• Santos Escobar Was Set To Win Major Title This Year
Santos Escobar’s WWE contract expired earlier this week and it seemed like he’d part ways with the company. However, that did not happen as he later came to an agreement with the Stamford-based promotion after receiving a better offer.
According to Bodyslam+, WWE had big plans for the 41-year-old. He was reportedly set to defeat El Hijo del Vikingo for the AAA Mega Championship, with Los Garza holding the AAA World Tag Team Titles at the same time.
That was the plan under discussion before creative changes were made. In the end, Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio ended up being the one to dethrone Vikingo, thus becoming a double champion.
• People In WWE Believe Triple H’s Political Commitments Are Hurting The Company
In recent weeks, chatter behind the scenes at WWE has centered on Triple H and his reportedly growing number of missed shows and TV tapings. Some in the company are suggesting that his political engagements – not internal wrestling politics, but real-world U.S. political activity – may be drawing him away from his WWE duties, to the detriment of the brand.
According to the Wrestling Observer, Paul Levesque has recently skipped multiple television tapings. Some sources inside WWE have speculated these absences are tied to outside political commitments.
However, others push back on that narrative. One person close to HHH stated that his absences were planned in advance and he hasn’t missed any critical creative meetings.
The speculation is fueled further by his public appearances alongside political figures this year. For example, Triple H has reportedly made multiple visits to the White House and met with political personalities, which insiders say have added fuel to the perception that he’s straddling two worlds.
Another dimension of the conversation involves HHH’s leadership ambitions. Some in WWE reportedly feel he is positioning himself as a public face of the company – drawing comparisons to Dana White of the UFC. This has sometimes been called “Dana-envy” in backstage discussion. However, previous reports have stated that it’s TKO that wants to make Triple H the “Dana White of WWE.”
The internal climate in WWE appears divided. Some believe that despite his absences, the creative product is stronger under HHH’s watch than during the prior era.
Others worry about optics – that fans, talent, and business partners may perceive a gap between his commitments and the needs of the company.
One senior voice reportedly argued that the WWE product might not look much different if Triple H was involved in every show, suggesting a more hands-off strategic approach rather than micromanagement.
Another underlying concern: that sometimes Levesque may be more focused on how WWE is portrayed on media (especially scripted or documentary content like WWE: Unreal) than on the execution of live weekly shows.
