Triple H is trying to make his mark as the successor to Vince McMahon by attempting to improve WWE in many ways. Outside projects like NXT, the Performance Center, 205 Live, NXT UK, the Mae Young Classic and quite a few main event roster stars all became important things due to Triple H’s vision. The overall hope is that the talents he signs will become huge stars on Raw or SmackDown. Main roster talents have the opportunity to become international stars and help grow the brand of WWE. Triple H has found success with signings like AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and many others becoming important players for the company thanks to him.
Not everyone has found success as top stars or world champions since coming to Raw or SmackDown. Quite a few Triple H projects have failed to make a mark due to varying reasons. Some wrestlers just can’t thrive on the main roster while others get limited opportunities due to McMahon not believing in them. They are trying to break out, but it remains unlikely they’ll be able to turn it around. Triple H has many other projects in the waiting hoping for their chance on the main roster. We will look at both disappointments and hopes from his side of the company. These are ten Triple H projects that are struggling to work out in WWE along with ten of next moves for WWE.
20 Not Working Out: Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin is one of the biggest disappointments from NXT. The run in NXT led to many believing Corbin could become a main event heel on Raw or SmackDown. Corbin showcased potential as the anti-indie wrestling star compared to others like Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, and Sami Zayn.
The run of Corbin has seen him get a few major storylines like becoming the recent Raw General Manager-Elect and having a 2017 run as Money in the Bank winner. Both runs ended in disappointment as Corbin clearly is not a major star for the company. He may have longevity as a mid-carder, but Triple H’s hope for him to become a main eventer did not work out.
19 Next Move: Undisputed Era
The foursome of the Undisputed Era is arguably the hottest act in NXT right now. Adam Cole leads the faction with Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish all having fun together. They worked together in Ring of Honor before uniting on NXT television as the most beloved group in the brand right now.
Triple H has made Undisputed Era a fixture on the show. It is likely that all four guys will get called up to the main roster together as a group. Raw or SmackDown would benefit immensely from Undisputed Era delivering a fresh act to the main roster. Cole has the best chance at singles success, but Triple H will try to push them as a group.
18 Not Working Out: The IIiconics
It has been a short time, but many fans already forget just how popular The IIiconics were in NXT. The popularity of Peyton Royce and Billie Kay led to huge success in NXT, with many fans wanting Royce to win the NXT Women’s Championship. Their main roster run has seen drastic changes.
Royce and Kay no longer have momentum and fans forget they even are on the SmackDown roster. Both ladies have talent, but there’s been a huge disconnect with the broader audience. There will be a chance of a solution, with the Iiconics hopefully becoming part of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship picture.
17 Next Move: Lacey Evans
Lacey Evans is one of the 2019 call-ups that will have a great chance to thrive in WWE. Triple H has protected Evans in terms of her booking on NXT. Evans has won most of her matches and looks strong in just about every match she appears in. Her promo time has also helped establish her conservative Southern belle character.
This is one instance of a talent being groomed for a call-up and getting it relatively quickly. Evans is expected to get a noteworthy push with a chance for success. Time will tell if her talent can live up to the role, but Evans is one of Triple H’s upcoming moves.
16 Not Working Out: Tye Dillinger
The run of Tye Dillinger in NXT allowed him to get over with the fans there. Fans enjoyed his silly gimmick of the Perfect 10 with chants of "TEN" whenever he would come out. Granted, fans chanting a number is not much of a character, which led to a lack of success when he became part of the main roster on SmackDown.
Dillinger has gotten lost in the shuffle, with the wrestlers already on the main roster having more credibility than him and other call-ups having more momentum than him. An injury to Dillinger has him on the shelf, but it remains difficult to believe he can turn things around.
15 Next Move: Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano is one of the best signings of Triple H when it comes to NXT. The original part-time role led to Gargano becoming a huge part of the NXT brand with great TakeOver matches. Gargano is a guarantee for a great match when Triple H wants a major match on his biggest shows.
The heel turn of Gargano has him entering a new chapter of his career. Gargano is among Triple H’s most interesting prospects that he will want on the main roster sooner than later. No one can predict how Vince McMahon will react to Gargano’s smaller size, but Triple H clearly does believe in him.
14 Not Working Out: Authors of Pain
The Authors of Pain have only been on the main roster for a short time, but they have failed to make an impact in the way Triple H likely expected. NXT would witness the duo of Akam and Rezar dominate with Paul Ellering as their manager. Vince McMahon wanted Ellering removed literally on the night of their Raw debut.
They would win the Raw Tag Team Championship by defeating Seth Rollins in a handicap match. However, the title run featured nothing that helped establish them with Drake Maverick as the new manager. The Authors of Pain lost the tag titles relatively quickly to Bobby Roode and Chad Gable and have a lot of work to do to turn the ship around.
13 Next Move: Ricochet
Ricochet was another major signing by Triple H to add to the NXT brand. The incredible in-ring skills of Ricochet led to him having outstanding matches in promotions like New Japan, Evolve and PWG. Many pundits started referring to Ricochet as the best high-flying wrestler in the world with some going as far to say he’s the best of all-time in that genre.
The NXT run has seen Ricochet accomplish major success as the second-ever NXT North American Champion. Triple H sees something special in Ricochet. There have been some rumors of him getting called up to 205 Live to become the face of that brand. Regardless of where he goes next, Ricochet will be a major plan from Triple H for big things.
12 Not Working Out: Bayley
The incredible NXT run of Bayley made her one of the first major success stories from Triple H in the smaller brand. Bayley connected with the NXT crowd as the ultimate underdog character. The outstanding matches with Sasha Banks, Asuka and others led to a strong following for Bayley.
WWE called her up to the Raw brand and she has struggled to reach the same success. Bayley did have a relatively early Raw Women’s Championship reign that hurt her underdog character. WWE has since struggled to do anything of note with her. Bayley has hopes teaming with Sasha Banks in the upcoming Women’s Tag Team Division, but she’s currently a major disappointment among Triple H’s projects.
11 Next Move: Shayna Baszler
Another woman that Triple H sees huge things in is Shayna Baszler. The former UFC star has found success in wrestling much like her close friend, Ronda Rousey. Baszler has become the top heel in the NXT Women’s Division as the reigning NXT Women’s Championship.
It is unknown what Vince McMahon thinks of the other Four Horsewomen MMA women outside of Rousey, but Triple H wants huge success for them. Baszler is one of the top female prospects from Triple H in general. Expect her on the main roster with a huge storyline, as the rumor mill indicates the Four Horsewomen vs. Four Horsewomen could be in the 2019 plans.
10 Not Working Out: SAnitY (male members)
The SAnitY faction found success under Triple H’s booking in NXT. Eric Young, Killian Dain, Alexander Wolfe, and Nikki Cross made up the stable of outcasts. SAnitY achieved great success with tag title wins before getting called up. Unfortunately, Cross stayed in NXT, with the three men moving up to SmackDown.
The absence of Cross hurt SAnitY as fans viewed her as a major part of the group. Young, Dain, and Wolfe have done nothing of note on SmackDown since getting called up. One feud with The New Day is all they really had before getting removed from television. Sanity is back but it’s unlikely things will change unless Cross joins them again.
9 Next Move: Aleister Black
There have been rumors of Aleister Black coming to the main roster for over a year now. Black has been one of the faces of the NXT brand since joining. Triple H put a lot of creative effort into helping Black becoming a big star with the character elements putting him over the top.
The incredible presentation of Black has made him a major prospect. Black is clearly ready for a call-up and it’s probably going to come shortly after WrestleMania 35. This is one of the biggest call-ups for Triple H since Kevin Owens and Finn Balor. Black will have a great chance to find success on Raw or SmackDown.
8 Not Working Out: Apollo Crews
Apollo Crews was a major signing of Triple H when he left the independent circuit to join NXT. Crews' talent, strength, and athleticism earned him a push right away. Crews didn’t even have too many storylines as he was always being groomed for a call-up to the main roster quickly.
The call-up of Crews came too early before he could develop a character or develop a connection with the crowd. Crews struggled to find momentum on the main roster and became a secondary player within a few months. He’s still trying to break out today a tough battle to hit the potential Triple H sees in him.
7 Next Move: Matt Riddle
The signing of Matt Riddle is one of the biggest 2018 moves to come from Triple H. WWE was keeping tabs on Riddle since he left UFC to start his independent wrestling career. Riddle became the face of WWE’s partner company Evolve and started to develop a reputation as one of the top wrestlers in the world.
NXT has Riddle right now, but he is not expected to spend too much time there. Riddle is clearly a prospect Triple H and others will want on the main roster. The UFC background of Riddle adds another element of star power Triple H will want to showcase on the big stage.
6 Not Working Out: Nia Jax
Nia Jax is one of the signings Triple H made with the goal of fast-tracking her to the main roster. The relation to The Rock earned her a great spot. Triple H booked Jax strong on NXT television with impressive matches against Asuka and Bayley. Jax would get called up with the brand split as part of the Raw roster.
WWE continues to push Jax because they love her, but the fans have no interest in her work. Between the unfortunate fact that injuries occur too commonly in her matches and her lack of improvement, Jax has been a huge flop. Triple H likely regrets calling Nia up too early.
5 Next Move: Nikki Cross
The impressive work of Nikki Cross has her as one of the top prospects for the Women’s Division. WWE announced at the end of 2018 that Cross will be called up officially in 2019. Cross has a test of sorts when getting a singles match with Becky Lynch on SmackDown. She looked great against The Man but went back down to NXT, given that was a cameo due to SmackDown being in the U.K. at that time.
The future of Cross is bright with a great chance to thrive. Triple H wanted Cross to stay back in NXT when the rest of SAnitY because he wanted to have her keep bolstering NXT's Women’s Division. The time for her main roster run is now and we’ll see if she can run with the ball.
4 Not Working Out: The Revival
The Revival were considered a huge success in NXT as arguably the best tag team to perform there. Fans loved watching the matches of Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder as a throwback duo. They had incredible matches against American Alpha, #DIY, and other relevant teams during their time as NXT Tag Team Champions.
The main roster run of The Revival has been a disappointment. Fans view them among the most underrated acts on Raw as WWE chooses to do nothing with him. Vince McMahon reportedly doesn’t believe in them as a drawing team. Triple H is hoping to see The Revival turn things around before it’s too late.
3 Next Move: Lars Sullivan
The size and look of Lars Sullivan made him a valuable prospect in WWE from the day he was signed. Sullivan clearly has the presentation that Vince McMahon loves in his talent. Triple H started grooming him early to find relevance in NXT working against top workers.
Sullivan is debuting for WWE on Raw or SmackDown in early 2019 with reports of a huge push. This will be Triple H’s next major prospect that McMahon will be more inclined to push. Sullivan will have all the opportunities in the world needed to become a player on the main roster. Triple H booked Lars wisely to get him credibility before the call-up.
2 Not Working Out: Bobby Roode
Many fans may have already forgotten that Bobby Roode was a former NXT Champion. Roode's success in NXT started right away with fans enjoying his theme music. Roode’s veteran presence also helped him rise to the top of the promotion as NXT Champion within a couple of months.
WWE called up Roode, thanks to Triple H presenting him as a star. Roode, however, would play a face rather than his NXT heel character. It has led to a huge disappointment. Roode failed to make an impact and has been treading water. The current run as Raw Tag Team Champions with Chad Gable could be considered a success, but the hopes from Triple H were higher due to his singles NXT success.
1 Next Move: Mustafa Ali
205 Live would see positive changes at the start of 2018 when Triple H replaced Vince McMahon as the man running the show for the Cruiserweights. Mustafa Ali was arguably the most important person on 205 Live to help add momentum and positive reputation to a show that was close to total failure.
Ali's incredible year ended with a call-up to the SmackDown roster and a pin-fall victory over WWE Champion The New Daniel Bryan. There are huge plans for Ali to become one of the top faces on the SmackDown brand, and his win over Andrade Almas on the Christmas Day SmackDown Live is a sign of that. Triple H is one of his biggest supporters after the 205 Live booking made him a big enough star to reach such a level.