10 DUMB WWE Booking Decisions (We Didn't Want To Admit Were GENIUS!)

5. Eric Bischoff Hands Triple H A World Title

WWF Invasion 2001 Steve Austin Paul Heyman Shane Stephanie McMahon Alliance WCW ECW
WWE.com

By 2000, many fans had already decided that Triple H was only at the top of cards because of his ties to the McMahon family. That general consensus would only heighten over the next few years, then heighten again when Trips was literally handed a brand new World Heavyweight Championship without lifting a finger to earn it.

Eric Bischoff giving Hunter the belt on Raw in September 2002 angered the critics. Their cries of nepotism got louder, but WWE didn't care. They knew that'd only put instant heat on Triple H as champion. In promos, he played up to that feedback. OK, so the title reign was largely garbage inside the ring, but it was clever to lean on pre-existing complaints.

Triple H grinned back at the haters.

Fans who already detested the man couldn't wait to see the likes of Rob Van Dam, Shawn Michaels, Scott Steiner, Booker T and Goldberg rip the strap from his grubby mitts. If only Hunter had been half the worker he'd been in 2000. This could've been a sudden title reign for the ages.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.