Who’s the bigger star - Triple H or Bret Hart?

[psychokiller]

Here’s another one I wanted to do. Who would you say is the bigger overall star between The Game & The Excellence of Execution? Who drew more, who will be remembered more as being better overall?

[Mid-Carder]

Bret. There won't be the same warmth for HHH from fans 20 years after his career ends.

[Ben Wyatt]

Trips because he was a major player during the last real hot period in wrestling. The combo of Bret's WCW run and the unfortunate injury that ended his career hurts him, fair or not.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

HHH probably is the bigger star, but Bret Hart was on The Simpsons. Maybe higher peak for Hart, but lower for a longer duration for HHH?

I don't know the numbers, but HHH was around while things were hotter. I imagine it is hard to quantify precisely.

Bret will probably have the better legacy.

[The Unconquered Sun]

Bret, he's actually every bit as good as HHH thinks he is.

[mrbananagrabber]

Has HHH ever called Mr Burns a pitiful, pencil necked geek? Didn’t think so.

[Deleted]

It's Hunter and it's not even close. And I like Bret much more.

HHH was a name during the to boom of the attitude era, has been a consistent main event for the last 18 years, has had more big matches and more crowds drawn with him on top.

By any possible metric HHH is a bigger draw than Bret, who had a longer push as number 1 babyface, but during a time business was not the same it is now.

I love Bret, but this is an argument that doesn't work.

Now if you said Austin vs HHH I'd say Austin. By longevity HHH probably beats Austin, but Austin's peak was so transformative you have to say Austin. Bret does not have that.

[Deleted]

Triple H, unless we’re talking about in Canada.

If you were to list the top 20 drawing matches featuring either Triple H or Bret Hart I doubt Bret would have any in the top 10. Even his most famous matches didn’t do big business. Triple H drew huge with DX, vs. Rock, vs. Austin, vs. Angle, vs. Batista and the 2006 DX reunion among other stuff. Hell, the biggest drawing Royal Rumble of all time was built around him (yes, 2002 RR got more buys than the attitude Rumbles).

I’m surprised this is even so close.

[rnrk supports BLM]

Even though Hunter's never had a peak as the top headliner carrying the promotion the way Bret did, I'd still give it to HHH for sheer longevity by this point; he's been a regular presence in WWE treated like a major star for the entire 21st century to date, he's main evented more Wrestlemanias than anyone but Hogan, and he was a fairly major player during the last boom period.

[ISO Mid Thigh Pull]

Does Triple H really need a hug this week or something?

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Bret actually was the guy for a time, Trips never.

Cornette described Triple H the best, that he's not the main eventer, he's the guy that makes the main eventer look good. That he was never as mainstream over as Rock or Austin, that he was never respected by his peers like Foley or Taker.

At best Trips was the fifth wheel during the attitude era, and he main evented at the start of the down period.

[Hit Girl]

Bret.

[2coldMack is even more baffled]

Are we at a point where these are irritating mods yet? Because this format is getting tiresome.

[psychokiller]

Nov 17, 2017 15:28:34 GMT -5 rnrk supports BLM said:

Even though Hunter's never had a peak as the top headliner carrying the promotion the way Bret did, I'd still give it to HHH for sheer longevity by this point; he's been a regular presence in WWE treated like a major star for the entire 21st century to date, he's main evented more Wrestlemanias than anyone but Hogan, and he was a fairly major player during the last boom period.

Triple H shouldn’t have main evented Mania all those years. He shouldn’t have main evented at Mania 18 where it should have been Hogan vs Rock. Mania 25 should have been Taker vs HBK. And he had no business main eventing Mania at 46 years old. His really only great year was in 2000. After his quad injury in 2001 he was never the same in the ring as he was from 97-2000. Most of his matches in 2002 & 2003 especially were very hard to watch.

[Deleted]

Nov 17, 2017 15:34:03 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

Bret actually was the guy for a time, Trips never.

Cornette described Triple H the best, that he's not the main eventer, he's the guy that makes the main eventer look good. That he was never as mainstream over as Rock or Austin, that he was never respected by his peers like Foley or Taker.

At best Trips was the fifth wheel during the attitude era, and he main evented at the start of the down period.

By that metric Randy Savage/Ultimate Warrior/Roddy Piper/Andre the Giant weren't as big as Shawn Michaels/Bret Hart/Diesel/Roman Reigns because they were never really the face of the company. Being a huge number 2/3/4 star is bigger than being a mediocre number 1.

[rnrk supports BLM]

Nov 17, 2017 15:37:22 GMT -5 psychokiller said:

Triple H shouldn’t have main evented Mania all those years.

I agree. Wholeheartedly, 100%. But he still main evented them, and an entire generation of wrestling fans grew up watching a product where Triple H was presented as a huge, iconic star. Justified or not, I think the impact of that will endure and keep Hunter in wrestling fans' minds longer than Bret's run at the top.

[PsychoGoatee]

Triple H I think is more famous, and was involved prominently when WWE was bigger than it was when Bret was on top. So I voted Triple H. That said, my favorite wrestlers are often much lower on the star scale anyway.

[Deleted]

HHH, but I'll still take Bret over him anyday.

[nisidhe]

Bret. Without question. Bret was the Face of WWE during the early and mid-90s; even right up until the Screwjob he was The Man. Triple H was always the also-ran or the obstacle for The Man. He was in the mix, but never really stood alone atop the heap. Bret was far more organically over than all the company's machinations could do for Triple H, or even for Shawn Michaels.

[psychokiller]

Nov 17, 2017 15:51:09 GMT -5 rnrk supports BLM said:

Nov 17, 2017 15:37:22 GMT -5 psychokiller said:

Triple H shouldn’t have main evented Mania all those years.

I agree. Wholeheartedly, 100%. But he still main evented them, and an entire generation of wrestling fans grew up watching a product where Triple H was presented as a huge, iconic star. Justified or not, I think the impact of that will endure and keep Hunter in wrestling fans' minds longer than Bret's run at the top.

But that was basically just all backstage politics for why he was at the top for so long. Realistically there were plenty of other guys more talented & drew more than him that should have main evented Mania a few more times than they did. I think it’s crazy that Triple H main evented more Manias than even Cena. And Cena was the top company guy & draw for literally an entire decade. Triple H was good but the way he was booked is on a much higher level than his actual skill & drawing power. He should have held the title maybe 5 times total. And main evented Mania 3 or 4 times at most. Mania 16, 20 & 21 are the ones I’m perfectly fine with him main eventing. Mania 22 I’m mixed on.