WWE President Nick Khan has pushed back on the idea that fan criticism on social media influences the company's creative decisions, explaining that WWE places far greater value on business metrics than online reactions when evaluating its direction.

During an interview with Sports Business Journal, Khan was asked how much backlash from fans would be required before WWE reconsidered its plans. He made it clear that social media discourse is not a factor in those decisions.

"We will never respond to social media criticism. Again, if ratings are down, if revenue is down, if relevancy is down, it’s up to us," Khan stated.

According to Khan, WWE focuses on measurable indicators such as television viewership, revenue generation, and overall cultural relevance when determining whether a strategy is successful.

The discussion also touched on one of the most heavily debated storylines in recent WWE history involving WrestleMania 40. When The Rock became involved in the WrestleMania main event picture, many fans believed WWE altered its original plans due to the viral "We Want Cody" campaign, which gained significant traction online as supporters rallied behind Cody Rhodes.

Khan rejected that narrative and insisted the outcome fans eventually saw had been the intended destination all along.

"The plan was always how it ended up in Philly two years ago," Khan said.

He went on to explain that WWE intentionally allowed speculation to grow while continuing to follow its original creative roadmap.

"Sometimes it’s a predetermined outcome in wrestling. You want to throw the fans off. You want to let things bake and then boom, it ends up the way that we wanted it to end up. It never changed. That was just online rumors and gossip that we were changing," Khan added.

Khan noted that uncertainty is a key ingredient in professional wrestling storytelling. By allowing fans to question where a storyline is headed, WWE believes it can create greater intrigue and emotional investment before ultimately delivering the planned payoff.