Triple H talks about what’s next after in-ring retirement

On Friday, HHH delivered the stunning news that he was officially retiring from in-ring competition.

In the full interview on Stephen A’s World, “The Cerebral Assassin” said he started feeling bad after a traveling back and forth between the East and West Coasts, tryouts, & SummerSlam. HHH had COVID before and was asymptomatic. He was double vaccinated and got tested, which was negative. That’s when he learned of the viral pneumonia.

Heart issues run in HHH’s family

He explained that, “genetically, I had 99% blockage in my left anterior descending artery, which is what they call the Widowmaker.” His heart made another path, but that was clogged too. HHH went on to say, “if I had thrown a clot or had any kind of thickening, I was gone.”

Heart issues run in his family. His father had triple bypass at 62 and his grandfather died of heart disease at 70. He’d also recently learned that his great-grandfather died suddenly of heart disease. HHH never had high blood pressure or cholesterol, but said he “had a little bit of ‘an athletic heart’…a little bit of enlargement.”

He chose to stay quiet initially because “it’s very surreal and you certainly don’t want to misspeak on anything.” He was already in a place where he wasn’t going to wrestle again unless it was the right situation. There had been a conversation with Vince McMahon about doing something at WrestleMania 38 and something was in the works, but when this happened, it “shut all that down.”

HHH discusses his future plans

“My foot’s not off the gas.” He’s still in recovery and his endurance has changed. He confirmed that he is back and in the office. His focus in on recruiting and development. “Whether that’s building more Performance Centers, whether that’s finding the next young stud that’s out there, whether that’s male or female…it’s making sure WWE is a success for generations to come.”

“We’re just nicking the surface of where we’ll be. Every single year, it grows and grows and grows. (…) we’re just nicking the surface internationally where we can be. We’re growing leaps and bounds. And I think this next level of athlete that’s coming in the door, y’know there’s a whole generation of kids and athletes that grew up watching WWE to be the biggest form of entertainment they knew of. They see The Rock and guys like the Undertaker that have transcended generations and transcended the WWE to become household names globally.”

“Larger than life is what we’re after. You’re not looking for the guy you can see–no one’s paying to see their next door neighbor. They want to see someone who’s larger than life and can’t believe exists. When you look around today, you see that already. I think when you look back in 10 years, you’re going to see Roman Reigns as one of those transcendent figures. You’re going to see people like Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair as those transcendent figures.”

It’s good to hear that HHH is on the mend and back to work. He seems like he’ll be keeping busy and have a prominent voice in shaping the future of WWE.