Triple H the wrestler, or Triple H the booker?

[ragecutter]

Years from now, when all dust has settled, what do you think Triple H will be most remembered for? What is his greatest contribution to wrestling history? When was his best years as a wrestler? Also, what has been his best year as a booker?

[Fake Jesus]

Triple H was the #2 main villain during wrestling's co-greatest period of mainstream popularity. Obviously being a booker is more important and notable, but at halfway to sixty with a bad heart and - unlike Vince - apparently actually liking his children, I don't think it's Out There to say his period as head booker might be shorter than people generally expect. I'd be surprised if he was still doing it at on the road to 70

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

The booker because most of his time on top (2002-2011) is not remembered fondly or even pushed by WWE as a great period historically.

[Jindrak Mark]

More casual fans as a wrestler. Fans like us posting on message boards as an executive/booker/guy who started NXT.

Best year as a wrestler: 2000. It might be one of the best single years a wrestler has ever had with multiple classic matches, feuds and moments.

Best year as a booker: 2023. I saw something that they had like 20 shows in 2022 that drew over 10,000 fans then this year it's up to like 50. His first full year booking the main roster and it's the most successful year for the company in probably 20 years. He's set a high bar for 2024.

[Soultastic]

I'll always remember him as the guy so insecure that he stopped the hottest angle he's ever been in just because he didn't want Kurt Angle to look better than him.

Also as the guy who thought Swerve was the least important part of Hit Row.

[Zombie Mod]

as of now? in ring wise he was in the top 100 for his era (if not top 50) even with his family connections, as a booker he's had a lot of success despite his sex pest father in law interfering in his booking decisions (either moving people to the main roster and giving them nothing to work with or flat out releasing them from their contract randomly.) there is still plenty of time for either HHH to be potentially the best/worst booker of the 21st century.

[Jindrak Mark]

Dec 31, 2023 15:48:27 GMT -5 Soultastic said:

Also as the guy who thought Swerve was the least important part of Hit Row.

That was Vince on the main roster who thought Top Dolla should be the solo guy and Swerve/Adonis as the tag-team. In HHH-booked NXT Swerve was the clear leader/star of the group.

[Stu]

The Reign of Terror happened 20 years ago. If I'm doing my math correctly, it encompasses roughly seven percent of his WWF/WWE career to date. It's easy to say it in hindsight, but it's funny how a much-maligned period will comprise only a small fraction of his time in the company.

But getting back to the original question. If we're trying to establish Triple H's legacy, I think it'll essentially be along the lines of being a guy who busted his ass for a business he loved, alienated people along the way but was ultimately it's savior.

[Fade]

All of it. HHH’s story is insane. If you believe what Sunny said, he’s known it since day 1. The wrestler wasn’t the best, but not everyone’s suppose to be “The Guy”. HHH played his role soundly. His real life was Shakespearean in terms of the trials and tribulations. This was mirrored as he transitioned into his backstage role.

The company is unimaginable right now if he were to not exist. So all of it, in its totality, is crazy, crazy good.

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

Fans always remember wrestlers first. Even guys synonymous with wrestler/booker like Dusty, Kevin Sullivan and Old Anderson are always thought of as wrestlers first.

[tirtefaa]

The Booker

For all the things I can say about him as a wrestler, he would find ways to somehow make it difficult for me to genuinely say I was a fan of his.

And I am a fan of the wrestler Triple H.

But starting with his return from his first quad injury, there seemed to be this change in terms of how how the man wanted the fans to see him. No longer was he a supporting player, he was one of the main pillars in the history of the company.

It's common for a character to self aggrandize about how great they are, but it was different when it came to Triple H, and the belief that he was indeed that good. When Bischoff came in, he said that if he could have convinced Triple H to be in WCW, then he would have won the Monday Night Wars. Like, I know you can make the argument that this was all in context to being a heel, but then JR on commentary seemingly agreed with it for some reason.

When they talk about the Attitude Era, they treat Triple H's role close in proximity (or sometimes equal) to what Austin and Rock were doing. Living through the MNW, I can tell you that absolutely no one was talking about Triple H, and even when he got his eventually big push in 1999 and 2000, he was probably the 7th most over guy after Austin, Rock, Foley, Jericho, Undertaker and in most cases Kane.

This isn't to say he wasn't good, because he was. But unlike any other wrestler, I always believed that Triple H believed his own hype. The insecurity just drips off him all the time. When he botched a line on Punk, you could see in his eyes he knew his line was stupid...but that didn't prevent him from repeating the line 2 weeks later with all the conviction in the world, to drive home the point that the line was never ever ever a botch.

Then cutting a promo about how he could have a match better than half the roster. Only WWE would go out of their way to bury their own talent, as if they didn't do that the week prior by having everyone walk out.

Again, I like the guy...I actually defend most of the Reign of Terror, but no one loves Triple H more than himself. And given his own connection to the company, that's not a good look as an active talent.

As a booker though? Without his ego in the spotlight, he is willing to do just about anything for his talent and has a knack for having an eye and being able to develop talent. I think he has plenty more to prove in time as well.

[HIM]

Overall it's gotta be his booker/businessman side of things. Him and NXT, what he's done on the main roster, he's changed the company in ways that eclipse his onscreen legacy. No question.

[BorneAgain]

What's funny is that HHH is a very solid booker and a very solid wrestler.

It's just when he tried to book himself as a wrestler that the real trouble started. For a man who in many ways wanted to be the next Flair, he was often the next Dusty in regard to unsubtle self interest booking wise.

[TWERKIN' MAGGLE]

Triple H the Pastry Chef.

[Cyno]

I was a massive Triple H fan during the Attitude Era so I'll always think of him as the wrestler first.

[Deleted]

I liked Triple H pre quad injury. Thought he was among the best wrestler at the time period. Afterwards? Not so much, he lost something that he never recovered. Could be the extra weight of injuries, I dunno.

Booker H is a delight. Surprised how he healed most of his reputation over the last 10 years.

I take Triple H as the booker.

[Perd]

It’s nice that he’s killing it as a booker and not killing the momentum of a Booker.

[mcstoklasa]

He had a brilliant in ring career marred by one or two (or ten) matches he shouldn't have won.

But as booker he doesn't have to worry about his own ego getting in the way as he's not wrestling anymore. And he's doing great so far.

[Bo Rida]

Hmm. The creator of nxt and the effect that had on everything.

He's a good manager type that allows others to shine, especially when he puts ego aside and lets others run things.

However I'm not much of a fan of his booking long-term. Too much dragged out heel dominance and weird favourites.

So of the choices wrestler, even if there was too much dragged out heel dominance.

[Doo Doo Dickhead]

I'll take his 2000 run over anything he's done as a booker, but I'm probably still just nostalgic for that period in WWE.