When WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was forced to "retire" from WWE after a string of sexual misconduct allegations, most fans...well, they celebrated.
The out-of-touch 78-year-old had been calling the shots in terms of creative and, in recent years, clearly lost touch with what fans. Storylines became increasingly silly and aimless, while it was commonplace for advertised matches to be cancelled and shows to be rewritten while on the air.
With Vince gone, Triple H took charge and the difference in quality was immediate and clear. Of course, it took no time at all for Vince to force his way back into WWE in order to facilitate a sale and, when he took over the RAW after WrestleMania...well, it was hailed as one of the worst RAW episodes ever.
These days, The Game is fully in control of what we see across that show, NXT, and SmackDown, and new details have now emerged about why that is.
According to Sports Illustrated, it's down to WWE and UFC's recent merger to form TKO Group Holdings after the sports entertainment giant was acquired by Endeavor.
That company's CEO, Ari Emanuel, is said to be a big believer in those in a company focusing on the job they've been assigned and with Vince currently an executive chairman, that's where he wants his focus to be (particularly in the midst of media rights negotiations; SmackDown, for example, will move to the USA network next year as part of a huge new 5-year deal).
As for Triple H, he's WWE's Chief Content Officer, hence why he's spearheading WWE Creative at a time when the company has never been hotter or better-reviewed.
It sounds like Emanuel has the final say over everything these days and, in all honesty, Vince has more than enough to worry about with those lawsuits regarding his past alleged misconduct (many believe he'll ultimately be ousted from WWE altogether, especially with the federal government now involved).
With any luck, Triple H is here to stay as WWE has benefitted massively from his input. However, after his wife, Stephanie McMahon, chose to leave the company upon her father's return, it's unclear whether he's in this for the long haul, especially after a serious health scare a few years back.
Keep checking back here for updates.