By Andrew RavensShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberFormer WWE star Saraya, known to WWE fans as Paige, recently offered a strong defense of Triple H (Paul Levesque) and his work as WWE's head of creative. Speaking in an interview with PokerScout.com, Saraya, who departed WWE in 2022 and held the AEW Women's World Championship before her contract with the company expired in September 2025, discussed the current direction of WWE under the executive's leadership. Saraya's connection to Triple H dates back to her time in NXT, where she was the brand's first Women's Champion.
Saraya stated that she will always have a high opinion of the current WWE Chief Content Officer, largely due to his early efforts to elevate the women’s division in NXT. She credited him with giving female performers opportunities that were unavailable to them under previous regimes.
"With Triple H, I will always hold a soft spot because he helped the women more than people realise," Saraya explained.
The former champion went on to describe how Triple H’s leadership in NXT fundamentally changed the expectations and in-ring freedom for the women on the roster. This included giving them more time for their matches and allowing them to execute a wider range of maneuvers. This freedom contrasts sharply with the stricter policies under Vince McMahon's leadership, which controlled many aspects of a wrestler's appearance and personal choices.
"Saraya said, ""When he took over NXT, he trusted us to have these long matches. He gave us time, he gave us the opportunities, he let us do moves that women weren’t doing before or hadn’t done in a very long time or what Vince didn’t allow us to do. So I’m very grateful for him."
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Saraya also addressed the fan criticism that is frequently directed at Triple H concerning the quality of WWE's main roster creative decisions, particularly as the "honeymoon period" following his takeover of creative direction has reportedly come to an end. While she acknowledged that not everyone will be satisfied, she offered a strong defense of Triple H's efforts and the difficulty of his position as the primary decision-maker.
"I’m sure everyone has an opinion on the way he runs it, no one’s ever gonna be fully happy and there’s gonna be people that are really happy with the way it’s going. I think he’s doing a great job, I feel there’s not much I can say because it’s not just him, there’s a room full of writers that are on the road and at home and there’s so many people that are writing this show."
Saraya emphasized that while Triple H is the Chief Content Officer and the face of the creative department, he should not be the sole target of fans' frustration. She referred to him as the "lightning conductor," who unfairly receives the brunt of the fan backlash when creative choices are poorly received. Triple H currently oversees Creative Writing, Talent Relations, Live Events, Talent Development, and Creative Services for WWE.
"So if something’s not great, a lot of people go on the attack with Hunter and people don’t realise it’s not just him. He’s just trying to put on the best show that he possibly can. He’s the face and the lightning conductor. Exactly, he’s the one who gets the brunt of it, and people just don’t realise there’s more people in just one person running the show."
Saraya’s comments come at a time when she is a free agent in professional wrestling, having recently found a renewed passion for the industry after her AEW contract expired. She has publicly stated that she plans to start training for an in-ring return in January 2026, and she has previously said she is open to a return to WWE if the right opportunity were to arise. Meanwhile, Triple H's creative team has reportedly acknowledged recent fan criticisms and is exploring creative changes, particularly concerning the booking of the women’s midcard and the tag team division on SmackDown, indicating that the feedback Saraya discussed is actively being considered by the WWE hierarchy.
More WWE News:
- Former WWE Champion is Preparing for In-Ring Return
- Ringside Tickets for WWE PLE Reach Shocking Price
- AJ Lee Calls Out WWE Fan for Bizarre AI Video
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