Paul “Triple H” Levesque has shared a heartfelt tribute to Stephanie McMahon ahead of her 2026 WWE Hall of Fame induction, praising her for fundamentally changing the culture within WWE.
Appearing on What’s Your Story? prior to Friday’s ceremony, Levesque reflected on Stephanie’s impact both on-screen and behind the scenes, highlighting how her presence reshaped the company environment over time.
“You put the culture in what we do. It didn’t exist before that. It was just the wild west. It’s just what the business was. You came in and sort of changed it. All of a sudden, there was a different take and perspective of it. It wasn’t that wild west business anymore. All of a sudden, it was a family. I don’t know that it was a family before that. It was a business before that. You had people on the road that you worked with that were like your family, but it was very much a business treated that way. Hard, cutthroat, all those things. Then, you changed it over time. You made the changes internally, you made the changes on the road. You were the person that listened and knew everybody’s families and kids and the crew,” Levesque said.
Levesque also emphasized how Stephanie’s connection with WWE talent and staff continues to resonate, noting the lasting impression she has left on the company.
“You changed that culture, and you still see it today. There is a component of it, that no matter what, you will hear people say it that were here. Some of the people that are new don’t get it, but anybody that was here through that period of time all the way through to when you left the office, ‘Steph was the heart and soul.’ You’d hear it all the time. I still hear it. People light up when they see you. When you’re at the arena, and I see people later in the day, ‘Oh my God, I saw Steph.’ They are so excited and happy. If none of the other things were there, but that was there, then you changed the business. How could you not be in the Hall of Fame?” Levesque said.
Stephanie McMahon is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the 2026 class, which also includes AJ Styles, Demolition, Dennis Rodman, Sycho Sid, and Bad News Brown.
The ceremony will take place on Friday, April 17 at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas, streaming live on the ESPN app in the United States and on YouTube internationally beginning at midnight Eastern.
