10 Times Triple H Was RIDICULOUSLY Selfish At WWE WrestleMania

7. A Sting In The Tail

Triple H wrestlemania
WWE.com

Fast-forward to 2015, and WWE had finally persuaded Sting to sign on the dotted line. It was an acquisition decades in the making; Sting was always reluctant to head north. The reasons varied as the years dragged on. He felt a sense of loyalty to TNA. His morals were incompatible with the rampant product. He fretted over the manner in which WWE would protect - or rather fail to protect - his character.

The initial angle promised much, in that the Stinger promised to vanquish once and for all the Authority faction he had targeted. This premise was retconned; the crux of their issue soon (d)evolved into yet another tedious Monday Night Wars retread, made emphatic at 'Mania in a nostalgic, shortcut-laden smoke and mirrors novelty attraction that nonetheless was still the longest match on the entire card. This, combined with Trips' most hysterical 'Mania entrance ever, combined with a Rock confrontation that has not led anywhere to this day, saw Trips eat up a full quarter of 'Mania's epic runtime. Triple H is a master. He can't lose every 'Mania match, else risk undermining his gatekeeper role. Sting entered 'Mania as an Icon, and left as a makeweight. His appearing on WWE TV was framed as the real victory - for Sting.

He had finally made it.

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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!