Bruce Prichard is getting ready to step away from his full-time WWE role after WrestleMania 43, and the company apparently isn’t wasting any time figuring out who will replace him. In fact, WWE already has someone picked out, and it’s a name fans know very well.
According to PWInsider, WWE is planning to have Shawn Michaels take over Prichard’s position as Executive Director of Creative Writing & Talent once Prichard steps down following WrestleMania 43 in April 2027. Rather than bring in someone from outside the company, WWE is looking to promote from within, with Michaels expected to move into one of the biggest creative positions behind the scenes.
“The natural question that has been asked is who would be tapped to replace Prichard in his position. PWInsider.com can exclusively confirm that WWE is planning to promote from within and according to multiple sources, the plan is for the current head of WWE NXT and Senior Vice President of Talent Development and Creative, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels to essentially step into Prichard’s current role.”
And this isn’t something WWE just came up with after word got out about Prichard leaving his position. The company has apparently been working on this transition for a while, giving Michaels plenty of time to prepare for the new responsibilities.
“We are told that this succession plan has been in place for some time and that Michaels will start to prepare for the Prichard role in the months ahead.”
It’s a pretty big move for Michaels, who has been running WWE NXT since September 2021. He’s also extremely close with WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, so the two working together in an even bigger capacity makes plenty of sense.
But taking over Prichard’s job is a different situation from running NXT. Prichard currently sits above the writing teams for RAW, SmackDown, and NXT in WWE’s creative structure. He’s also been the person trusted to handle television tapings whenever Triple H isn’t available. If Michaels takes over those responsibilities, he’ll have a much bigger role in what fans see across WWE programming every week.
The update comes after it was first revealed that Prichard is expected to leave his full-time position following WrestleMania 43. The 63-year-old isn’t expected to leave WWE completely, though. The current plan is for him to continue working as a consultant from his home in Texas rather than maintain his regular schedule with the company.
Prichard’s health is also a major part of the situation. We previously revealed that he’s been dealing with serious physical problems and is preparing for surgery that will take him off the road. As previously noted, Prichard is facing neck surgery connected to an injury dating back to a 1991 WWF angle involving The Ultimate Warrior and his Brother Love character. More than three decades later, that damage is still causing problems.
Prichard returned to WWE full-time in 2019 and became one of the most influential people behind the scenes, working under Vince McMahon before continuing in a major creative role under Triple H. His departure from that position will leave a significant opening, but WWE apparently believes Michaels is the right person to fill it.
One question that hasn’t been answered is what happens to NXT once Michaels moves into his new position. There’s no word yet on whether WWE will appoint someone else to run the brand or how much involvement Michaels will continue to have with NXT after taking over Prichard’s responsibilities.
For now, WWE seems to have its plans worked out. Prichard will be moving into a less demanding consulting role, while Michaels prepares to take on considerably more responsibility behind the scenes. With the succession plan already in place, the company has several months to get everything lined up before WrestleMania 43. The bigger question now is who will take over NXT once Michaels makes the move.
What do you think about WWE choosing Shawn Michaels to replace Bruce Prichard, and who should take over NXT if Michaels moves into his new role? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
