WWE is gearing up for major changes in 2027, stemming from big changes behind the scenes. It was reported last month that Bruce Pritchard will step down From the role of executive director of creative writing and talent. Following a major surgery he needsPritchard will remain as a consultant. Another report said so Shawn Michaels is expected to fill Pritchard’s position next year. Michaels is the current head of WWE NXT and serves as Senior Vice President of Talent Development and Creative.
PWInsider: has even more details on what’s planned next year. Pritchard is expected to move home to Texas to work as a consultant. Michaels is expected to begin splitting his time between WWE HQ and NXT in preparation for taking over from Pritchard.
With Michaels up for promotion, it left the question of who his replacement would be. PWInsider reports that it’s none other than CM Punk. Punk has reportedly been on multiple NXT shows to shadow Michaels and begin preparing for the transition. It is unclear if Punk is retiring from in-ring competition or adjusting his schedule to do both. The report states that WWE wants to make sure it’s a good fit for everyone, and there is currently no set timeline for Punk to transition into Michaels’ role. Punk was recently challenged Grayson Waller for the NXT Championship. in September Punk attended the NXT live event because he wanted to wrestle more often and “give back”.
The report also states that AJ Styles is looking forward to helping out with intelligence and the WWE ID program. He also did some producing on “NXT” as Terry Taylor recovered from knee surgery.
In addition to Pritchard’s upcoming retirement, Michael Hayes recently revealed that he is grooming Bobby Roode as his successor as top producer.