10 Wrestling Feuds Where The Bad Guy Won

Lots of Triple H, but it's not ALL about 'The Game'...

Stephanie McMahon Triple H
WWE

Triple H's 2003 feud with Booker T will always be the standard bearer for this particular subject. It's to pro wrestling's detriment that it was forgiven and forgotten so quickly by the company even if fans refused to let the story die.

You remember it, or if you don't, here it is again before a WWE Network documentary presents it as the angle that turned the entire company around for good - Triple H and Ric Flair made remarks that absolutely could and should be construed as racist towards World Heavyweight Championship Number One Contender Booker T,

Trapped within the confines of a period where he beat absolutely everybody, this just felt like one more vanity victory for a man that once had a credible claim to being "That Damn Good" before his insecurity overwhelmed the memories of the time. He didn't get away with murder, but he accused Kane of doing just that. He gave backstage b*llockings about not being able to get over, then ensured that any efforts made to get Rob Van Dam, Bubba Dudley, The Hurricane and others there were undone as soon as they faced him.

Hunter's rationale was something to do waiting to build the guy to take his place, but he didn't half f*cking wait around before finally elevating Batista in 2005. In an effort not to make this list all about those turgid years, let's start with something nearing the end of his run, rather than the flabby middle...

10. Triple H Vs. Sting

Stephanie McMahon Triple H
WWE.com

Incredible gamesmanship from the man himself here, with a cerebral assassination on par with any of the bodies he took out during his most competitive period.

Over the course of one storyline and match, Triple H managed to abandon months of plot that clearly positioned him as the heel in need of a battering, reframing the war as a last battle of Atlanta (not that one) between WWE and WCW and even managed to go over despite an expressed interest from one-shot-deal Sting to actually do more with the company later that year. In doing so, he commanded 18:36 of the show (not including extended entrances and exits) before returning later for a mammoth angle with The Rock and Ronda Rousey.

How did this even come to be? When Sting tried to stop Triple H's evil Authority group from terrorising WWE of course - a story entirely divorced from the match despite it actually marrying up with 'The Icon's history as a vigilante. He should have learned lessons from the Starrcade '97 omnishambles and stayed in the rafters...

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, 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