When Triple H was made Chief Content Officer he quickly set about re-signing a number of former WWE Superstars.
This policy led to the returns of Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Dakota Kai, Chelsea Green, Johnny Gargano, and more to varying degrees of success. During the summer of 2022, there were also reports that the company had been in touch with a number of AEW stars who had previously worked with the company.
In December, WWE landed the signing of Dragon Lee and it was reported that more major new signings were on the way. However, none have been forthcoming.
While it is common knowledge that WWE held an interest in Jay White, he eventually signed with AEW. This along with the greater perceived inactivity has led to mixed reports over whether WWE currently has a hiring freeze in place while the future of the company is finalised.
A new report from Fightful Select has offered an update on the situation noting that an “effective hiring freeze” has been in place since the start of 2023. In the case of Nick Aldis who recently returned to IMPACT Wrestling, he was told by WWE that they were interested in him, but main roster signings were not being made.
Triple H Wanted Talks Involving New WWE Signings Kept Secret
Despite this, the sports entertainment giant has continued to speak with potential new hires. It was noted by someone within the company that “we haven’t been hiring people, but we’ve been talking to people.” It was also confirmed that talks between WWE and EJ Nduka and Jay White had occurred, although Triple H was “adamant” that he didn’t want any details of talks with prospective new talent to be leaked.
The report adds that William Regal and Bruce Prichard have both “reached out” to talent during this period, while the company would have “loved” to have added Jay White to its roster.
Fightful reports that WWE held an interest in Hikuleo, Tama Tonga, and bringing back Naomi but no deals were reached with any of the trio. “Multiple” free agents also claimed that WWE stopped responding to them.
One WWE higher-up pointed to the number of hires in 2022 compared to the lack of activity in 2023 as proof that policy had changed. Although they believe this is mainly linked to the sale of the company.