I have been a lover and avid viewer of the WWE and pro wrestling in general since I was a child in the 80's thanks to a wonderful little invention called Sky television, Australia's first ever pay tv network (for lack of a better word). I grew up with the legends like Hulk Hogan, Macho Man and Andre the Giant and although I kinda of lost track in the mid 1990's thanks to zero television coverage in Australia, once it hit our tv screens again circa 1998 I have not only caught up with but have kept track of all things WWE since. I even attempted my own career which unfortunately was cut short when they found my spine was quite naturally deformed (FREAK) in which I needed spinal surgery and was not up to the rigours of "wrasslin". The irony is I may not have found out about it until I was permanently crippled without the need for a full body physical upon the first introductions of my wrestling persona, but that is another story. I did however complete about 6-8 months of training and actually performed a few times in the centre of the squared circle. And on top of that with the 25 year+ history I have with the McMahon conglomerate I feel I have a rather unique perspective on what goes on in front of and behind the scenes of professional wrestling. So with that in mind I bring to you the first installment of my new series of articles which will highlight not only my opinions of what is wrong with the industry today but the superstars whose stubbornness and egos create easily avoidable problems that affect the business in both the long and short term. I already spoke about Michael Cole in a previous article which you can read here so although he does make the list, I believe I have made my point when it comes the the "Voice" of the WWE. I will begin with quite possibly one of the most controversial Superstars (amongst us fans anyway) of all time.
Triple H: Quite Possibly the Most Overrated Wrestler In History
Good ol' Terror Rysin' has been part of the wrestling elite now for almost 2 decades and has gone on from being the Connecticut Blue Blood and guy who lost to Ultimate Warrior in about a minute to COO of the WWE and 13 time World Champion. He once lead two of what some people call the greatest stables of all time along with the nWo, "D-Generation X" and "Evolution." He has done it all, won it all and now runs the whole shebang with his wife Stephanie and his father in law, Vince McMahon. Now even as the general consensus among the masses is that he is truly an icon in the world of Sports Entertainment, there was one moment recently that actually made some people start to re-evaluate their position on "the Game." An interview with one Hall of Famer and actual icon, Bret Hart.Now although I disagree on his opinions when it comes to one Paul Levesque's wrestling ability (which I will discuss in more detail later), I basically concur with everything Bret Hart has said in this interview. And I haven't agreed with many things when it comes to the Hitman. Hell, I am one of those freaks that believes Vince McMahon was 100% correct when it came to the infamous Montreal Screwjob (if you are heading to a rival company, you drop the title, regardless if it's in your home town. Don't be a douchebag). But he does pose a good question, when has Triple H ever had a great match? Honestly one of the last times I saw the Cerebral Assassin in a truly great match that I can remember was his ladder match with The Rock for the Intercontinental Championship. But that was 15 years ago, give or take. What have you done for me lately Trips?
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I honestly can't stand this guy in both his wrestling and backstage personas. His ego is simply beyond anything I have ever seen outside of a red and yellow reality show. This is a man who has FOUR, count them, FOUR entrances themes he can come out to. There have been truly great and iconic characters within the realm of sports entertainment that have kept their theme song since their inception (Ric Flair anybody) but having just one is not good enough for "the Game." Oh yes, let's not forget he also has multiple descriptions he has imposed on himself to tell us that he is a badass. None of which change the actual fact that he is one of the most overrated and BORING pro wrestlers in the HISTORY of all Sports Entertainment franchises, not just the WWE. And with this article and the seven reasons I present to you today hopefully will not only highlight examples of his obvious flaws that Bret Hart mentioned in the above interview but I will go even as far as to say that my conclusions have all but convinced me that Triple H is essentially what is wrong with professional wrestling today. (Side Note: Although I personally believe the WWE right now is at it's best since 2002 as I have mentioned in another article which you can read here, I have a distinct feeling it has nothing to do with him as much as letting the Superstars do their thing (like they did back in the Attitude Era). You can't have a bad show with Daniel Bryan and CM Punk as the main event. But I hear he is behind the Tag Team resurgence so I will give him that)