Shawn Michaels taking over Bruce Prichard’s WWE job after WrestleMania 43 was starting to look like a done deal, but now there’s a major update that could change everything. Despite previous word that WWE already had its succession plan worked out, Dave Meltzer is pushing back on the idea that Michaels is guaranteed to replace Prichard.
During the October 31 edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer addressed the speculation surrounding Prichard’s expected departure from his full-time WWE position. When Garrett Gonzales asked who could take over the role, Meltzer revealed that several people within WWE had told him the talk about Michaels stepping into the position had gotten out of hand. And according to Meltzer, Michaels wasn’t even the first name he heard when he started asking questions. Instead, Robert Roode and Ed Koskey were initially brought up as potential replacements.
“We don’t know. I think that this, I was, I’ve been told by many people the Shawn stuff is way overblown. You know, I mean, when I first asked, it was, it was, I go like, who’s, who’s replacing him? And it was Robert Roode and Ed Koskey. And then everything started coming up with Shawn and it’s like, well, you know, it’s an administrative job in a lot of ways, what Bruce did. And Shawn is not suited for that.”
That doesn’t mean Michaels is completely out of the picture. Meltzer acknowledged that the WWE Hall of Famer could be interested in the position, especially considering his close relationship with Triple H. However, he questioned whether Michaels would actually want the demanding travel schedule that comes with Prichard’s current responsibilities.
At 61 years old, Michaels already has a major position overseeing WWE NXT in Orlando, Florida. Taking over Prichard’s job could mean traveling around the country multiple times a week for WWE television tapings, something Meltzer believes could factor into the decision.
“Now, does Shawn want to do this? Yeah. You know, and again, and him and Levesque are best friends and all that. I mean, it’s, in a sense, it surprises me because, you know, Shawn’s 61, and at 61, do you, you know, you’ve got this job in Orlando, which is one of the better places to live in the world, certainly as far as weather goes and everything. Do you really, at 61, want to fly all over the country twice a week to do television? And look, it’s his call. I mean, so maybe he does. Maybe he just wants to change. It would be for more money, you know, so there’s that.”
Meltzer then made another important distinction. Even if Michaels does receive a promotion, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be doing everything Prichard currently handles. In fact, Meltzer said he’d been told that much of Prichard’s workload wouldn’t be transferred to Michaels. He also brought up an interesting possibility involving AJ Styles. If Michaels becomes more involved with WWE’s main roster creative direction, it could create an opening in NXT for Styles to take on a larger behind-the-scenes role.
“So we’ll have to see how it plays out. But I think, I mean, I was told the Shawn stuff, it’s not like it’s not going to happen, but much of the work that Bruce was doing, Shawn isn’t going to be doing. But could Shawn be in that creative? And then would that open up something in NXT, you know, and would that be AJ Styles? Yeah, I mean, it’s all possible, but I think people are getting way ahead of themselves on this one.”
This update comes after it was reported that WWE was planning to promote Michaels into Prichard’s position as Executive Director of Creative Writing & Talent following WrestleMania 43 in April 2027. The outlet also indicated that the succession plan had been in place for some time and that Michaels would begin preparing for the transition in the coming months.
As previously covered, Prichard is expected to step away from his full-time responsibilities while remaining connected to WWE in a consulting capacity. His upcoming neck surgery is also a factor in the situation, with the longtime WWE executive preparing to reduce his travel obligations.
For now, it appears the situation isn’t nearly as settled as initially believed. Michaels could still end up with a bigger role on WWE’s creative team, but Meltzer’s latest comments raise serious questions about whether he’ll actually inherit Prichard’s entire position. With Roode and Koskey also entering the conversation, WWE’s eventual succession plan could look considerably different from what fans were first led to believe.
Do you think Shawn Michaels should replace Bruce Prichard, or would WWE be better off keeping him in charge of NXT while someone else takes over? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
