We all know that Vince McMahon will be in-charge of the product till he is no longer physically able to cope with the daily production schedule and that WWE’s resident power couple of Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, are being groomed to take over after him.
With NXT and the CWC, Triple H has set the tone for what fans can expect after he completely gets the reins of the company, and what a mouthwatering appetizer it has been thus far.
His handiwork has reflected a much keener understanding for what pro-wrestling fans of today require from the product, so much so that many fans have been left thinking – wishfully I might add – if only WWE could be more like NXT.
And with good reason too.
On that note, we examine 5 things that Triple H does better than Vince McMahon with his work behind the scenes.
#5 Trusting new talent
To sell a mega PPV like WrestleMania, Vince McMahon turns to his franchise player John Cena, his oldest serving lieutenant Undertaker, or even goes as far as enlisting the services of pro-wrestler turned Hollywood mainstay,The Rock.
While these names undeniably rope in the attendance numbers, merchandise sales and PPV buys, this one-step-forward-but-two-steps-back approach of Vince McMahon cannot sustain the growth and development of the company in the future.
Triple H, on the other hand, has availed every opportunity to showcase new talent and establish them amongst the fans. Right from The Shield to Kevin Owens, most of the Superstars that have come through the NXT ranks are the ones that are nudging WWE onto the New Era.
It is also worth mentioning that the Women’s Revolution has been predominantly shouldered by NXT alumni as well.
#4 Maintaining a personal touch
Due to his legendary status as the Chairman of the WWE, and generally, also owing to his contributions towards the industry and transforming WWE into the mainstream juggernaut that it is today, many Superstars are in awe of Vince McMahon.
Triple H, on the other hand, seems to be very content working closely with the talent and nurturing them into marketable Superstars for the company. And it would seem that this personal touch is making all the difference in the world.
Superstars seem to want to work with him, and conversely, photos such as these prove that he has been ever present through the ups and downs in their careers.
#3 Understand what the audience want
The manner of programming in NXT, and more recently, in the CWC, has been highly organic and engaging; Superstars are allowed to express their personalities in the ring the way they want, with no ‘WWE style’ or ‘glass ceiling’ to curtail their growth.
The emphasis of the product has been on the in-ring action, and not on other peripheral facets that constitute mainstream entertainment. And yet, the story that is told inside the ring resonates strongly with the audience.
Triple H seems to have grasped this fact, and sadly, it seems to be something Vince McMahon is still grappling with.
#2 Understand the state of ‘Kayfabe’
Gone are the days when babyfaces in the ring were mono-dimensional good guys, who hardly put a foot wrong in any situation in life. Storylines, and characters included, do much better when they channel reality nowadays, as fans have started seeing through kayfabe to a large extent.
Vince McMahon, in all fairness, seems to be oblivious to this concept. Yes, John Cena learnt to roll with the punches and the polarizing response that he garners from the audience, but to expect all the top babyfaces that succeed him to follow suit doesn’t bode well.
Just ask Roman Reigns.
Triple H, on the other hand, promoted the Demon King character as the face of NXT, and the audience lapped it up. It isn’t as much about ‘good versus bad’ anymore as much as it seems to be about knowing how to deal with the grey areas in characterization and getting the Superstars over by embracing that.
Surely, Vince can take lessons from Triple H in that department.
#1 Knows how to snuff out the competition
This one may appear slightly incredulous to some of you, given how Vince (in)famously put WCW to rest once and for all. However in today’s Indie-dominated climate of pro-wrestling, dealing with the competition doesn’t quite bear the same hue anymore.
There isn’t one major company vying for ratings with the WWE on television, as WCW once did, but instead, many smaller promotions that offer something a mainstream monopoly like the WWE has deviated from – a wrestling-centric product.
This is where the genius of Triple H shines through unfettered.
The work that he has done with NXT seems to be long term answer to this conundrum that has plagued the WWE for quite a while now. A product that would please the hardcore fans is intrinsically at odds with one that would appeal to the mainstream masses, and Triple H seems to have addressed that with the success of NXT.
It is in NXT that marketability, that has also proven to be transferable to the main roster, goes hand-in-hand with excellence in the ring. To put it in a nutshell, this is something Vince McMahon has been long unable, or unwilling, to achieve.
And it is in this one aspect of Triple H’s stewardship that he clearly one-betters Vince McMahon.
