5 Triple H guys WWE recently fired

WWE has released several superstars and backstage personnel from their contracts in the past few months.

Some top names include Mickie James, Bray Wyatt, and John Morrison. A few of them were close to WWE Executive VP and the Executive Producer of NXT, Triple H, and could be called "Triple H guys."

Earlier this year, WWE announced the release of even more NXT superstars and backstage personnel. According to reports, the latest spree targeted employees hired by The Game, including two of his closest friends.

Here are five Triple H guys WWE recently fired.

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#5. WWE Hall of Famer Road Dogg

Road Dogg joined WWE in 1994 and performed for seven years, during which time he won several titles, including the Intercontinental Championship, the Hardcore Title, and the Tag Team Championship. He and Triple H first met while both competed in WCW, and later worked together in WWE as members of D-Generation X.

About four years ago, Triple H celebrated their friendship by posting two photos of them fighting in WCW on his Twitter account.

"20 years of...bad hair...and bad attitude...but mostly laughs!!!! Thanks for every step...Who woulda thought?"

The former Intercontinental Champion left WWE in 2001 and returned to the company a decade later to work as a producer. Over the next three years, he briefly returned to in-ring competition before turning into a full-time WWE producer in 2014.

After working for a few years on SmackDown, the WWE Hall of Famer became a full-time employee in NXT in 2019. In addition to working as an NXT writer and producer, he helped talents with their promos and character development.

WWE released him on January 5, 2022.

#4. Former WWE Director of Talent Development William Regal

After spending nearly five years in WCW, William Regal joined WWE in 1998 only ot be released from his contract a few months later in January 1999.

Regal spent another year in WCW before returning to Vince McMahon's company in 2000. For the next 13 years, he played several roles in WWE, including that of an in-ring competitor, a commentator, and the RAW General Manager.

In late 2013, Regal competed in his final WWE match against Cesaro on NXT. He later became the on-screen NXT and 205 Live General Manager. Off-screen, the 53-year-old also played several roles.

After retiring from in-ring action, Regal became a trainer at WWE's Performance Center. He also held the position of WWE's Director of Talent Development and Head of Global Recruiting, and played a vital role in recruiting new talent.

Regal is one of Triple H's close friends. They first met while working in WCW. In an interview with Inside the Ropes two years ago, the former European Champion revealed a few details about his relationship with The Game.

"The first day I ever met him, I saw a like-minded soul who was a year younger than me. He went on to do what he did but we’ve always got this kind of bond that we work well together... We used to travel together and a thing we bonded over as well was metal music... I’m the last person he ever needs to talk to if that makes any sense, because we sort of have this thing that we can communicate without talking."

After working closely with his friend Triple H for nearly eight years in NXT, WWE released Regal from his contract a few days ago.

#3. Former WWE NXT Champion Samoa Joe

After spending several years in different promotions, including IMPACT Wrestling, Samoa Joe joined WWE in 2015. He spent two years in NXT, during which he won two NXT Championships before making his main roster debut in 2017.

In the next four years, Joe won the United States Championship twice. However, a few injuries forced him to stay on the sidelines for over a year between 2020 and 2021. During that time, he worked as a commentator.

On April 25, 2021, WWE released the former United States Champion among others. According to reports, Triple H was unhappy with Joe's release and personally rehired him.

In an interview with TalkSport, the former United States Champion disclosed that he received a new contract offer from Triple H just a few hours after his release.

"When the release came, it was only a few hours later Hunter [Triple H] came [in] with the new offer ready for me so it was a pretty easy transition," he said.

The 42-year-old rejoined NXT last June, becoming William Regal's enforcer. He later entered a feud with then-NXT Champion Karrion Kross. Joe defeated Kross at TakeOver 36 in an NXT Title match to capture the championship for the third time.

Nevertheless, he had to relinquish his title a month later due to injury. Despite being rehired by Triple H only a few months earlier, WWE recently let him go again.

#2. Former WWE Superstar Drake Maverick

Drake Maverick signed with WWE in October 2017 and then became 205 Live's General Manager between January 2018 and April 2020. He also managed AoP for a few months and chased the 24/7 Championship on SmackDown and RAW.

On April 12, 2020, WWE announced Maverick's name as a participant in the interim NXT Cruiserweight Title Tournament. However, the company released him from his contract only three days later.

Maverick agreed to compete in the tournament despite his release. He qualified for the finals before losing it to El Hijo del Fantasma. Although everyone thought that would be Maverick's last WWE match, Triple H appeared after the bout to hand him a new NXT contract.

In an interview with Metro, the former 205 General Manager disclosed that what Triple H did was not part of the storyline. Instead, he only found out about The Game rehiring him live on air.

During a media call in June 2020, Triple H disclosed why WWE decided to rehire Maverick.

"When the release happened, it wasn’t like he was involved in anything, it just happened. But through the process of this tournament, he captured people’s hearts and imaginations. He earned that spot. It was already out there, in the biggest way possible. You either ignore it or turn it into something, so we turned it into something based off him and his performances. I’m personally thrilled for him that he can continue to do what he loves and dreams about doing. I’m thrilled we were able to get where we did," he said.

After signing his new contract, Maverick performed on NXT until last September. He then moved to RAW in the 2021 WWE Draft in October. Nevertheless, WWE let him go again a month later.

#1. Former WWE NXT Champion Keith Lee

After wrestling for over a decade on the independent circuit, Keith Lee joined WWE in 2018. He spent two years on NXT, during which he won the NXT Championship and the NXT North American Title.

In August 2020, the former North American Champion was moved to Monday Night RAW. At the time, Lee was one of Triple H's top guys on WWE's third brand. In a recent interview, the 37-year-old disclosed that Triple H tried to keep him on NXT for as long as he could.

"I definitely could have spent more time there, without a doubt, without questions. Let’s be honest, I had not long won the NXT Championship and what, maybe six weeks time before it was 'gotta go.' The reality was, as I understand, the main roster had been wanting to bring me up for a while and it was Triple H trying to keep me for as long as he could. Time was running out and some things are out of our hands," he said.

Lee struggled after moving to the main roster. He spent only a year on RAW, during which he missed five months of action due to health problems. WWE released him from his contract last November.