Texts Between Triple H and Nick Khan Show Friction With Vince McMahon Over WWE Creative

Recently disclosed text messages between Nick Khan and Triple H show tension with Vince McMahon over WWE creative.

Brandon Thruston of POST Wrestling has dropped an extensive report detailing the latest update to the ongoing lawsuit over WWE’s merger with Endeavor to form TKO. Text messages between WWE President Nick Khan and Chief Content Officer Triple H were disclosed as part of the exhibits. The exchanges started on Monday, September 11, 2023, the day before the merger became final. While he was gearing up to be among the executives celebrating the 21 billion combination of WWE and UFC, Triple H was also stressing over what was coming the next day.

Triple H, who took over the WWE creative team from Vince McMahon the previous year, asked his immediate supervisor, Nick Khan, for support after McMahon sought more involvement in the creative process. The exchange, sent over WhatsApp, was disclosed last week in the Delaware Court of Chancery as part of the filed exhibits. It reveals several deleted messages from Khan, who stated in the legal filings that he does not recall the contents.

Monday, September 11, 2023:

2:10 PM Triple H: How’s it going so far? Man, I’m wound tight today …. DDay tomorrow, expecting the worst

2:12 PM Nick Khan: [Deleted by the sender]

2:13 PM Nick Khan: [Deleted by the sender]

2:14 PM Triple H: Call u shortly? Or no time?

2:17 PM Nick Khan: 230 EC. Before good. After tricky! (EC seems to refer to an Executive Committee meeting Khan had with WWE’s corporate leadership that day)

Vince McMahon wanted to meet with Triple H and Nick Khan to discuss WWE talent and staff releases

Later that day, Triple H informed Nick Khan that Vince McMahon wanted to meet them to discuss upcoming WWE talent releases. These releases were part of a staff downsizing initiative aimed at implementing the cost-cutting measures promised in the merger. However, it’s unclear if they had any phone calls or other communication in between these messages.

5:29 PM Triple H: Vkm. Btw I need to meet with all of U tomorrow re talent releases which coincides with all corporate releases Thx

5:33 PM Triple H: I know you are swamped. Let me know if you have a minute

7:54 PM Triple H: While I’m SURE you like to be done with this shit for today ….. Please let me know if you speak to AE (Ari Emmanuel)

10:58 PM Nick Khan: I will. I’ll get him early. We missed each other tonight.

11:05 PM Triple H: K

11:06 PM Triple H: U ok?

11:11 PM Nick Khan: Yes sir! How you?

11:12 PM Triple H: Good anxious for tomorrow and beyond ……

Fightful had reported that during that time, Vince McMahon and Triple H made some last-minute changes for the September 11, 2023, episode of WWE RAW. Recently disclosed text messages between McMahon and Nick Khan from February 2023 suggested that Khan acted as an intermediary between McMahon and Triple H regarding creative decisions.

Triple H said he would’ve been gone if it weren’t for Nick Khan

On the day the TKO deal became official, Triple H once again wrote to Nick Khan to express gratitude for the latter’s contributions to making the merger possible. He also noted that if it weren’t for Khan, he would’ve been gone from WWE, possibly referring to NXT losing the Wednesday Night Wars to AEW Dynamite, having to take time off due to his heart condition, and many of his allies getting released that time.

Tuesday, September 12, 2023:

6:57 AM Triple H: Nick, just wanted to take a moment before all the craziness today to say THANK YOU !!!!! Thank you for getting us here … if it wasn’t for you , I would have been gone a long time ago. I appreciate you and all you have done and gone thru …. And I appreciate our friendship… It means the world to me. Thank you and Congratulations.

6:58 AM Nick Khan: You are my guy. You got me here. I want us to do this for 20 years and call it a day. I appreciate and admire you.

7:09 AM Nick Khan: [Khan sent an image of the NYSE building with giant WWE and UFC belts on display]

A few minutes later, Triple H informed Khan that Vince McMahon had called for a meeting later that day with “Bruce and Ed,” possibly referring to senior creative team members Bruce Prichard and Ed Koskey.

7:13 AM Triple H: Just fyi. Morning! VKM looking to set an in person meeting for today at 4pm with you, Bruce and Ed regarding Talent Policies

7:14 AM Nick Khan: [Deleted by the sender]

7:18 AM Triple H: Done

Vince McMahon once again tried to be involved in the creative process in December 2023

While Endeavor leaders Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro noted that Triple H would oversee the creative process in WWE, another text message between the CCO and Nick Khan in December 2023 suggests that Vince McMahon tried to get involved in the creative decisions once again.

Saturday, December 9, 2023:

8:17 PM Triple H: Was just told by security that VKM is coming to Cleveland TV Monday. What’s that about ??????

8:18 PM Nick Khan: [Deleted by the sender]

Nick Khan: [Deleted by the sender]

8:43 PM Triple H: Is he in nyc yet …… When is their meeting?

8:44 PM Nick Khan: [Deleted by the sender]

Khan and Triple H tried to reach Ari Emmanuel the next day

Sunday, December 10, 2023:

1:33 PM Triple H: The more I think about it the more I’m kinda disappointed in that Ari convo…… Seems like we are in the same place , “I’m gonna tell him to stay out of it or else” that’s way different than “I’m telling him he’s done ….. it’s over” Kicking the can down the road

1:36 PM Nick Khan: [Deleted by the sender]

1:44 PM Triple H: What do u think about me hitting Shapiro to get his take and let him push or better direct to Ari?

Nick Khan: [Deleted by the sender]

1:44 PM Nick Khan: [Deleted by the sender]

Triple H then raised the idea of talking to TKO President Mark Shapiro about the issue. However, it appears he wasn’t satisfied with the outcome.

2:31 PM Triple H: Between you and I, It feels like they are both backtracking on the “he’s out” narrative. It’s back to the “well if he wants to go to the show now and then” and “if he gives notes and wants to have a 30min meeting now and then, ok”

2:39 PM Triple H: He just sent an email re script for Ari

2:43 PM Nick Khan: Seems off. Lemme call him.

2:58 PM Nick Khan: They know already. No need to send.

The public filing didn’t disclose any further messages between Triple H and Nick Khan a few hours after the last exchange. However, when the Game wrote to Khan later, he moved to a different issue and discussed something regarding CM Punk, who had returned to WWE the previous month.

Official WWE/TKO representatives didn’t comment on the text messages

The official WWE, TKO, and Vince McMahon representatives didn’t respond after POST Wrestling reached out to them for their comments about the text messages.

Among the questions raised were Vince McMahon’s actual desire to be involved in WWE creative in 2023, Ari Emmanuel’s point of view on the friction between Triple H and McMahon, and the steps Nick Khan took to resolve the issue.