Fan reaction toward Paul Levesque was mixed following the 2026 Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a portion of the crowd directing hostile chants at the WWE executive during the post-show segment.
During the broadcast, chants of “We want Vince” and “You fked up”** were clearly audible and aimed at Levesque. Triple H did not acknowledge the chants on camera. According to Sean Ross Sapp, there has been no internal reaction within WWE regarding the crowd’s call for Vince McMahon.
Speaking during a Fightful Select Answers Q&A, Sapp addressed the situation and WWE’s perspective.
“Well, Triple H didn’t want to be in a room full of media, and this was what he got instead,” Sapp reported.
Negative chants directed at Triple H have become increasingly common at Premium Live Event post-shows since the format became permanent following SummerSlam 2025. One of the most notable instances occurred after John Cena’s retirement match on the December 13, 2025, edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event. That broadcast featured loud boos toward Levesque, along with chants of “You fked up”** and “AEW.”
Vince McMahon has not been affiliated with WWE since resigning as TKO Group Holdings Executive Chairman in January 2024. His departure followed a lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant, which alleges sex trafficking, sexual assault, and physical and emotional abuse.
Additionally, McMahon, Linda McMahon, WWE, and TKO are defendants in a separate lawsuit filed by seven former ring boys, who allege that the parties were aware of sexual abuse committed by Mel Phillips and failed to intervene or prevent it.
Despite the negative crowd response, WWE has not publicly addressed the chants, and there has been no indication of any change in leadership direction following the Royal Rumble event.
