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With the shocking news that Vince McMahon had retired from WWE, it opened up WWE for a new creative lead for the first time since McMahon entered the industry. Fans clamored for Triple H to be named the new creative lead. His tenure running NXT was a massive success that focused on the best professional wrestling matches and intriguing storylines. It reignited a passion in fans who had tuned out and led to the creation of AEW.
Our wish came true when Triple H was announced as the new head of WWE creative. It creates the potential for an exciting new era in WWE, where the wrestlers we love are pushed, storylines make logical sense and have conclusions, and professional wrestling isn’t treated like a dirty term. Only time will tell, but if Triple H brings what he did in NXT to WWE, then things can only get much better.
NXT Made Wrestling Fun Again
When NXT first started in 2010, it was far from the impactful brand it would become. NXT did start out by focusing on creating new stars, but it did this by filming a taped reality type competition every week that saw wrestlers compete in challenges, while also wrestling. NXT wrestlers were eliminated until only one male and female winner remained.
There were some embarrassing moments in NXT, such as all the awful obstacle course challenges, but there were some great moments too. NXT saw the rise of Daniel Bryan. It gave us The Nexus. But it wasn’t until it became its own wrestling brand, replacing Florida Championship Wrestling, that NXT took off.
Triple H as the creative lead of NXT made wrestling fun again for fans who had given up on WWE’s silly and watered down main roster product. It was like watching a cool indie show that was focused not on the theatrics but in telling a story through the art of professional wrestling. It celebrated the sport rather than denying it.
Triple H Turned Indie Stars Into NXT Legends
Under Triple H, NXT turned from a developmental brand into a brand with talent that could match Raw and SmackDown. The biggest indie starts in the world clamored to make it to NXT, where they knew their talent would be celebrated. Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Adam Cole are just a few of the names that would become legends in NXT.
While fans got used to the dreaded call ups that saw our NXT favorites move to Raw and SmackDown and more likely than not be ruined by Vince McMahon, we never forgot the stars that they were. Still, to see someone be a big deal in NXT, but then suffer in the WWE main roster, was very frustrating. It showed how out of touch Vince McMahon was, but it also showed just how in touch Triple H was. He knew the business, and more so, he knew what fans wanted.
Triple H was also at the forefront of the women’s revolution. Before Becky Lynch, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Bayley were stars on Raw and SmackDown, they were megastars in NXT. It’s their success under Triple H’s tutelage, where they were just as popular as the guys and headlined WWE Network events, that led to the revolution in WWE’s main roster. To see what they were creating in NXT couldn’t be denied, even by Vince McMahon.
Triple H Can Make WWE Cool Once More
The NXT of old is gone. All of its stars have left or are on the main roster. The brand has gone back to being a place to develop new talent. In its place is AEW. They’re the new cool kids of professional wrestling, but they only exist because of NXT. Triple H brought back a passion for wrestling that had died in the mainstream masses. AEW only expanded it.
With Triple H now running WWE, the company can be cool again. We’ll see our favorite stars pushed and not just the same old legends week after week. The constant rematches should come to an end, as well as the lazy booking and storylines. Vince McMahon treated WWE like a company. It was all about the money. The product was secondary. For Triple H, the product has always been what mattered most. Maybe he can fix the dwindling ratings. Maybe he can bring back the millions of fans who have left over the past decade. It’s a monumental task, and it’s not one that can be achieved overnight, but if there’s anyone who can do it, it’s Triple H. He knows how to play the game.