8 Wrestlers Triple H Can’t Get Over In WWE
These WWE Raw and SmackDown acts are a perpetual struggle under Triple H's watch.
"It's a new era" has become one of the biggest memes in wrestling, but it's easy to forget that the Paul Levesque era of WWE is still in its infancy - he hasn't even been in the job 5 years. Over those first few years under his guidance, there have been many ups and downs (both in a business sense and creatively), but some wrestlers are still struggling to find a connection with fans despite WWE's change in leadership.
Certain talent have either lost their momentum or continued to remain anonymous in the eyes of the audience across the men's and women's singles divisions, as well as in the tag-team world. Some of this has been down to their own performances, but (in other cases) storytelling and lack of opportunity have let them down in a big way.
Whatever the reason, these superstars have found themselves in creative hell. Every week represents a new chance to reconnect with WWE's enormous global fanbase, and all it takes is a little change in fortune or presentation to alter the course of their careers. Nevertheless, these are the most notable wrestlers that Triple H's newest "new era" still can't get over with fans.
Let the frustration begin.
8. Austin Theory
If you’re an avid reader of what's said about talent behind the scenes (and that’s most of us), then you'll know that Austin Theory is a performer who has consistently had the backing of some of the most powerful men in pro wrestling. There were constant signs that Vince McMahon believed in Theory’s talent. The merits of being rated by the maniacal billionaire in his later years can be questioned, but Paul Heyman is a far more reliable gauge of talent, and he has also gone on record to wax lyrical about Theory’s talent and skillset.
Paul has even compared him to Shawn Michaels!
Theory has certainly had ample opportunity to convince people of his worth. He's won Money In The Bank, faced John Cena at WrestleMania and held the United States Title for 333 days across 2 reigns. Currently, Austin's enjoying his second run with the WWE tag belts, so the company is continuing to buy into Theory in a big, big way; and yet, audiences refuse to invest in him whatsoever.
In the past 6 months, Theory has been given a new haircut and look, a big production-heavy new entrance, been put on the same pedestal as Bron Breakker in The Vision, and had Heyman as an onscreen mentor/mouthpiece. Still, Theory inspires ambivalence and doomscrolling when he hits our screens.
He’s still only 28, but opportunities are surely going to evaporate if this continues for much longer. It's hard to imagine him being attractive to AEW, so it's an interesting period for AT.