Drew McIntyre Opens Up on the Hardest Chapter of His WWE Career: His 2014 Release

BY SACNILK

Drew McIntyre's WWE comeback could have looked very different. After being released by WWE on June 12, 2014, McIntyre spent roughly three years rebuilding himself outside the company. He wrestled around the world under the name Drew Galloway and gradually developed into a far more established performer before WWE came calling again. When that opportunity finally arrived, however, McIntyre did not want to simply walk back into Raw or SmackDown. Speaking about his return during his conversation with Stone Cold Steve Austin, McIntyre explained that Triple H and William Regal had been following his career during his time away from WWE. “He'd been watching what I was doing, was kinda proud of what I'd achieved as a wrestler but, more importantly, how I'd grown as a man and where I was at,” McIntyre recalled. That phone call from Triple H was particularly meaningful because McIntyre knew he had earned another opportunity with WWE rather than simply being handed one. “And, you know, we both decided it was time to come back home,” McIntyre said. McIntyre Had His Mind Made Up. Once Triple H explained that the plan was for him to return through NXT, McIntyre did not need much convincing. In fact, the former WWE Superstar said he was effectively sold on the idea within the first few minutes. “I was coming back. I was sold within the first five minutes,” McIntyre said. But there was an important reason why NXT appealed to him. McIntyre believed the NXT audience consisted of the hardcore wrestling fans who had followed his career outside WWE. These were fans who knew what he had accomplished as Drew Galloway on the independent scene and could therefore understand how much he had changed since his first WWE run. McIntyre revealed that he was very clear with Triple H about where he wanted to begin. “I won't go to ‘Raw.’ I won't go to ‘SmackDown.’ I wanna go to NXT.” He continued: “That's the audience that know what I'm all about. They're the ones that are the hardcore fans. They're watching independent wrestling. They know who Drew Galloway is, Drew McIntyre is these days.” For McIntyre, returning through NXT was not about taking an easier route back to WWE. It was about proving that he deserved another opportunity. “I can be a leader there. That's where I wanna start out. I wanna prove myself there.” McIntyre's comments are particularly interesting because, at the time, Raw and SmackDown were traditionally viewed as the top destinations for WWE talent. However, McIntyre had a different perspective after spending years away from the company. He had already experienced the main roster during his first WWE run. Rather than immediately returning to the same environment, he wanted to establish the new version of Drew McIntyre in NXT.

BY SACNILK

Drew McIntyre has reflected on one of the most difficult chapters of his WWE career: his release from the company in 2014. During his appearance on The Broken Skull Sessions with Stone Cold Steve Austin, McIntyre discussed the period leading up to his departure and acknowledged that there were deeper reasons behind his struggles than what fans saw on television. McIntyre had spent eight years with WWE before being released on June 12, 2014. At the time, he was part of 3MB alongside Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal. While McIntyre felt the group was accomplishing what it was intended to do, he admitted that he was frustrated because he believed he was capable of much more. “We were on everything. Every TV, every tour, everything you can imagine. 3MB were booked solid,” McIntyre explained. However, the Scottish star also recognized that his personal situation at the time prevented WWE from placing him in a major position. “I could not have been trusted at that time, at that level,” McIntyre admitted. The realization is particularly significant given what happened later in his career. McIntyre eventually rebuilt himself outside WWE, returned to the company in 2017 and went on to become one of WWE's top stars and a multiple-time world champion. His journey from being released to eventually becoming WWE Champion has become one of the defining comeback stories of his career. McIntyre's return also marked the beginning of a completely different chapter. When he came back, there was no lengthy conversation with Vince McMahon beforehand explaining exactly what was expected of him. Instead, McIntyre simply walked out and immediately began rebuilding his reputation. Today, McIntyre's career looks dramatically different from the one that ended in 2014. The former “Chosen One” eventually fulfilled the world championship potential Vince McMahon had identified years earlier.

BY SACNILK

WWE has confirmed a stacked slate of European shows leading into the Royal Rumble, with fans across Belgium, Poland, the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden, Hungary, and Ireland set to catch live action throughout January 2027. The tour opens on Friday, January 15, with SmackDown taking over Forest National in Brussels, Belgium. The following night, Saturday, January 16, the Road to Royal Rumble Supershow rolls into Gliwice, Poland, at the PreZero Arena, before continuing on Sunday, January 17, with another Supershow stop at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Raw kicks off the week on Monday, January 18, live from the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, UK. The tour then heads back to England for SmackDown on Friday, January 22, at Co-op Live in Manchester. The second weekend of Road to Royal Rumble Supershow events follows, with Stockholm, Sweden's Avicii Arena hosting on Saturday, January 23, and Budapest, Hungary's MVM Dome welcoming fans on Sunday, January 24. The European leg wraps up with Raw at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, on Monday, January 25. With Royal Rumble season officially underway, these shows are expected to feature key build-up matches and storyline developments as WWE Superstars gear up for one of the promotion's biggest events of the year.

BY SACNILK

This week's episode of Monday Night Raw will take place on Monday, August 10, 2026, live from Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. Monday Night Raw currently airs live on Netflix on Monday evenings from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM ET in the United States. All Confirmed and Predicted Matches for WWE Raw, August 10, 2026 Penta vs. Laredo Kid — World Heavyweight Championship #1 Contender's Tournament (Round One) Roman Reigns is set to defend the World Heavyweight Championship on September 14 in Mexico City, and AAA General Manager Rey Mysterio has built an eight-man lucha tournament to determine who gets that shot. The bracket pulls from the best luchadores across Raw, SmackDown, and AAA, with the winner earning a title match against Reigns in Mexico City. Penta enters as arguably the tournament favorite — the reigning multi-time Intercontinental Champion and, per multiple reports, the presumptive top star of this bracket. Interestingly, analysts have pointed out the bracket appears built toward a dream final between Penta and his real-life brother Rey Fenix, who could meet in the final if both advance. Laredo Kid, meanwhile, is no pushover — he's the male half of AAA's World Mixed Tag Team Champions and gets his first real singles moment on Raw. Whoever wins moves on to face the winner of Psycho Clown vs. La Parka in the semifinals on August 24. Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez vs. Sol Ruca & a Partner of Her Choosing Sol Ruca has been in the crosshairs of Judgment Day for weeks — she dropped the Women's Intercontinental Championship to Raquel Rodriguez after repeated interference from Perez and Liv Morgan, then got another receipt just last week when a competitive singles match between Ruca and Perez ended in disqualification after Ruca was on the verge of victory before the group jumped her three-on-one. With Judgment Day repeatedly stacking the numbers against her, giving Ruca the freedom to handpick her own partner is a built-in payback mechanic — she finally gets to even the odds on her terms instead of being ambushed. Expect the "mystery partner" angle to be used to tease alliances from Becky Lynch, Stephanie Vaquer, or another Judgment Day rival looking to strike. Austin Theory vs. Akira Tozawa This one grew directly out of a Bron Breakker angle two weeks ago. After Breakker dispatched Joe Hendry, Theory tried to lay in extra shots post-match, only for Alpha Academy's Akira Tozawa to run in and make the save, avenging his tag partner Otis in the process. That confrontation has been simmering since — Tozawa repeatedly getting under the skin of The Vision, and Theory (alongside Maxxine Dupri) looking to shut him down. With Bron Breakker now positioned in a bigger program against Oba Femi, this feels like a spinoff feud designed to keep Theory occupied and give Alpha Academy a measure of retribution against The Vision's antagonism. Becky Lynch Appears Live Becky Lynch made her return during the post-SummerSlam Raw, and it was anything but a quiet one. She returned to a big pop and told fans her business with the Intercontinental Championship was finished, immediately pivoting to Liv Morgan and the Women's World Championship. She called Morgan the worst women's champion of all time and vowed not to let her reach 100 days as champion without a fight. She also landed a shot aimed at Morgan's personal life involving Dominik Mysterio, which drew a big reaction from the crowd. Stephanie Vaquer Appears Live Vaquer's return was the other half of that same explosive segment — La Primera's music hit as Judgment Day tried to leave the ring, and she tore through the group taking out months of pent-up frustration on Morgan. What made it especially intriguing is that she returned in the same moment as Lynch, and the two stared each other down without coming to blows — an open-ended tease of a potential future rivalry between them, even as both seem aligned against Judgment Day for now. Commentary and analysts have flagged this dynamic as one to watch, since Vaquer returning alongside an equally hot Lynch return risks overshadowing one or the other unless WWE gives each her own distinct spotlight. How To Watch Monday Night Raw, August 10, 2026 Fans in the United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico can catch the show live at 8 PM ET / 7 PM CT / 5 PM PT on Monday via Netflix. Canadian viewers get the same Monday night slot at 8 PM ET, also on Netflix. Across the Atlantic, the UK and Ireland will need to stay up late, with the show airing at 1 AM BST on Tuesday, again streaming on Netflix. In Mexico, fans are treated to an evening broadcast at 6 PM CST on Monday, also on Netflix, while Brazil gets its feed at 9 PM BRT that same Monday night. For Asian audiences, India will see Raw early Tuesday morning at 5:30 AM IST, with Bangladesh following shortly after at 6:00 AM BST — both on Netflix. Singapore's broadcast lands at 8:00 AM SGT on Tuesday, while China gets the show at 8:00 AM CST on Tuesday, though it airs there via iQIYI instead of Netflix. Meanwhile, Australian viewers can tune in mid-morning on Tuesday, at 10:00 AM AEST / 11:00 AM AEDT, and Japan rounds things out with a 9:00 AM JST Tuesday slot on Abema.

BY SACNILK

For over a decade, Joe Anoa'i — better known as Roman Reigns — has been at the center of WWE's biggest storylines, biggest matches, and biggest business decisions. Few performers in the company's history have carried the weight of the brand quite the way he has, headlining WrestleMania after WrestleMania while the product built itself around his character arc. What makes his story stand out isn't just longevity; it's the sheer range of it — a career that has moved through nearly every phase a wrestler can go through, from hated pretender to beloved hero to a villain the audience couldn't look away from. From a breakout member of The Shield to the "Tribal Chief" who headlined the industry's most dominant title reign in modern history, his journey is one of the most complete stories WWE has ever told. Here are the ten moments that built him into the company's cornerstone — the wins, the setbacks, and the reinventions that turned Roman Reigns into the undisputed face of WWE. 1. The Shield Storms In — Survivor Series 2012 Roman Reigns made his main-roster debut on November 18, 2012, ambushing the ring alongside Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose to help CM Punk retain the WWE Championship. The Shield's arrival instantly reshaped WWE's landscape, and Reigns — the imposing enforcer of the trio — was immediately marked as a star in the making. 2. The Betrayal That Made Him a Singles Star — June 2014 On the June 2, 2014 episode of Raw, Seth Rollins turned on his Shield brothers, blasting Reigns with a steel chair and ending the faction. The split forced Reigns out of the group dynamic and into a singles push, setting him on the path WWE had been building toward: its next top guy. 3. Winning the Royal Rumble — January 2015 Reigns won the 2015 Royal Rumble Match, last eliminating Big Show, in a moment WWE clearly intended as a coronation. The reaction was famously divisive — fans openly rebelled against the push — but the match cemented WWE's commitment to making him the franchise's centerpiece, for better or worse. 4. Ending an Era — Defeating The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33 At WrestleMania 33 in 2017, Reigns beat The Undertaker in a No Holds Barred match, becoming only the second man ever to defeat the Deadman at WrestleMania. The Undertaker left his hat, coat, and gloves in the ring afterward — a symbolic passing of the torch that instantly raised Reigns' stature among the all-time greats. 5. The Torch-Passing Over John Cena — No Mercy 2017 In September 2017, Reigns defeated John Cena in a clean, hard-hitting match at No Mercy. Though it happened on a secondary pay-per-view, the bout is remembered as a definitive changing of the guard between WWE's dominant star of the 2000s–2010s and the man being groomed to replace him. 6. Finally Beating Brock Lesnar — SummerSlam 2018 After years of chasing him, Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar to win the Universal Championship at SummerSlam 2018. It was the validation moment fans had waited years for — proof that Reigns could beat the company's most dominant "conqueror" for the top title. 7. The Leukemia Announcement — October 2018 Weeks after winning the title, Reigns stunned the wrestling world on the October 22, 2018 Raw by revealing his leukemia had returned and relinquishing the Universal Championship to focus on his health. The raw, emotional moment humanized him overnight, transforming public perception and rallying the entire industry behind him. 8. The Reinvention — SummerSlam 2020 and the Birth of the Tribal Chief After stepping away for COVID-19 precautions and missing WrestleMania 36, Reigns returned at SummerSlam 2020 with a shocking heel turn, aligning with Paul Heyman and attacking Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. This rebirth as "The Tribal Chief" — colder, more calculated, and unapologetically dominant — is widely regarded as the true beginning of his prime and the character work that finally won over the audience. 9. Breaking Brock Lesnar's Record — January 2022 On January 16, 2022, Reigns surpassed Brock Lesnar's 503-day reign to become the longest-reigning Universal Champion in WWE history. It was statistical proof of just how thoroughly he had taken over the company at the top of the card. 10. Unifying the Titles — WrestleMania 38 At WrestleMania 38 in 2022, Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar to also capture the WWE Championship, unifying it with his Universal Championship to become the first-ever Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. It was the culmination of nearly two years of storytelling and confirmed him, definitively, as the face of the entire promotion.

BY SACNILK

Chelsea Green's celebration as WWE's newest champion has taken a painful turn. The "Hot Mess" confirmed on social media that she suffered a broken orbital bone during the August 7 episode of SmackDown, just days after capturing the Interim WWE Women's Championship at SummerSlam. On Friday night's SmackDown from Philadelphia, Green teamed with Women's United States Champion Tiffany Stratton in a tag match against Fatal Influence's Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid for the Women's Tag Team Championship. During the bout, Jacy Jayne blasted Green with a Rolling Encore behind the referee's back, setting up Henley and Reid to hit their Fatal Flaw finisher for the pin — meaning the newly crowned champion ate the loss in her first match with the title. After the bell, Nia Jax and Lash Legend jumped Green and Stratton, with Jax closing the segment holding up the Women's Championship. Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez was first to report that Green had been hurt in the match, though the extent of the injury wasn't immediately known. Green has since confirmed the diagnosis herself, revealing she was taken to the emergency room after the show. "Hey guys, so I was trying to keep this kind of private, but the internet knows everything, so I thought I'd come on here and clear things up. I did get injured last night. Stuff happens. It's live television. It's wrestling. It's an occupational hazard. I ended up in the emergency room and I have a broken orbital bone. It looks amazing, all things considered. It feels awful, but looks pretty amazing. I have no idea what means for me. You know, usually you guys have seen me like play into every single injury. But like this feels different." "Obviously, this feels very different. It feels frustrating. I'm upset. I feel like if didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. So I just need to take a little bit more time to process and to kind of heal from obviously the head trauma that is going on right now. And then we'll see what happens. We're just gonna take it day by day. So world domination continues. We've just had a minor blip. Thank you."

BY SACNILK

In an interview, WWE's Nick Aldis reflected on the early days of his run as SmackDown General Manager, revealing how a pivotal on-screen exchange with Roman Reigns helped shape the tone of his character — and recounting the chaotic backstage story behind his first meeting with Vince McMahon. WWE Superstar Nick Aldis spoke to Chris Van Vliet and described a now-famous couch segment with Reigns as a genuinely significant moment for him professionally. He praised Reigns as meticulous and deeply thoughtful about every detail of his on-screen presence, crediting Paul Heyman's influence for helping shape that approach. Aldis said he felt real gratitude toward Reigns, noting that Reigns didn't have to extend him that level of trust in establishing the GM character, but chose to. The interview then turned to a story from very early in his tenure — by his own estimate, just a month or six weeks into the job — involving Randy Orton's arrival on SmackDown. Aldis explained that strict staging instructions were coming down at the time about where he and Heyman should stand during a live segment. Just before they went live, word came through again insisting he stay in the background while Heyman took the foreground. He recalled Heyman being amused by the directive, and Aldis feeling he had no real choice but to comply with seconds to air. The segment reportedly went off well, with Paul "Triple H" Levesque doing the opposite of what was expected in a way that sold the moment. That day, Aldis said, turned out to be the first time he ever met Vince McMahon in person — who was there watching. Aldis admitted he spent the moments afterward dreading the encounter, assuming McMahon would be furious they'd deviated from instructions. Instead, he said McMahon was gracious and complimentary about the segment, which left Aldis feeling conflicted given how much credit he felt Heyman deserved. Asked about Reigns couch segment, Aldis explained it emerged from an improvised back-and-forth where Reigns needled him about his feelings, prompting him to fire back, "but I'm an executive. I don't have feelings, you know." He said the line was meant to establish his character as a cold, businesslike executive, citing shows like Suits and Succession as influences on that steely persona — cool, cutthroat, and, in his own description, ultimately someone who's emotionally shut off. At WWE SummerSlam 2026 (Night 1, August 1, in Minneapolis), Nick Aldis wrestled in a match despite his in-ring absence of almost three years,, taking on Gunther. He came up short against Gunther, succumbing to Gunther's sleeper hold submission. Despite the loss, it was described as a dream match turned nightmare, with fans firmly behind him throughout. Following the loss, Aldis reportedly tried to resign as SmackDown General Manager, but Triple H (Paul Levesque) wouldn't allow it, telling Aldis he respected what he did at SummerSlam and wanted him to remain GM. On future plans, it is being suggested that Aldis could wrestle in WWE again, with sources in the company not believing he was "one and done." Aldis was said to have been banged up coming out of the match, and no timeline has been confirmed for when he'd wrestle next.

BY SACNILK

Chelsea Green has teased the possibility of bringing back one of her popular WWE concepts after revealing that her former tag team partner Piper Niven is currently recovering from a neck injury. During her recent appearance on XTU Philadelphia, Green was asked whether becoming a champion could lead to the return of 'The Secret Hervice', her partnership with Piper Niven. Green immediately showed her interest in the idea, admitting that she would “love, love, love” to see the duo return. However, she explained that Niven is currently sidelined while recovering from a neck injury and that WWE does not want to rush her comeback. “My tag partner Piper, she's out with a neck injury right now, but she is rehabbing,” Green said. Green stressed that Niven's recovery needs to happen at the right pace rather than being rushed simply to bring the team back together. “She is on the road to recovery, but we can't rush something like that,” Green explained. Interestingly, Green also suggested that the eventual return could be even more effective if WWE waits until fans are no longer expecting it. “Sometimes it's better to bring it back when people are not expecting it,” she said, pointing to WWE's ability to surprise its audience. The comments leave the door open for a potential reunion once Niven is medically ready to return. Green and Niven have previously been closely associated on WWE television, and Green's comments indicate that she remains interested in reviving their partnership. For now, however, Niven's recovery appears to be the priority. Green is currently WWE's reigning champion following her major SummerSlam victory. She is actively competing and promoting her championship reign while continuing to appear on WWE programming. Her current run has already taken her to Philadelphia, where she discussed the importance of beginning her reign in a city with such a deep professional wrestling history. With Green now carrying championship gold and Niven working her way back from injury, a potential return of The Secret Hervice could become an interesting storyline to watch once Piper is cleared to compete.

BY SACNILK

The wrestling legend says he didn't remember his name, his location, or any part of the historic loss until the early hours of the following morning. Mark Calaway, known to the world as The Undertaker, has revealed new details about the severity of the concussion he suffered during his infamous streak-ending loss to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX in 2014 — a match that ended a 21-0 undefeated run at "The Show of Shows" and shocked the wrestling world. Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Undertaker said he has no recollection of the match itself. He was taken to the hospital before the pay-per-view had even finished, and his memory didn't begin returning until roughly 4 or 5 a.m. the next day. He described being repeatedly asked basic orientation questions by doctors — his name, his age — much like the routine seen in television medical dramas, and said he genuinely couldn't answer them. Strikingly, he noted that although he couldn't recall his own name in the aftermath, he was still able to recognize his wife, Michelle, and WWE chairman Vince McMahon — a detail he called "really bizarre." The injury had lasting psychological effects. As he prepared to return the following year, self-doubt crept in for the first time in his career, compounded by his age and a fear that a similar injury could happen again. He said there was no single moment he could point to as the cause — an experience he likened to wrestling's old adage that "fighters get old overnight." Undertaker connected this experience directly to a line from his WWE Hall of Fame induction speech, in which he thanked Triple H for reminding him "who he really is" during a moment when his confidence was at its lowest. He explained that before a later high-stakes match, doubt overwhelmed him backstage — until Triple H approached him and told him not to forget who he was, reminding him bluntly: "You're the effing Undertaker." He credited that moment with pulling him back into the right headspace before heading to the ring.

BY SACNILK

Carlito has opened up about his WWE career, admitting that he was so rebellious during his first run with the company that he would deliberately do things in an attempt to get himself fired. Speaking on Inside The Ropes, Carlito said he was immature at the time and often acted against instructions simply because he had been told not to do something. He revealed that he eventually turned getting fired into something of a personal challenge. “I was doing stuff on purpose to get fired. I'm surprised I didn't get fired,” Carlito recalled. The former Intercontinental Champion explained that WWE eventually reached a point where they would neither use him prominently nor release him, which made the situation even more frustrating for him. Carlito admitted that, looking back, he regrets his attitude during that period. He believes he should have been more mature and appreciated the opportunities he had, particularly the chance to work alongside his brother in WWE. “I wish I'd appreciate stuff a little more and just not been so against the world,” he said. Carlito also compared his two WWE runs, saying that he enjoyed his second stint considerably more than his first. He attributed much of the difference to his own attitude and maturity, noting that he viewed things differently as he got older. The veteran star also addressed his more recent WWE departure. According to Carlito, he intentionally signed a shorter contract because he believed that, with Triple H in charge, he might not receive a significant role. He eventually signed a two-year deal, but acknowledged that the shorter commitment ultimately cost him additional years with the company. Carlito said he had already sensed that his time in WWE was coming to an end because there had been little communication between him and the company. He ultimately accepted the situation and said his main goal was to leave WWE while fans still cared about him. Now, Carlito says he is comfortable with whatever comes next. He suggested that retirement is a genuine possibility but remains open to opportunities if something exciting comes along. “I can retire now, baby,” Carlito said, explaining that he feels like he is now “playing with house money.” He added that if another opportunity comes along, great—but he is also completely comfortable riding off into the sunset.

BY SACNILK

During the August 3rd episode of Raw, Becky Lynch delivered a promo aimed at putting down her opponent by invoking Liv Morgan's personal life, specifically her relationship with Dominik Mysterio. The line suggested Morgan couldn't even claim to be the top former champion among the group of women Dominik had been involved with — a jab that mixed in-ring credentials with real-world tabloid-style content. Per Meltzer's report, the line referenced Liv Morgan not being the best wrestler to have been involved with Dominik Mysterio, comparing her unfavorably even within that specific, unusual category. It was a pointed, mocking remark clearly meant to needle Morgan on a personal level rather than a purely athletic one — which likely explains why it didn't make the cut for the on-demand version. What makes this situation more interesting is the confirmation that Lynch wasn't going off-script. Meltzer's sources indicated the line was written into the show ahead of time, and that Triple H, along with other members of WWE's creative and production team, knew exactly what Lynch was going to say before she said it live. That detail shifts the narrative. Rather than this being a case of a performer pushing boundaries in the heat of the moment, it appears WWE intentionally included the line in the broadcast — then made the call afterward to scrub it from the version available on streaming. This raises questions about WWE's internal content standards, particularly the gap between what's deemed acceptable for a live, one-time TV airing versus what stays up permanently on a platform like Netflix, where the show is archived and easily clipped, shared, and re-watched. It also suggests WWE may be more cautious than usual about content that blurs the line between kayfabe rivalry and real-life personal references, especially now that Netflix serves as a long-term home for the product rather than a same-day-only broadcast.

BY SACNILK

Another high-level departure is making waves inside WWE's corporate structure, and this one is raising eyebrows for how quietly it happened. Patrick Dooley, who held the title of Senior Vice President of Global Strategy & Creative Operations, has exited the company after roughly seven years with the organization. His departure wasn't announced with any fanfare — it simply happened in July, and word only trickled out afterward. What makes Dooley's exit notable isn't just his tenure, but his role. According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer, Dooley functioned as Triple H's right-hand man on essentially everything outside of creative and storyline decisions — the operational and strategic side of the business that rarely gets public attention but keeps the machine running. Dooley joined WWE back in 2018 as Director of Global Strategy, working his way up over the years. Per Meltzer's reporting, he played a significant role in one of WWE's more consequential business moves: the acquisition of Mexican promotion AAA, along with helping secure AAA's television deal with FOX Latin America — a partnership that expanded WWE's footprint in the Latin American market considerably. Perhaps the most interesting detail Meltzer shared is where this call actually originated. Rather than coming from within WWE's own leadership, the decision reportedly traces back to TKO's top brass — CEO Ari Emanuel and President/COO Mark Shapiro. Meltzer indicated that people within WWE itself were caught off guard by the move, suggesting this wasn't something brewing internally or expected by those close to Dooley. Beyond that, details remain scarce. No official reason has been given publicly, and it's unclear whether this reflects broader restructuring at the TKO corporate level or something specific to Dooley's role.