Some WWE Higher-Ups Are Worried About R-Truth’s Return, Triple H Hated His ‘Hunter Hearst Helmsley’ Gimmick, WWE Profiting Off JD McDonagh’s Injury

WWE’s decision to re-sign R-Truth following fan backlash over his release has reportedly sparked concern among company executives.

According to a report from Dave Meltzer on a recent episode of “Wrestling Observer Radio,” some within WWE are uneasy about the implications of Truth’s return, fearing it might embolden fans to be more outspoken. Meltzer explained,

“They didn’t expect this. It really shows that fans do have a voice. And now, there are people in WWE — not everyone, but a lot of higher-ups — who are worried that fans will realize they can influence decisions by making enough noise. That they can essentially hijack the show.”

Meltzer went on to say that this move could set a precedent for future roster cuts, where fans might believe they can reverse WWE decisions by rallying behind released talent. He said,

“Now that WWE brought someone back because of fan reaction, what happens next time? Fans might think, ‘If we protest loud enough, we can get this person back too.’ That’s got people behind the scenes concerned.”

R-Truth made his return at Money in the Bank 2025, interfering in the main event by attacking John Cena, which allowed Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso to secure a win over Cena and Logan Paul.

Triple H recently reflected on a pivotal moment in his career — turning on D-Generation X to kickstart the McMahon-Helmsley Era in 1999.

Speaking as a guest on the “Flagrant” podcast, the current WWE Chief Content Officer looked back on the decision to break away from DX while the faction was still red-hot as fan favorites.

Triple H revealed that he had approached WWE management with the idea, believing the company needed a strong heel to stand opposite megastars like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock. He felt he could fill that role and elevate the landscape. The heel turn would mark the beginning of a new chapter in WWE, leading to one of the most dominant runs of the Attitude Era alongside Stephanie McMahon.

You can see the highlights from the podcast below:

On trying to escape the Hunter Hearst Helmsley gimmick: “Like DX was way more us, but I still wasn’t fully — like, I was trying to get out of the Hunter Hearst Helmsley stuff. I didn’t feel like it was right for me just to one day stop and be something totally different. You have to build to it.”

On turning heel on DX: “So when we get to the end of DX, the run as babyfaces. There’s a moment where I go to Vince and I’m like, ‘I want out of the group.’ And he was like, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘I want to turn heel. Austin is white hot. Rock is on his way up, but he’s going to be a babyface, a white meat baby face. Like there’s no — he’s so charismatic There’s no way he doesn’t become that baby face. We need the Darth Vader in this, right? You got two good guys, you need the bad guy. I’m confident enough in myself, I can be that bad guy. But I got to get out of this group and I’ve got to make the shift now.

“And the other guys were like, ‘What are you doing. Don’t — ride this into the ground. We’re making a fortune on merch and everything else. Don’t do this, don’t do it. And I was like, ‘But this is not what I want to do.”

Injuries in wrestling can be frightening, but WWE has turned JD McDonagh’s real-life setback earlier this year into a symbol of resilience with his newest t-shirt design.

The shirt proudly displays the phrase “Iron Lung”, referencing the punctured lung McDonagh suffered on the January 27, 2025 episode of WWE Monday Night RAW. The design also features an Ace made of lungs — an homage to his nickname, the “Irish Ace.”

Initially, many feared a serious neck injury after McDonagh’s head snapped against the announce table. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Despite the painful injury, McDonagh finished the tag team match that night, earning widespread respect from fans and fellow Superstars alike.