10 Biggest Triple H Guys In WWE History
For every "Paul Heyman Guy," there's a "Triple H Guy" as well.
A "Paul Heyman Guy" is described as someone who Paul Heyman has taken under his wing and played a significant factor in their rise to super stardom. Needless to say, pretty much everyone wants to be one. Who wouldn't to be associated with one of the greatest minds in the wrestling business?
However, the reason the term "Paul Heyman Guy" has reached the heights that it has is because of its exposure on WWE programming; hence, you won't hear the phrase "I'm a Triple H Guy" on TV, although many wrestlers consider themselves to be one. Whether it was him signing someone to a contract or simply him believing in their abilities, there have been a number of names over the years whose careers were heavily influenced by The Game.
Triple H will go down as one of the greatest stars in the history of this industry. In addition to having an incredible vision for what this business could and should be, he also knows a star when he sees one. He's helped orchestrate the legacies of several former World Champions, whether it's been as an active competitor or as a corporate head, though not everyone he's invested in has flourished.
Note: this list does not include wrestlers Triple H was "buddy-buddy" with before gaining power in WWE e.g Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels, Sean Waltman and other members of "The Kliq." Rather, it only accounts for those whom he saw potential in and considered his "pet projects."
10. Curtis Axel
During his stint on the second season of NXT, Joe Hennig (then known as Michael McGillicutty) showed shades of greatness, coming oh so close to winning the entire competition before coming second place to Kaval. He spent some time in The New Nexus for the better part of 2011, but aside from a forgettable reign as WWE Tag Team champion, he was mostly marginalized on the main roster.
After parting ways with the black-and-yellow faction, he spent the next few years in wrestling purgatory a.k.a. WWE Superstars on Thursday nights. He was on the brink of being released with no hope of ever getting his rightful due when he was suddenly repackaged as Curtis Axel and introduced as the newest "Paul Heyman Guy" on the May 20, 2013 edition of Raw.
While he was paired with the founder of ECW on WWE TV, it was actually Triple H who saw him for the talent he truly was. Axel helping The Rock train for his matches whenever he returned to the ring certainly worked in his favor, but had it not been for Triple H playing a part in the revival of his career, who knows where he would have ended up?
In fact, Axel was Triple H's first opponent on Raw in nearly three years and HHH went so far as to put him over (albeit by forfeit).