10 Architects Behind WWE's Demise

3. Triple H

Stephanie McMahon
WWE.com

Triple H wasn't entirely to blame for WWE's post-Attitude Era woes, but he didn't half do f*ck all to arrest the slide.

You've never heard a single promo use so many words to make the same point. He segued from the same point to the next with one million "You sees" after he'd already prised your eyes open, which is ironic, since those who bothered to stick around watched in a numbed trance, hypnotised into FOMO by the legacy of the company's initials. His spiels were repetitive drones devoid of personality, wit, fire or menace. Smug and tedious for 20 minutes, a Triple H promo was a filibuster designed to obscure that had nothing memorable nor interesting to say.

You've never heard a single promo use so many words to make the same point. He segued from the same point to the next with one million "You sees" after he'd already prised your eyes open, which is ironic, since those who bothered to stick around watched in a numbed trance, hypnotised into FOMO by the legacy of the company's initials. His spiels were repetitive drones devoid of personality, wit, fire or menace. Smug and tedious for 20 minutes, a Triple H promo was a filibuster designed to obscure that had nothing memorable nor interesting to say.

Recall anything he said in 2003 that wasn't racial abuse directed towards Booker T. You can't. WWE was so dull and static with Trips as the tippy-top guy. His damaging, boring self-penned storylines were fused with a return to the pace of the WWWF in-ring. This period of WWE was literally unwatchable for many, with metrics data bearing that out.

Most everybody knows somebody who stopped watching WWE, and that person stopped watching because of Triple H: the anti-draw-uh.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!