Triple H may be the man in charge of NXT, but that certainly doesn't mean "The Game" doesn't have any say or influence in regards to what fans get to see on WWE's main roster. In fact, despite still holding on to his power, Vince McMahon has been allowing Hunter to make more and more decisions each year when it comes to various storylines, pushes, call-ups from NXT et cetera on Raw and SmackDown Live. With that being said, Vince still makes many of the big decisions related to WWE, and without question, many of them are downright terrible. Now we're certainly not insinuating that Triple H makes no errors in judgment and that Vinny Mac has completely lost his touch, but in the grand scheme of things, many of Vince's ideas aren't exactly what the diehard WWE fans are interested in watching these days in 2019.
However, fans can definitely be thankful that the company still has a great wrestling mind like Triple H in a significant power position backstage, because there's no doubt he tries to convince his father-in-law to change various aspects related to the main roster - especially when it comes to storylines. With the newly formed wrestling promotion (and possible future rival) All Elite Wrestling, aka AEW, Triple H is more determined than ever to make 2019 a standout year for WWE. With that said, there's also the reality that Vince will still be making a few crummy booking decisions this year, but let's hope more of Triple H's storyline ideas come true than Vince's. Today, we will delve into 10 reported storylines we want from Triple H, and 10 from Vince we wish would simply go away!
20 We Want: Finn Balor Receiving A Significant Push
Finn Balor has certainly been on quite the roller-coaster of a career in WWE thus far, as "The Demon King" has seen major successes in the form of the WWE Universal Championship, yet he has also seen extreme lows including vacating the title the next night and being continuously misused by WWE management ever since. However, thankfully for Finn's fans, there just so happens to be light at the end of the tunnel for Balor.
Apparently, Triple H has been pleading with Vince McMahon to give Finn Balor another shot at becoming a top tier star in WWE, and many believe Vince has agreed to offer Finn another shot to reach for that brass ring. WWE definitely doesn't want Finn to leave out of frustration to potentially look for greener pastures in the way of AEW, so it's definitely a smart call that Hunter has helped convince his father-in-law that Balor is a worthy main caliber event talent.
19 Go Away: Apollo Crews' Push Out Of Nowhere
Shortly following his fluky win over Sheamus at Money In The Bank 2016, Apollo Crews was quickly demoted down the card into complete and utter obscurity. WWE clearly saw potential in Crews upon his call up from NXT to the main roster, but like many of Hunter's other creations from NXT, they are terribly mismanaged and underutilized on Raw and SmackDown. For much of the past two years, Crews has been booked in an undercard position who has suffered from awful 50/50 booking against other low ranking talents, and fans have entirely lost interest in the former indie darling.
However, leave it to none other than Vince McMahon to try and revive a buried talent years after they were last somewhat relevant, and unfortunately, it looks as though this is the current storyline involving Apollo Crews. Despite having no momentum and losing all faith from fans, apparently, Vince is going to be pushing Apollo hard in the upcoming months for reasons we don't know.
18 We Want: Mustafa Ali Continues His Babyface Rise
Although not a typical thing in WWE, sometimes pure talent alone is enough to make WWE realize that they have a diamond in the rough that desperately needs to be polished. Even prior to getting a major push on SmackDown Live, a large portion of fans saw plenty of potential in the Cruiserweight Mustafa Ali, and many proclaimed he was the Seth Rollins of 205 Live - quite honestly, a more talented version of Rollins, to boot.
Regardless, we doubt any fans could've anticipated Ali's meteoric rise on SmackDown the past few weeks, as Ali has went from being a little known CW Division talent to becoming one of SmackDown's brightest young stars. Triple H is undoubtedly largely responsible for Ali receiving a golden opportunity to prove his worth on WWE's main roster, and by all means, Ali has succeeded tremendously thus far. Ali has a very bright 2019 ahead of him, and he will likely continue to soar to greater heights, thanks to Hunter.
17 Go Away: Bray Wyatt Returning To His Usual Shtick
Now you would think that adding a WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign to your resume would instantly secure your spot in the company as an upper card star, but that, unfortunately, hasn't been the case for Bray Wyatt whatsoever. In fact, Wyatt is arguably less relevant in WWE than he was just before capturing his first (and likely only) World Title in WWE. Bray has been away from Monday Night Raw as of late to deal with his injuries, and in the meantime, he had been teasing a complete persona overhaul on his mysterious Twitter account.
However, recent reports have speculated that WWE have been keeping Bray off television despite being cleared to compete recently simply because they don't know what to do with him, and for fans of Bray Wyatt, this is a huge disappointment. There's a very good chance that Vince will bring back Bray to Raw as the same old "Eater of Worlds," and within short order, he will once again be floundering when he should be flourishing. Let's just hope this isn't the case and WWE push Bray under a new character instead.
16 We Want: Shawn Michaels Feuding With Either Daniel Bryan Or AJ Styles
Shawn Michaels may not be quite as agile in the ring as he was ten years ago, but there's no doubt that "The Heartbreak Kid" can still go in the ring - to put it in perspective, Michaels was the star of the DX versus Brothers of Destruction match at Crown Jewel. Shawn proved the skeptics wrong by outperforming Kane, Undertaker and his good buddy Triple H, and following Crown Jewel, fans were left intrigued at the possible rivalries HBK could have in WWE heading into WrestleMania 35.
While the feud between 'Taker and Shawn is still possibly on the table, according to some sources, there is a decent chance Michaels may be working with a full-time, established Superstar, such as Daniel Bryan or AJ Styles, moving forward into WrestleMania season. Now there's absolutely no denying that both Daniel and AJ are two dream opponents for Shawn, and Triple H is unquestionably the man responsible for putting these two worthy Superstars on the table for Shawn Michaels to feud with.
15 Go Away: Sasha Banks Has Yet Another Short And Uneventful Title Reign
When Sasha Banks was finally given the opportunity on Monday Night Raw to potentially challenge Ronda Rousey for her Women's Championship at the Royal Rumble, fans couldn't help but express their joy and excitement over the development. Thankfully, "The Legit Boss" defeated Nia Jax to secure her chance to dethrone Ronda at the Rumble, and while this is the first time in a very long time WWE has utilized Banks to her fullest potential, don't get very excited if the rumored storyline Vince has reportedly put in place comes true.
Apparently, Vince is currently considering having Charlotte Flair or Becky Lynch (or quite possibly the both of them) interfere in Ronda's match with Banks, thus costing Ronda the Raw Women's Title to further along Rousey's feud with the two SmackDown women's wrestlers. Now the last thing we need is for Sasha Banks to have yet another extremely short and uneventful placeholder title reign before dropping the gold back onto Ronda ahead of WrestleMania 35...
14 We Want: The Undertaker Reemerging And Feuding With A Young Star
The Undertaker's "last ride," so to speak, in WWE certainly isn't too far off in the future, but for the time being, 'Taker remains an integral part of WrestleMania season. The past few years, aside from the likes of Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt, The Undertaker has garnered the reputation of having WrestleMania matches against established veterans, and many fans are anticipating 'Taker giving the rub to a new up and coming Superstar in WWE. Well, if Triple H gets his way, this may actually become a reality this year.
As we had stated earlier in the Shawn Michaels entry, though The Deadman may still be penciled in to fight The Heartbreak Kid at 'Mania, there's still that possibility that The Undertaker will instead feud with a younger star such as "The Demon King" Finn Balor. Apparently, Triple H has been able to convince Vinny Mac to give Finn Balor another shot at a high profile role within WWE, and a match (and feud) with 'Taker would do wonders to solidify Balor as a force to be reckoned with.
13 Go Away: Lars Sullivan Feuding With John Cena
It truly seems as though we have been waiting an eternity for the supposed impending debut of Lars Sullivan on Raw or SmackDown Live, and with the current storyline Vince McMahon has apparently penciled in for Lars upon his debut, it certainly doesn't help to get fans interested in Sullivan whatsoever. WWE has plans for Lars Sullivan to immediately begin a rivalry with John Cena following his main roster debut, and while some may make the assumption that this is good news for Lars considering Cena is about as high profile of a WrestleMania opponent Sullivan could ask for, this match carries an extremely large amount of pressure.
We should especially take into account the fact that this is Lars Sullivan's first program on the main roster. News broke out this morning that Lars Sullivan had apparently suffered from an anxiety attack recently, and many speculate it was due to the pressure Sullivan sustained after finding out the tall order laying ahead of him. As well, feuding with the likes of John Cena right off the hop hasn't helped new emerging talents very well in the past whatsoever. Just look at flopped monsters, including Ryback and Rusev.
12 We Want: Andrade's Push To The Top Of SmackDown Live
Andrade may not have gotten off to a great start on WWE's main roster, considering he was utilized very sparingly on SmackDown Live for the first couple of months, but things definitely look like they'll be improving for the former NXT Champion heading into 2019 - and this is all thanks to Triple H. Ever since his debut in NXT, Triple H was a firm believer that Andrade was the future, and despite the fact fans reacted negatively to Almas for a while due to his generic persona, a character switch was all it took to get fans invested in the extraordinarily gifted Superstar.
Hunter has big plans for Andrade on SmackDown this year, and there's no doubt that Almas will be vying for the WWE Championship before years end if Triple H has anything to say about it. According to some sources, Vince McMahon wasn't as big of a fan of Almas when he was first called up, but since being given an opportunity to showcase what he can do, Vince has now become a major supporter of Almas.
11 Go Away: The Bella Twins Pushed Hard In New Women's Tag Team Division
When Vince McMahon (cosplaying as Santy Claus) announced on the Christmas Eve edition of Monday Night Raw that WWE would be introducing the highly anticipated Women's Tag Team Championships, fans couldn't help but express their joy and admiration for WWE finally listening to their audiences. However, if the rumored duo Vince has lined up to be the dominant force in the Women's Tag Team Division is true, don't get all too excited.
According to multiple reports, the beloved Bella Twins are the current favorites to become the inaugural Women's Tag Team Champions, and this most likely will not sit well with most fans. While we cannot take anything away from what The Bellas have achieved in the sports entertainment and entertainment industry, they certainly don't represent WWE's apparent Women's Evolution, and there are far more deserving duos to capture the gold, including The IIconics, Sasha Banks & Bayley, Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville, and The Riott Squad to name but a few.
10 We Want: Drew McIntyre Dethrones Brock Lesnar For The Universal Championship
WWE has been booking Drew McIntyre surprisingly well (at least for the most part) since joining the companies main roster after a phenomenal run down in NXT, and it's evident that both Triple H and Vince McMahon are fully behind McIntyre becoming a true top star in 2019 - especially with Roman Reigns out of the picture for the time being. Although some fans were interested in Drew having a reign or two with the Intercontinental Championship to fulfill a slow burn push, WWE unquestionably have other plans for McIntyre this year.
While it's doubtful that Drew McIntyre will be challenging Brock Lesnar for his Universal Championship at WrestleMania 35, if Brock does, in fact, retain his gold through 'Mania (very probable), reports have stated that Hunter and Vince have been contemplating having Drew McIntyre dethrone Lesnar of his title post-WrestleMania. Drew has been showcasing he has everything it takes to be a top player in WWE, and defeating the seemingly unbeatable Lesnar would do wonders for McIntyre's credibility in WWE.
9 Go Away: The Rock Returning And Feuding With Bobby Lashley
Prior to announcing his shock leukemia diagnosis on Raw last October, the plan Vince McMahon firmly had in place for WrestleMania 35 was for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to return to WWE at the Royal Rumble, win the Rumble, and then go onto face Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at 'Mania. However, that plan has undoubtedly been scrapped entirely since Roman's saddening announcement, and unfortunately, the new storyline Vince has apparently set in stone is nothing to get excited about - a storyline most fans would love nothing more than to simply disappear.
For those unaware, Vince has reportedly penciled in The Rock versus Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania this year, and by all means, this sounds absolutely ridiculous. While Lashley isn't the worst Superstar Monday Night Raw has on its roster, he certainly hasn't been taking WWE by storm as of late and proving why he's deserving of a major mid-card storyline, let alone a huge match with The Rock, so this definitely isn't a storyline most would like to come true this year...
8 We Want: Jinder Mahal Reaches His Breaking Point
It has become evident that WWE won't be giving up on the former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal anytime soon, and despite being saddled down with a gimmick few fans care about or want to see, Mahal continues to get television time on Raw nearly every week. Some insiders have speculated that Jinder returning to his original Shanti persona was due to his lackluster performances during "The Modern Day Maharaja's" feud with Roman Reigns, but regardless, fans have suffered due to Jinder's return to a goofy gimmick.
Despite the fact Mahal was certainly not the most popular Superstar in WWE during his main event heel run, at least there were some redeemable qualities about the heel Jinder who was somewhat dominant and egotistical - a true heel. However, surprisingly enough, Triple H has been a supporter of Jinder even prior to his push out of nowhere in 2017, and there are rumors going around that Hunter was able to convince Vinny Mac to have Jinder ditch his Shanti persona and thus return to his old heel gimmick after reaching his breaking point of losses.
7 Go Away: Lars Sullivan Inevitably Fed To Braun Strowman
One of the major stories this past week in regards to WWE has been about the rather bizarre Lars Sullivan situation, because despite being hyped up for weeks to make his main roster debut, Lars has yet to show his face on either Raw or SmackDown. Earlier in the article, we had included a storyline Vince has reportedly penciled in for WrestleMania 35 involving Lars Sullivan and John Cena, but despite seemingly being a bad thing, the current rumors circulating about Lars' future post-Mania are even more frightening.
According to a number of sources, WWE are considering having Lars Sullivan embark on a rivalry with "The Monster Among Men" Braun Strowman, and without question, nothing positive can come out of this. Vince clearly has booked Braun as the most unstoppable force in WWE behind Brock Lesnar, so there's no chance that Strowman would be taking a loss against Sullivan, which leaves one terrible end result – Lars Sullivan being pinned and buried by Braun. This certainly wouldn't be the first time WWE has sacrificed a promising young star to feed one of their established names in need of a win, but this definitely isn't a storyline many fans will be asking for.
6 We Want: Asuka Continues To Be Pushed Throughout 2019
Much like Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka has had quite a bumpy career thus far on the WWE main roster, but thanks to one of "The Empress of Tomorrow's" biggest supporters Triple H, 2019 looks to be a much more promising year in general for Asuka. The current SmackDown Women's Champion is finally beginning to receive the booking most fans were expecting a talent like Asuka would get, and it's clear she'll be involved in a major storyline heading into WrestleMania 35.
With Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair likely embarking on a feud with Ronda Rousey, Asuka is one of the few major names SD Live has left in their Women's Division, so it's definitely nice to see Vince willing to give Asuka a second chance at success in WWE. Asuka is unquestionably one of the best pure women's talents WWE has to offer and had the company not taken the time to rethink their decision of burying Asuka, there's a very good possibility that The Empress would've ended up leaving WWE to return to Japan or quite possibly even AEW - a possibility WWE couldn't risk.
5 Go Away: Shane McMahon And The Miz Becoming A Tag Team
For much of the past two years, fans have been desiring to see The Miz once again climb the ladder to the top of WWE by capturing his second WWE Championship, and while WWE has teased this possibility on multiple occasions, the company has continuously put something in the way of Miz achieving the WWE Championship. There's no doubt The Miz has never been hotter in his career than he is now, and it's not arguable that "The A-Lister" would likely have a phenomenal run as the top ranking star on SmackDown Live.
However, WWE has since involved Miz in a storyline involving Shane McMahon, and it looks as though there's a good possibility Shane-O-Mac and Miz will be capturing the SmackDown Tag Team Titles in the not-so-distant future. This is clearly all Vince's doing. Even though this whole Shane McMahon/Miz angle may eventually lead to Miz facing Shane at WrestleMania this year, fans were hoping to witness The Miz go one-on-one with his longtime rival Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at 'Mania, possibly with The Miz turning face in the process...
4 We Want: Aleister Black Joins The Main Roster And Goes On A Tear
Recently, Triple H stated in an interview that moving forward in 2019, NXT will no longer simply be a means to an end for up and coming WWE Superstars to gain some experience before joining the main roster, it will now be its own brand with permanent stars on the roster. However, thankfully, the rumors surrounding Black joining the main roster in the near future are almost guaranteed to be true, so fans won't have to worry about him becoming a permanent fixture in NXT.
Without question, Aleister Black is one of Triple H's biggest priorities a the moment, and Hunter is definitely going to try to make Aleister's call up to Raw or SmackDown as seamless as possible. There's no doubt that Aleister Black is primed to make a huge impact upon his main roster debut, and it's certainly not farfetched to imagine Triple H discussing with Vince to instantly insert Black to the top of the card on Raw or SD Live. 2019 will be a great year for Aleister Black and his fans alike, and this is mainly due to Triple H's interest in Aleister.
3 Go Away: Braun Strowman Continuing To Challenge Brock For The Universal Championship
Braun Strowman had all the potential and promise in the world to become WWE's next top monstrous attraction, though unfortunately, terrible booking decisions have hurt Braun's stock in WWE severely - to the point where many fans are uninterested in what Strowman's up to these days. With that said, WWE continues to push Braun Strowman hard in the main event scene over on Monday Night Raw, and fans certainly aren't thrilled to continuously witness Strowman challenging Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship after his failed multiple attempts prior.
Braun's most recent feud with Lesnar has been very underwhelming (and stale) to say the least, and just this past week on Raw, we witnessed arguably Braun's worst promo to date where he ended up forgetting most of his lines. Braun is currently penciled in to face "The Beast Incarnate" for the Universal Title at the Royal Rumble, and like his failed attempts before, there's a good chance Braun will once again lose to Brock. Let's just hope Vince's plans to continue having Braun featured in the Universal Title scene after the Royal Rumble disappear like magic.
2 We Want: Seth Rollins Vs Brock Lesnar At WrestleMania
Thank heavens we have Triple H in a powerful position behind the scenes in WWE, and we can only hope that WWE decide to go the route Hunter has presented for Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania versus Vince's interest in keeping Braun Strowman in the Universal Title picture. According to multiple sources, one name that has been discussed backstage to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at WrestleMania 35 is Seth Rollins, and by all means, this is a much fresher and far more interesting candidate to potentially dethrone Lesnar than Strowman.
Seth Rollins has undoubtedly been on fire lately on Raw, and he truly is one of the only reasons why Raw has been watchable recently. Seth has proved that he's more than deserving of the main event spotlight. Not only would Rollins versus Brock Lesnar be a far superior match from a quality standpoint than Lesnar/Braun, but it would simply be more appealing to most fans, considering it hasn't been overdone.
1 Go Away: Randy Orton Vs Batista Renewed Rivalry
When it was announced not long ago that Triple H had sustained injuries that would keep him on the shelf for a prolonged period of time, fans who were hoping for Dave "The Animal" Bautista to make his anticipated comeback against Hunter were very disappointed. However, despite the fact Batista only had interest in working a quote-unquote retirement angle with Triple H to cap off his career on a high note, Vince McMahon isn't willing to accept the reality that Batista is likely better off not performing at WrestleMania if it isn't involving Dave's longtime rival, Triple H.
Apparently, since Triple H's health is in doubt at this time, Vince has since moved onto potentially having Batista return to feud with Randy Orton instead. Without question, this is certainly not an appealing storyline whatsoever. If Vince was deadset on having Big Dave wrestle at 'Mania, there are far more interesting opponents he could face, such as AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Drew McIntyre, Shinsuke Nakamura, or even Braun Strowman.