10 Wrestlers Who Piggybacked Their Way To Success
1. Triple H
Triple H made piggybacking an art form.
The Hunter Hearst Helmsley character didn't get over because the audience was only ever told that this snooty blue blood was superior; he never showed it. He never performed as a ring general because he wasn't a ring general. Clearly competent but also a bit dull in 1996 and 1997, Trips better grasped the intricacies of getting over backstage by returning the favour of being carried by Shawn Michaels by carrying his bags.
With perfect timing, Triple H became the best wrestler on the planet in the year 2000; his herculean, selfless bumping actually made his grunting, pissed off heat spots more coherent, more convincing, and that's the shame: Triple H was at his best at his most secure, and as people began to laugh at his Slick Ric impersonation, his doubled-down performances dropped significantly. He rediscovered form either side of the 2010s, when situated in epic programmes boosted by the gravitas of his legacy, but only nabbed the bulletproof spots because he knew exactly who to shag, in all honesty.
Triple H didn't just befriend Shawn or marry Steph; he piggybacked off the Independent scene to turn face among the hardcore fanbase ahead of his eventual succession. He did it perfectly, too, to be clear.
Those with long memories of Trips at his most punishingly dull and damaging can take solace, at least, at his apparent frustration. He thought he'd played the Game, but now cuts a Gob Bluthian figure backstage, ruminating over his mistake as he rides a Segway to console his scarred NXT castaways.