Any WWE storyline that blends fiction with reality inevitability results in the same question being asked: is this a work or a shoot?
But while all indications appear to be that the pro wrestling giant was really on the verge of parting ways with R-Truth before bringing him back amid a sea of fan support, WWE’s head of creative appears to be indicating otherwise.
Following WWE’s Money In The Bank premium live event — which saw R-Truth make his return to attack John Cena in the main event less than a week after he revealed via social media that his contract wasn’t being renewed — chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque took the podium for his post-show press conference. And when asked about the role that fan backlash played in the company’s decision to bring back R-Truth, Levesque appeared to imply that the entire situation has been a work.
“I love the question. You enjoying the show?” Levesque asked the reporter who asked whether R-Truth had been let go and what factors went into bringing him back if so. “It’s all part of the show, man.”
Triple H was asked if R-Truth was actually released.
“You enjoying the show? All part of the show.” pic.twitter.com/rfSXLbXCCN
— Fightful Wrestling (@Fightful) June 8, 2025
While most took Levesque’s comment as evidence that WWE had “worked” its audience, plenty of reporting has seemed to indicate otherwise. That’s included in the aftermath of Saturday’s show and press conference, with Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp reporting that WWE president Nick Khan was directly involved in the discussions and negotiations that resulted in R-Truth being brought back on a new deal. Additionally, R-Truth’s son took to social media to imply that Levesque’s post-show comments weren’t accurate.
So why would Levesque attempt to portray the entire situation as a part of the storyline? It’s worth revisiting his comments in the days leading up to WrestleMania 41 this past April in which the 14-time world heavyweight champion took issue with the reporting focused on the company’s backstage dealings.
“They try to tell you the sh*t that’s going on, it just ruins it for people,” he told Peter Rosenberg in an interview posted to WWE’s YouTube page. “The business that feeds you, you’re now ruining it for people and lessening their enjoyment of it to a large degree. Because you’re telling them all this sh*t, right or wrong, that is going to happen.”
In other words, if you’re looking for confirmation about how much of a role WWE’s backstage happenings have impacted its on-screen creative, don’t expect it to come from Triple H. It appears that as far as he’s concerned, as long as it happens on the company’s airwaves, “it’s all part of the show.”
