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A WWE without Vince McMahon. Most people would not have thought that they would see the day, but for the first time in almost four decades, Vince is not the man leading the creative direction of the biggest wrestling company on the planet, having decided to retire at the age of 77.

Triple H has been placed as the new Head of Creative of WWE and that news has been met with a lot of excitement from a large section of the fan base.

A Triple H-led NXT had earned a lot of critical acclaim and praise in recent years, and many fans will be hoping that now, the product on Raw and SmackDown will undergo some changes as well. But while changes are definitely needed, they should be brought about very slowly.

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WWE Have An Established Fan Base Who Might Not Like Too Many Changes

WWE has been the industry leader in professional wrestling for decades. As a result, they have a number of fans who have been watching the product, and Vince's version of sports entertainment, for a long, long time.

While many of the hardcore fans might not like the WWE product, one cannot argue with its success. Their viewership is multiple times bigger than their closest competitors, AEW, both in the United States and worldwide. So, something definitely is working, and it is able to connect with a worldwide audience.

Steve Austin and Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 38

A number of these fans have only ever known WWE as their source of professional wrestling, and as a result, if too many sudden changes are made to that product, they might not like it and decide to quit watching.

While the aim of any company has to be growing bigger, at the same time they must also make sure that they hold onto the loyal fan base that they already have in place.

Triple H's Vision Of NXT Failed To Create Any Real Stars For The Main Roster

NXT, especially in the mid to late 2010s, was arguably the best professional wrestling product on the planet. They had some tremendous talents on their roster and were consistently having critically acclaimed matches. It was truly a special show.

At the same time though, the whole purpose of NXT was to develop and create stars for the main roster. In that respect, it has to be considered as a failure.

Except for the initial batch of stars, most of whom had already been in FCW, NXT failed to produce any real main event players to the main roster. The likes of Keith Lee, Karrion Kross, Aleister Black and Andrade, who were heavily pushed on NXT, failed on the main roster. On the other hand, people like Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano did not even make it there.

The likes of Lee, Cole, Black and Andrade have ended up in AEW, but they have not set the wrestling world on fire either. So, while we know that Triple H is capable of producing a good wrestling show, the jury is still out when it comes to his ability to recognize and create stars.

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The Black And Gold NXT Did Run Out Of Steam

While fans of the Black and Gold era of NXT remember it fondly, what is often forgotten is the fact that it did run out of steam by the end of its glory days.

While the wrestling was still great, there was no excitement surrounding it. The Takeovers did not feel as special anymore and some stars had more than overstayed their welcome on the brand. One of the biggest appeals of NXT had been how fresh the product felt.

At the same time though, it was also a product of its time. With no real alternative to WWE in the mid 2010s, the hardcore wrestling fans gravitated towards their developmental brand. With the inception of AEW though, it ended up losing a large portion of its audience and subsequently, the 'Wednesday Night Wars'.

AEW Has Shown That 'Professional Wrestling' Has A Ceiling

One of the key reasons why the appointment of Triple H as the Head of Creative is being celebrated is because fans expect the WWE product to move away from its 'sports entertainment' elements and embrace 'professional wrestling'.

If we have learned anything from AEW though, it is that a 'professional wrestling'-based product has a ceiling. Tony Khan's company has been a huge hit when it comes to the hardcore fans, but they have not been able to grow their viewership, despite adding mainstream stars like CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Jeff Hardy, and a few others.

Maybe a product completely targeted towards the hardcore fan does not appeal to a casual viewer. So, while there are multiple areas where Triple H can improve the current product, he also has to make sure that he does not move too far away from Vince's vision of WWE, which has been a proven success over four decades and turned the company into a global juggernaut.