The power of Triple H continues to grow in WWE. Between his vision being shown in NXT and his ideas improving certain elements of the main roster product, there is a lot of optimism being shown about the future of WWE. Many fans want Triple H to replace Vince McMahon as soon as possible due to believing McMahon is out of touch with the current generation. It is hard to argue that Triple H wouldn’t shake things up in a positive way when looking at some of his success in NXT. There are quite a few rumblings about his past, present and future status in WWE.

We will look at some of the rumors when it comes to how Triple H is thinking going forward. It is a mix of things that will give you hope about Triple H being great for WWE and things that will make you wonder if it will be negative. Each rumor has yet to be completely proven true or false at this point. Find out if Triple H is the person you want running WWE. These are eight rumors about Triple H that we hope are false along with seven that we hope are true.

15 Hopefully false: Never wants CM Punk back in WWE

The biggest backstage rivalry in quite some time featured CM Punk and Triple H having resentment towards each other for years. Punk always felt like Triple H had something against him when they were both wrestlers in the locker room. Triple H started to rise to power over the years and become one of the bosses of Punk and the other wrestlers to make the tension grow even stronger.

Punk believed Triple H tried to hurt his career in terms of WWE Films movie role choices and on-screen booking decisions. It came to a head on the fateful night that Punk decided to end his WWE career. During his final meeting with Vince McMahon and Triple H, he flat out trashed Triple H while saying that was a major reason he wanted out of WWE.

Triple H has been the one to bring wrestlers back to WWE following bitter falling outs like Bruno Sammartino, Ultimate Warrior and Kurt Angle. The biggest difference here is that Punk has a personal problem with him rather than McMahon. Rumors indicate that Triple H does not want Punk back in the company given their volatile relationship and WWE doing fine without him. Fans have a different opinion as Punk is a great that deserves to end his career in a major way.

14 Please be true: Working to bring indie promotions to WWE Network

We have seen some of Triple H’s plans start with his power growing in WWE. Triple H is responsible for a lot of the smaller projects that WWE is doing to build a better future. One of his goals is to develop relationships with various independent promotions. Considering the number of talented superstars to become huge players for WWE in recent years, Triple H realizes that having a close relationship with the better independent promotions will find them talent.

Evolve Wrestling and Progress Wrestling have been the two biggest promotions to work with WWE. Triple H attended shows for both companies taking an interest in seeing how they ran their shows.

Both companies have been rumored to be in discussions to have their libraries of content on WWE Network.

Triple H clearly wants to give these two companies a bigger spotlight and it would make sense to add more content for the WWE Network subscribers. The wrestlers in both promotions would benefit immensely from it. Even if they don’t get signed by WWE, more fans will have access to their work and likely follow them more going forward. WWE helping smaller promotions and giving them more fans would be a great thing for all involved.

13 Hopefully false: Doesn't think WWE needs pyro or big stages

A huge difference in philosophy between Vince McMahon and Triple H comes in regard to the pageantry of the show. McMahon loves the huge spectacle, which is why we got used to seeing pyro and elaborate stages for every show over the past few decades. That changed at some time in the past five years due to the company wanting to save money on these expenses.

We only see these bonuses for WrestleMania or other special events like the Greatest Rumble in Saudi Arabia.

Triple H reportedly is one of the people that talked Vince into cutting down on the spending on the extra things.

Most fans won’t care one way or another if they get pyro due to the show quality being the main aspect of success. While this is true, it still is a bit disappointing that Triple H doesn’t care for the theatrics.

Wrestling fans can always appreciate having the spectacle of pyro, fireworks and cool stages since it added a lot of fun to us at a younger age. The children becoming wrestling fans today will miss out on the cool aspect of the spectacle that has always been associated with wrestling. We can only hope Triple H changes his mind to increase the budget for this spending outside of just WrestleMania.

12 Please be true: Wants WWE to become more reality based

Another interesting fact to come out about Triple H’s vision of wrestling is how much he wants the reality-based storytelling. Jimmy Jacobs and Chris Jericho discussed the difference in terms of storytelling between Vince McMahon and Triple H on Jericho’s podcast. Both agreed that McMahon leans towards the character-based stories while Triple H likes to play the reality aspect of the art.

One instance of this took place when Sasha Banks won the NXT Women’s Championship. Despite Banks being a heel, it was a great moment that fans loved watching due to knowing the struggle of her journey from the Performance Center to a huge star. Triple H revealed that he wanted Sasha to show her true emotion, but she decided to play up her heel character before breaking down in tears of joy backstage. He preferred that she showed the tears rather than tried to continue being a heel in the moment.

There are pros and cons to every aspect of each side, but most would agree that WWE is best when using the reality aspect.

CM Punk’s pipe bomb promo blurred the lines of kayfabe. Daniel Bryan’s rise to the top of WWE came because fans felt WWE was legitimately holding him back outside of storylines. Triple H taking WWE into a more realistic form of storytelling is something fans can look forward to if true.

11 Hopefully false: Trying to sign more ex-NFL players

The Performance Center was one of the biggest ideas to come from Triple H. While it has morphed into something else, his initial vision was to sign a lot of talented athletes from other sports. The biggest desire was to find guys that had short NFL careers or failed to make a team. Triple H wanted these athletes to learn to a state of the art facility in the best way to become stars.

Baron Corbin and Mojo Rawley are two of the rare success stories of former NFL players getting to the main roster in WWE, and even they are considered disappointments.

Most of the signees failed to pick up the wrestling business and still flopped despite the extra help of learning in the Performance Center. Former independent wrestling stars from all over the world have been the ones to truly shine in the environment of the PC and NXT.

Triple H has started signing more indie names due to this factor, but it doesn’t mean he is completely changing courses. The purpose of the Performance Center is still to bring in athletes from other sports. We can take solace in knowing Triple H won’t force them as stars, but it has been proven that most of these signees likely won’t entertain us.

10 Please be true: Trying to make WWE more international

WWE used to be criticized for how they handled foreign talent. Most wrestlers from Japan or Mexico were portrayed in stereotypical characters that offended people with similar backgrounds. It saw quite a few talented wrestlers waste their time in WWE like Taka Michinoku, Psychosis and Hakushi. However, Triple H reportedly has been planning to change this since he started NXT.

We witnessed Hideo Itami, Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka all be portrayed for their strengths as great wrestlers. Instead of mocking them for not being able to speak fluent English, Triple H booked them for their toughness in the ring. Andrade Almas is another instance following his signing as the big Mexican prospect. NXT took their time with him and he ended up becoming a great world champion.

Triple H has said that his goal is to have top stars from as many backgrounds as possible. This is the reason we see first-time signings from so many different countries.

The Cruiserweight Classic and Mae Young Classic each provided an international flair as his vision. Triple H wants WWE to truly be a global brand and that is something to celebrate. Fans will be the winners here getting to see the absolute best talent of different styles competing against each other.

9 Hopefully false: Plans to completely retire from in-ring action soon

Triple H has become so important to the backstage landscape that it can be hard to remember just how iconic of a performer he is. As a wrestler, Triple H belongs in the top ten list of any fan breaking down the most important in-ring performers. The fact that he was able to get over as a top star in the same era as Steve Austin, The Rock and The Undertaker proves his superb skills.

With Undertaker’s career winding down and most other legends retiring, Triple H is one of the only true attractions from past eras still left for WWE. We only get to see him wrestle a handful of times per year at WrestleMania and other big events. Triple H has even done a few live events to replace injured wrestlers or to find a way to tune up before big matches.

However, there has been chatter about Triple H considering completely leaving the ring due to his backstage status. Triple H may not want to compete at all when he does eventually replace Vince considering the importance of always remaining backstage for a show when you’re running it. This would be bad news for longtime fans. Triple H is one of the better longtime performers that can still go and does a good job making the young talent look good.

8 Please be true: Wants to make tournaments a fixture in WWE again

Old school wrestling fans clamor for events like the King of the Ring tournament that used to be a fixture in WWE. The online craze of brackets during March Madness shows just how much society enjoys the concept of a tournament. It is just pure fun to try to forecast the winners and predict how a tournament will end up. Past King of the Ring tournaments saw stars like Kurt Angle, Edge and Steve Austin get to the next level after winning them.

This rumor could lead to longer tournaments returning to the main roster.

Considering the amount of content WWE has to put together, we would all benefit from one or two major tournaments per year. Queen of the Ring could be even more fascinating as a new spin on the King of the Ring to add another prize for the women’s division to compete for.

Triple H clearly loves the concept based off some of his ideas already. The Mae Young Classic, Cruiserweight Classic and UK Championship all were projects that came in the form of a tournament. Triple H wants to make them important in the WWE landscape once again like they used to be in the 80s and 90s. It is a foolproof way to create interest and potentially build new stars.

7 Hopefully false: Not afraid to sabotage wrestlers he dislikes

The harshest rumor about Triple H to circulate throughout his career is regarding how ruthless he can be. During his time as an in-ring competitor, Triple H had the reputation of burying others backstage and trying to hurt their careers if he felt they were a threat to him. Former WWE star and current radio personality Tazz claims that Triple H the executive is a friendly guy hoping to help talent, but Triple H the performer was the exact opposite.

Despite having a great reputation today for his role helping young talent, Triple H did still have a few negative stories as an executive.

CM Punk is the biggest instance of a wrestler believing Triple H tried to hurt his career while being his boss. Daniel Bryan implied that Triple H was one of the people backstage that didn’t believe in his skills. Even lower-card talents like Dolph Ziggler and Zack Ryder have been rumored to be on his hit list.

If any part of the old Triple H still resides in his business suit, it would a terrible sign for everyone. Triple H must push the wrestlers that fans want to see and work on a way to get all talented performers spotlighted in the right way. For all our sake, let’s hope this rumor is inaccurate or that he has changed.

6 Please be true: Loves managers

A lost art in WWE over the past few decades is the role of a manager. Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, Lou Albano and Sunny were just some of the managers that had great careers in WWE and truly added a fun dynamic. Vince McMahon reportedly developed a dislike for managers and decided to get away from it for some reason. This is why we’ve seen very few managers on the main roster over the past decade or two.

Triple H is rumored to be the exact opposite and believes managers are important to helping certain wrestlers out. Paul Ellering helped get the Authors of Pain over in NXT for them to become such a dominant force in the tag team division. The main roster debut already saw the Authors of Pain ditch Ellering and they are struggling to get over without the manager.

One positive sign is seeing Zelina Vega get called up with Andrade Almas.

The career of Almas was falling apart in NXT after a terrible debut. Vega was signed to be his manager and the two worked perfectly together. Almas improved from a fading flop into the NXT World Champion within a year after adding Vega as his manager. Triple H bringing managers back to the main roster would improve the careers of a few talents badly needing one.

5 Hopefully false: Wants to get rid of face/heel characters

We already discussed how Triple H wanting to make WWE add more elements of reality into it is a great thing. One drawback from that would be the lack of established characters on the show. Triple H clearly enjoys the shades of grey when it comes to storytelling. Wrestling fans are used to knowing who the faces and heels are, but that could become a thing of the past when Triple H takes over.

Kevin Owens’ initial WWE character showed Triple H’s vision of the future. The dastardly action of Owens turning on best friend Sami Zayn and stabbing him in the back to get to the top made him a heel. However, his logic in doing this was wanting to support his family by becoming a top star. Was Owens really a heel if his motive is being a good father and husband? Unfortunately, not every wrestler has the talent or depth of Owens.

A future with every character having shades of grey and no one being a true heel or face could lead to confusion in fan reaction. At best, it will be a fun experiment to witness. At worst, it could hurt the careers of a lot of superstars. The best hope is Triple H having a wide array of traditional heels, traditional faces and wrestlers with shades of grey all involved in compelling stories.

4 Please be true: Wants to give more freedom to wrestlers

One of the biggest complaints about WWE by fans, wrestlers and pundits is how scripted everything comes off. Most wrestlers are forced to recite lines from the script for their promos on Raw and SmackDown. It essentially neuters the creativity of a wrestler if they are unable to take chances with their characters. Everyone from Steve Austin to Jim Ross to Dave Meltzer agree about wrestlers needing more freedom to get over.

Triple H may be the one to make this change happen when he takes over. NXT wrestlers reportedly get bullet points for their promos, but they are allowed to use their own words. A lot of the wrestlers even cut promos on their own on social media and it is helpful to the on-screen product. Triple H being a former wrestler himself makes him understand the plight of the performer.

WWE will likely improve immensely if the wrestlers start to get more creative freedom on the main roster. Roman Reigns is one tale of a wrestler having fans turn against him for reciting promos that doesn’t come off authentic from him and he has never been able to win those fans back. Triple H reportedly wanting to give the wrestlers the chance to get over or flop on their own is one rumor we hope is true.

3 Hopefully false: Wants to control Hall of Fame choices

The Hall of Fame is one of the biggest WWE evenings of the year. All the big names of the past and the present are together to celebrate the careers of legends entering the Hall of Fame. Despite being a great gesture and a fun night, there is a lot of criticism regarding the credibility of the honor. WWE has no formula for picking the Hall of Famers aside from the important people in the company choosing names they want.

We have seen forgettable wrestlers like The Godfather and Jeff Jarrett get inducted before bigger names like Bam Bam Bigelow and Davey Boy Smith.

WWE intentionally chooses the wrestlers they like while snubbing those they have an issue with. Triple H reportedly wants to be the person in charge of the process going forward. His desire to make the Hall of Fame respected saw him bring Ultimate Warrior and Bruno Sammartino back to WWE.

The problem with this is one person’s discretion should never be enough for a Hall of Fame selection. Triple H admitted in a podcast with Steve Austin that he didn’t want Chyna in the Hall of Fame when she was alive due to her tough past. Chyna will likely be inducted in the future after passing away, but Triple H’s logic is what kept her out. WWE needs to find a better voting process for the Hall of Fame.

2 Please be true: Does not want Brock Lesnar in WWE

Brock Lesnar has become a polarizing figure in WWE due to his lengthy reign as the Universal Championship. Many fans and wrestlers are sick of Lesnar holding the top WWE title despite only appearing at a handful of shows each year. Brock has defeated Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman numerous times in his title reign, but no other full-time star has received a title shot. Vince McMahon’s love of Lesnar has him dominating the title picture.

Triple H reportedly doesn’t share the same sentiment towards the part-time star.

Brock and Triple H were rumored to have butt heads when working together for their trilogy of matches. Triple H does not think the investment of Lesnar making absurd money to destroy the roster is worth it. When Triple H takes over, it would be a safe bet that Brock is going to be on the way out.

Fans are siding with Triple H here as Lesnar has run his course. Most of his matches are extremely disappointing and he puts little effort into his work. Triple H getting rid of Brock would be “best for business” and fans will throw a celebration party for it. Anything to get Lesnar away from ruining the Raw main event picture is a welcomed rumor at this point.

1 Hopefully false: Wants to bring back Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan being blacklisted from WWE was a huge decision made by the company. The reputation of Hogan hit rock bottom after his tape leak incident. Not only did he have embarrassment of the tape being made public, but he was caught making harsh comments. WWE fired Hogan from his ambassador contract and tried to distance themselves from him due to wanting to get away from the controversy.

There have been rumors of Hogan being back on WWE’s radar and some believe he will rejoin the company later this year.

This reportedly started when Hogan attended the red carpet premiere event for the Andre the Giant documentary on HBO. Hogan was caught having a conversation with Triple H that seemed to open the conversation for his return. Triple H seems to be the one that will make a deal happen if it does get to that stage.

Hogan returning would be a problem for a few reasons. The biggest is that he has no real purpose when returning. WWE will get the controversy of bringing him back, but the pay-off will be him doing his pointless poses in the ring a few times per year with no real benefit to it. Hogan also recently made more controversial comments saying he apologized to the “few” fans offended by his words. The fact that he seems hesitant to truly own up to the actions could hurt WWE’s perception if Triple H brings him back.