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Legendary WWE wrestler and current executive Paul 'Triple H' Levesque officially announced his retirement from in-ring competition during an exclusive interview with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on Friday (March 25).
"As far as in-ring...I'm done. I will never wrestle again.," Levesque revealed in a preview clip for an upcoming episode of Stephen A's World. "First of all, I have a defibrillator in my chest which, you know, probably not a good idea for me to get zapped on live TV."
Levesque underwent a procedure at Yale New Haven Hospital after experiencing a cardiac event, WWE confirmed on September 8. 2021.
"I was nosediving and sort of at the one-yard-line of where you need to be or where you don't want to be, really, for your family and your future," Levesque said.
Tthe 14-time world champion issued his first public statement thanking fans for reaching out weeks after WWE's initial report of his heart procedure.
Levesque also mentioned friend and former faction mate, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, who reportedly took over his duties during last week's live taping of the revamped NXT 2.0, as well as his wife, Stephanie McMahon.
"I’ve been blown away by the outreach and support from so many people. I’m recovering, doing well, & deeply grateful for all the love in my life," Levesque posted on his verified Twtter account. "Especially grateful for @ShawnMichaels & all the Superstars & crew @WWENXT! (Steph and the girls loved the snacks!) See you soon."
In September, Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported WWE was keeping the Levesque's status quiet, but he was in good enough shape to be taking phone calls.
The report indicated active WWE superstars were told they could contact Levesque, but weren't allowed to discuss any WWE business with him.
WWE shared news of Levesque's procedure in a news release shared on September 8.
“Paul Levesque, a.k.a. Triple H, underwent a successful procedure last week at Yale New Haven Hospital following a cardiac event," the statement read. "The episode was caused by a genetic heart issue and Paul is expected to make a full recovery.”
The 14-time former World Champion currently serves as WWE's executive vice president of global talent strategy and development, while also overseeing WWE's NXT brand and the WWE Performance Center in Winter Park, Florida.
Levesque was present during WWE's recent Las Vegas Tryouts at the MGM Grand prior to the company's SummerSlam pay-per-view event in August, which included signing more than a dozen new prospects and addressing reports of NXT changing its recruitment strategy to focus less on independent wrestlers and more on athletes without prior professional wrestling experience.