10 Secrets Behind WWE's Stunning Current Success

8. Triple H's 2022 Takeover

Triple H
WWE

It's ironic that the first year since 2014 not to have an event subtitled "TakeOver" was the year the show's architect Triple H got the keys to the entire WWE castle, and it cannot be understated how effective he was at utilising the faith many had in those old classics when he took the reins of WWE's main roster.

Vince McMahon resigned in disgrace strictly due to the PR nightmare caused by investigations into accusations of sexual and financial misconduct. It was later reported that he felt he'd acted on "bad advice" in the first place, and that appeared completely true when he stormed back in to the Stamford offices in January 2023. If he actually felt any feelings of shame or remorse whatsoever, he'd have gone years earlier after yet another abysmal edition of Raw or SmackDown.

WWE was making money in spite of itself for years. CM Punk's "millionaire who should be a billionaire" deal was no less true, but money had flooded into television like never before and the consonants just needed updating 'The Game' was given perhaps the lowest bar in entertainment history to tiptoe over, and when he managed it with ease the change was so striking that it effectively gave him a free pass to get his house in order for the rest of the year. By December, patience was wearing thin for much - if not all, and more on that later - of what he likes to book, but he knew what was around the corner and how much revived interest would come with that too.

The Road To WrestleMania was here...

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett