are hesitant to accept the change as anything more than temporary. And Meltzer’s sources make it sound like they’re right to be skeptical:

At the moment, Vince McMahon is out of the creative process, but it was stressed to me the term ‘at the moment.’ McMahon is still the person in charge of the company with the most power but Levesque is running creative and Nick Khan is making the business moves.

It would seem, in backing Triple H as the leading voice in creative, Endeavor/TKO likes the results he’s produced since (mostly) taking over in 2022. The best defense against his father-in-law reasserting control would keeping those business metrics — from ratings to gates to merch sales — strong. A downturn in revenue or reduced projections would give McMahon more justification for increased involvement.

But as long as Vince is “still the person in charge of the company with the most power”, there’s no assurances he’ll stay on the creative sidelines forever.