In March of 2022, Paul “Triple H” Levesque announced on ESPN's First Take that he had been diagnosed with a heart condition that would force the 52-year-old to retire from in-ring work for the WWE once and for all.

Now granted, Levesque wasn't exactly an active performer before he made the announcement, as he haDn't wrestled in a formal match since 2019, when he beat Batista at WrestleMania 35 in a No Holds Barred Match, lost to Randy Orton at WWE Super ShowDown 2019 in Saudi-Arabia, and then performed at a pair of house shows in Tokyo alongside the likes of AJ Styles, The Good Brothers, and Shinsuke Nakamura, but still, after winning 14 World Championships during his run in professional wrestling, it hit many a fan in their feelings to know that the performer known professionally as Hunter Hearst Helmsley wouldn't get to finish out his professional career on his own terms, especially after losing both the Wednesday Night Wars to AEW and control over NXT to his father in law, Vince McMahon. 

Still, with McMahon out as the WWE's CEO and Chairman of the Board at least for the time being, and his daughter, Stephanie taking his place on an interim basis, it was only a matter of time – heath willing – before H made his way back into the Performance Center to shepherd along the next generation of WWE talent.

That, apparently, happened on Wednesday, as, after months away, Levesque made his triumphant return to Orlando, where he spoke to the assembled talent in attendance as per John Pollock of POST wrestling. While no one, not even Dave Meltzer, knows exactly why Levesque was at the Performance Center or what it means for his and the promotion's future both immediate and long-term, it's safe to say things are getting interesting in Orlando.

The return of Triple H could shake up WWE's NXT in a big, fun way.

Since Triple H left NXT and it was re-branded NXT 2.0, the quasi-developmental territory of WWE has been in a weird spot. Suddenly free from its ratings war with AEW, the promotion has largely stopped hot-shotting angles to get eyes on the product and has instead focused their collective attention on giving televised reps to young talent like Tony D'Angelo despite having a, shall we say, raw – but not that RAW – in-ring style.

The problem? The show has largely lost its muster, as compelling angles like those involving the Undisputed Era, The Diamond Mine, and DIY have largely fallen by the wayside, with more experienced performers leaving the brand for the main roster – or AEW – and their replacement largely comprised of younger talent and the occasional over-30 performer thrown in for good measure.

Could Triple H's return magically bring the brand back to its yellow and black roots? No, probably not; considering Mr. McMahon still holds the overall book and has maintained creative control of the promotion despite his boardroom ousting the basic tenants of the show will likely stay the same, but if Levesque can return to the promotional territory he helped to put on the map and re-inject some of the compelling angle-building that made NXT must-watch during his heyday as it's booker, then maybe the show could return to its former glory and create the next generation of Tommaso Ciampas, Johnny Garganos, and Adam Coles with more McMahon-approved athletes- even if that trio all technically got their starts elsewhere.