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Triple H is one of the biggest stars in the history of professional wrestling. He emerged as a key player during the New Generation Era and later cemented his place as a top draw during the Attitude Era and beyond. He has also had a major impact behind the scenes, most notably with NXT.
Between changes in direction and a health scare, his connection to NXT had seemingly changed considerably. Despite that, the rumor mill is swirling with the possible news that The Game is allegedly back with WWE's third brand. It remains unclear as to what capacity he'll return and what his duties will entail. However, it has been reported that there will be some changes moving forward.
What changes will he bring, if any? For now, that remains unseen. Hunter has had a history of significant moves with developmental that have shaped the company over the past decade. His mind and those around him have changed the game more than once.
Below are five times Triple H changed the game in WWE outside of the ring.
#5. He created the WWE Performance Center
The WWE Performance Center was a revolution in training stars. WWE has adopted various methods of training since the 1990s. This includes developmental territories and in-house training.
Many of them were extremely successful. Still, the Performance Center changed the game for the better. Triple H was the Executive Vice President of Talent and Live Events when the facility was inaugurated, and his influence put the wheels in motion.
It opened in July 2013 and featured seven state-of-the-art rings, a strength and conditioning program, and a voice-over room, among others. The Performance Center has trained and helped develop stars from scratch along with incredible staff. The list includes indie talent, international workers, and even top stars looking to get back into ring shape.
A smaller, second WWE Performance Center opened in the United Kingdom in 2019. The Florida Performance Center also served as a home for RAW and SmackDown during COVID restrictions.
#4. Triple H helped create NXT TakeOver events
WrestleMania is the biggest professional wrestling event every year. Despite that, some would argue that some of the best shows have also come from NXT. The NXT TakeOver events were a highlight for wrestling fans over the years.
In 2014, NXT had its first premium live vent. It was titled NXT Arrival. The next major show from the brand was NXT TakeOver. Since then, the former black and gold brand has had 35 more such events.
These shows featured incredible matches and shocking moments. Triple H produced these pay-per-views and introduced them to the audience on many occasions. He even went to great lengths to promote them, including representing the brand during press conferences and media scrums.
Since the launch of NXT 2.0, the name TakeOver has been discontinued. However, the events still cause a feeling of excitement among fans thanks to the incredible roster and the great minds behind WWE's third brand.
#3. He pushed for global localization, leading to NXT UK
An exciting concept Triple H often promotes is "global localization." The idea, in many ways, is similar to what professional wrestling once was. He wants to see NXT brands all over the world. The unique divisions would have their own roster, their own titles, and their own major events.
Each global brand would also have its own WWE Performance Center. This allows WWE to train new stars in each region while also providing a place for the current talent to stay in shape and practice their game.
Thus far, Triple H has done it with two brands. NXT in the United States has a Performance Center, a television show, local live events, titles, and premium live events. Meanwhile, NXT UK in the United Kingdom has a Performance Center, their own show, their set of championships, and premium live events.
The pandemic threw a major wrench in a lot of Triple H's plans. It remains unclear when he may resume working on the aforementioned endeavors. If he does gain more power in the company, it is possible that the concept will continue in the near future.
#2. Triple H's developmental introduced multiple special tournaments
A fun aspect of Triple H's version of developmental is the use of tournaments. He has used various competitions as a means to introduce new talent to the WWE Universe. Many of the stars who came through these events were international or independent workers with varying levels of experience. While, some were brand new to the ring.
NXT uses the Breakout Tournament and the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic as tools to promote stars, but the most exciting ones weren't part of the weekly NXT program.
The most exciting tournaments WWE has put on in recent times include the Cruiserweight Classic, the Mae Young Classic, and the United Kingdom Championship Tournament events. Two of these concepts led to new brands being created. Meanwhile, the Mae Young Classic took place twice, introducing many stars still seen today.
#1. His vision led to the creation of 205 Live
The most underrated aspect of WWE over the past decade was the rise of the Cruiserweight Division. The Cruiserweight Classic was the most sports-like presentation of anything a major promotion has put on in decades. It then led to the 205 Live brand being created, which featured an incredible array of talent.
Unfortunately, the major reason 205 Live was underrated is due to how WWE handled the brand. From the start, the show wasn't quite what it should have been. The Cruiserweight Classic was a success because of its small, intimate venues, with fans excited to see wrestlers with a different presentation than RAW or SmackDown.
Taking a roster of mostly unknown stars and putting them on after SmackDown tapings just wasn't ever going to work. If 205 Live had been presented more like the Cruiserweight Classic, but with the opportunities of NXT and NXT UK, there's no telling how successful it could have been.
Triple H had a vision for 205 Live. Even when the brand returned to his control in 2018, he wanted the show to succeed. During various NXT press conferences, he noted that his goals for 205 and NXT UK were for both to become touring brands like NXT. Unfortunately, this never came to fruition.
While it remains unclear what Triple H meant when stating he's back, fans are excited. The Game has had a hand in some of the most exciting aspects of WWE over the past decade. If he is back in control of developmental, it'll be exciting to see where it goes next.
