WWE's Prichard Reportedly Going Remote, Not Retiring

A week after reports of a Bruce Prichard retirement, a new account points the other way: a changed workload, not an exit. The same account cools talk that Shawn Michaels, Bobby Roode or AJ Styles is about to take over big backstage jobs.

Who gains influence, and who does not

Last week's reports said Styles would gain more sway over NXT as Michaels moved out. The new version is narrower. Styles already has plenty of influence on WWE scouting, and that is expected to grow because of his "constant and positive presence" at the WWE Performance Center.

Running NXT is another matter. Styles has not done that beyond producing and filling in to finish a class. Scouting means finding and judging new talent. Running a brand means deciding how it operates day to day.

Roode is seen as a possible successor to Prichard or to WWE Hall of Famer Michael P. Hayes. The move is described as far from set in stone. Plans could be settled over the next few months, if necessary.

Why the Michaels story is under doubt

Some people in WWE pushed back on the idea that Michaels would replace Prichard. They said much of the reporting on NXT and its future was either untrue or "had been nowhere near solidified."

A succession plan was not denied. One person inside WWE said the plans put forward were unfeasible. Part of the reason was a massive domino effect across the infrastructure of WWE and NXT, and also WWE EVOLVE and the WWE ID program.

Prichard's move to remote work

Prichard is Executive Director: Creative Writing and Talent. The original story was that he would retire and Michaels would gradually step in. Fightful Select now reports that a transition plan does exist, but that it means Prichard going from life on the road to working from home.

Prichard is preparing for neck surgery and has been weighing a transition of about six months. An existing injury makes travel hard. Fightful says he expects to work remotely instead of retiring.

Remote work does not tell us how much of the job he keeps day to day. The report does not say.

Our View

Two stories now compete for the same job, and both lean on unnamed people. A change from road work to remote work is a smaller step than a retirement, but it could still shift who handles daily talent matters.

The answer may come from how the surgery goes and how the six-month transition plays out. A named successor to Prichard or to Hayes would show which plan WWE is following.

Source: Fightful