Believe it or not, there will be a time when Vince McMahon is no longer running the WWE. It seems hard to believe after decades of having him around, but with the WWE continuing to expand and the return of the XFL, it may be a bit too much for 72-year-old McMahon. In the past few years, Triple H had already taken over NXT and more recently added 205 Live under his reign. It's expected that Triple H's duties will continue to increase until he eventually takes over the company along with Stephanie McMahon.

If you are familiar with Triple H the wrestler - specifically during his 2000s run - then you certainly have some question marks as he was known for burying talents. But based on what we saw of him as a booker, it's safe to say that Triple H appears to be more than ready to take over the WWE. And just as McMahon does, there is no doubt that Triple H will also have his favorites - as he already does - and those Superstars will strive to become among the top Superstars.

It is mainly NXT names who were recruited and groomed by Triple H, so it isn't shocking to see him attempt to push them to the next level. But the new boss will also have a list of wrestlers that he would want gone as soon as possible for various reasons. Here are 8 WWE stars Triple H wants to release and 8 he wants to push:

16 Release: Dolph Ziggler

Rumors have it that Dolph Ziggler has signed a new WWE contract that will keep him around after many had believed that he may leave. But it seems like Ziggler simply couldn't reject WWE's hefty offer, and while they don't seem to have any plans for him in place, he is probably more than happy to collect a paycheck at this point.

Triple H has never been fond of Ziggler even when he was apart of the Spirit Squad, as he criticized him and played a part in him being sent down to OVW.

And once Ziggler made it back up, there was heat on him on behalf of Triple H for many years. It's unknown as to why Triple H dislikes him, but we can't imagine him wanting Ziggler around for much longer. But it looks like Triple H will have to deal with Ziggler for at least a couple more years.

15 Push: Sami Zayn

Triple H has always wanted the WWE to sign Sami Zayn back when he was competing on the independent circuit, and he eventually got his wish. Over the years, Triple H has had nothing but praise for Zayn, dubbing him as the modern day Ricky Steamboat. He also claimed that Zayn is one of the best talents today, and will be among the top Superstars once he reaches his potential.

Rumors suggest that Vince McMahon isn't nearly as fond of Zayn, which would explain the slow start to his career.

But things have been picking up for him in the past few months, and although Triple H was opposed to his heel turn at first, he has come around as have many fans. With Triple H's increasing role in the WWE, it wouldn't be surprising to see Zayn as a main eventer for many years to come.

14 Release: Kurt Angle

It's no secret that Triple H and Kurt Angle had some problems in the past, going back to the early 2000s when they were competing for the top spot. They were eventually split into different brands, but it was Triple H who constantly threw shots at Angle for being the champion of the B-Show which plenty of fans and officials thought were unwarranted.

Their relationship wasn't great when Angle left the WWE, and it has been said that Triple H didn't want him back in the company.

Angle's return was allegedly delayed for a while due to his health, but also thanks to Triple H who was always in Vince McMahon's ear about Angle. Angle and McMahon seem to have made up since then, but that won't be enough for Triple H who is bound to take over soon and will likely have Angle at the top of his "to be released" list.

13 Push: Bobby Roode

Many have dubbed Bobby Roode as the modern day Triple H due to their similar characteristics from promos to in-ring work. It's no surprising to hear that Triple H was one of the officials who recruited Roode to the WWE, and has been one of his biggest supporters since then. Although Roode hasn't been very convincing during his run with many believing that he is a much better heel, he still has the support of Triple H who will surely make sure that he gets many opportunities for the next couple years.

Triple H praised Roode on Twitter when he made his SmackDown debut, and has also had a lot to say in interviews regarding his WWE potential.

Whether Vince McMahon shares that same train of thought is an entirely different conversation. Time will tell whether Triple H's influence will be enough to push him to the top.

12 Release: Shane McMahon

Back in the day, everyone assumed that Vince McMahon's son Shane would eventually take over the WWE. Once he left the WWE in 2009, it was revealed that the torch would be passed down to Stephanie McMahon and Triple H. With Shane's return to the company, he made things interesting once again but it seems like fans are now convincing that Triple H is the right man for the job after seeing what he did for NXT.

Reports claim that there is certainly heat between Shane and Triple H, who was more than happy when the former previously chose to leave the company.

And while we would bet that Vince's son would always have a role in the company, Triple H would be more than happy to let him go whenever possible. They don't seem to get along at all, but problems haven't escalated yet since Vince is still around.

11 Push: Kevin Owens

When Kevin Owens joined Raw, opinions seem to have been divided regarding the newest addition to the roster. It was rumored that Vince McMahon wasn't a huge fan of Owens, mainly due to his look since he prefers his Superstars to have a more traditional look. But Triple H was very supportive since day one and pushed for Owens to be given a chance, which eventually led to his WWE Universal Title victory.

It was rumored that Triple H was so fond of Owens that he wanted to create a new stable - similar to Evolution - but with Owens and Samoa Joe by his side.

They even teamed up on several occasions although nothing really materialized. As for McMahon, he seems to be more of a believer these days especially after taking that infamous bump on SmackDown. But you can bet that Triple H will continue pushing for Owens to be in the main event.

10 Release: Jason Jordan

In the past few months, Jason Jordan was pushed up the card at a rather fast pace, much to the disappointment of some fans. He was finally turning around a new page in recent weeks as his character wasn't nearly as bland but an injury is expected to put him out for a while.

According to reports, it was Vince McMahon who really wanted to push Jordan since he thought he had the ideal look for a Superstar.

On the other hand, it appears that Triple H had a different point of view, but ultimately McMahon's opinion prevailed as it usually does. If Triple H happens to take over within the next three years, then it's very likely that Jordan will no longer be on the roster. especially if he fails to connect with the fans. Time is still on his side to make a believer out of Triple H.

9 Push: Rusev

Fans have mixed feelings about Triple H, there are some who consider among the all-time greats while others believe that he never was a true star and buried plenty of talents. But what you cannot deny is the work he has done in NXT, which he has been in charge of for some years. Rusev was full of praise for Triple H, claiming that he was the best thing that ever happened to WWE's developmental system.

There appears to be mutual respect between the two with Triple H believing that he could be a major player for the company, although it's been said that Vince McMahon viewed him only as the typical foreign heel. Rusev is currently enjoying his best run as he has gotten truly over with the fans thanks to Rusev Day. With his popularity skyrocketing, you can bet that Triple H will continue to fully support him.

8 Release: Lana

Triple H may be a fan of Rusev but it seems like he doesn't feel that same way about his wife Lana. She had a successful stint as Rusev's manager in the past but got lost in the shuffle once she tried to become a singles competitor.

Lana has failed to improve significantly in the ring after many years, which we can only imagine has upset Triple H.

As we all know, Vince McMahon loves having the traditional Diva around which probably explains as to why Lana has managed to stick on the roster as long as she has. But when it comes to Triple H, Lana will most likely be fighting for her job in the WWE unless she steps it up in the ring. Judging by her most appearances, that doesn't seem quite realistic and it's only a matter of time before she becomes a non-wrestler once again.

7 Push: Samoa Joe

As previously mentioned, Triple H is so fond of Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens that he wanted to form a new dominant stable to push them as the new faces of the WWE. Joe has had an impressive career thus far although he has been held back by injuries. It is generally believed that Joe would have never been hired by the older WWE management since he didn't have the ideal look, but times have changed and he is now recognized as one of the best wrestlers in the world.

Triple H was one of many officials who recruited Joe to the company, and convinced McMahon that he would be a great addition.

It appears that McMahon has come around since then, but if Triple H were to take control of the WWE, there is no doubt that Joe would be among his top Superstars.

6 Release: Zack Ryder

In 2015, former WWE Superstar JTG revealed that it's well-known backstage that Triple H dislikes Zack Ryder for whatever reason. At the peak of his career, Ryder managed to get over with the fans and was getting major pops on weekly basis, but JTG claims that he was held back since Triple H simply wasn't fond of him and went out of his way to sabotage his career.That would explain as to why Ryder has accomplished very little and has been lost in the shuffle for so many years.

Although he may not be running things just yet, Triple H has major influence backstage especially when Vince McMahon happens to be on the fence. That seems to have been the case for Ryder, who went from having potential to advance to the next level to where he is today. If JTG's claims are true, then you can expect Ryder to be one of the first names gone from the WWE when Triple H is in power.

5 Push: Bayley

Bayley is one of the many Superstars to be groomed by Triple H during her time in NXT, and has played her part in the women's revolution. Although she does have a title reign to her name, she hasn't been booked nearly as good on Raw as she was on NXT, which reportedly upset Triple H since Bayley lost plenty of momentum in the past year. Fans were even booing her at some point, and it didn't help that she was losing nearly every match she competed in.

She finally picked up a major win against her good ol' friend Sasha Banks, which should help her get back on track and we wouldn't be surprised if Triple H was behind it.

He has been Bayley's biggest supporter for quite some time, as they have been pictured together on numerous occasions. Triple H has also been very complimentary about her talent and contribution to the women's revolution.

4 Release: Nia Jax

When Vince McMahon refers to you as the Andre The Giant of the women's division, then you know that expectations are high. Nia Jax has failed to truly impress thus far, and is considered to be one of the worst female wrestlers on the roster although she continues to receive a push due to her unique look. A few months ago, it was reported that she threatened to quit the WWE since she was upset with her booking but a call from her relative The Rock seems to have smoothed things over.

And while McMahon seems to be high on her - with some claiming due to her connection with The Rock - Triple H prefers nearly every other woman wrestler who is on the roster. And he has the right to because Nia has been handed several opportunities to truly shine, but hasn't really connected with the fans.

3 Push: Finn Balor

Since coming to the WWE, Triple H has been one of Finn Balor's biggest supporters which would explain why he instantly became a main eventer. Balor initially struggled with adjusting to the spotlight, as well as new responsibilities that came with being a WWE Superstar but he credited Triple H for helping him out get settled.

This past September, it was reported that Triple H was very upset by the way Balor has been booked on Raw, believing that he is being severely misused.

Since then, Balor's career has gotten back on track so Triple H certainly had a say backstage. Although it appears that Vince McMahon still isn't entirely convinced by Balor in many ways, he is willing to continue providing him with opportunities to succeed, especially since he has Triple H's continuous support. What remains to be seen is how Balor is handled for the rest of the year.

2 Release: Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan is one of the most popular Superstars in modern history, and his rise to the top has been well documented. Although the WWE Universe was fully behind him, Bryan had doubters in the locker room as many top officials didn't see him as a main eventer. And it seems like Triple H wasn't exactly his biggest fan, possibly due to how strong the Bryan movement was at a time when The Authority were still running things.

Whenever a Bryan return has been discussed, Triple H has been quick to shoot down all hope.

Bryan is currently serving as the General Manager of SmackDown, and while fans are happy to just see him, that is not the role they imagined for him. Once Triple H takes over the company, we wouldn't be surprised to see Bryan among the names released from the company if he even lasts until then.

1 Push: Cesaro

For years, fans have been asking for Cesaro to be on the receiving end of a major push. During a podcast with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Vince McMahon complimented his physical talent but added that lacking charisma and not having "it" has held back Cesaro since he hasn't been able to connect with the WWE Universe. Fans were very critical of the chairman for his assessment, and it seems like Triple H has an entirely different point of view of Cesaro.

In fact, he has listed Cesaro as one of the best talents in the company, adding that he was excited to see more of him. This is one of the many cases in which Vince and Triple H have disagreed regarding a wrestler, and while the latter would love to push Cesaro, it appears to be highly unlikely with McMahon running the WWE.