10 WWE Wrestlers Who Hated Triple H

Professional wrestling seems like a particularly easy industry for grudges to develop in. This is a world based around pretending to fight, after all, and all it takes is one particularly snug shot to land for a lifetime of hatred to grow. Throw in the toxic world of backstage politics and you've got a simmering pot of sadness for all involved.

Triple H is better than most at the whole 'grudge' thing. That comes with the territory somewhat, him being Vince McMahon's son-in-law and heir, and while Hunter has managed to soften many issues as time goes by, some anger just doesn't scrub, no matter how hard you try.

The wrestling world is full of people who scoff at the mere mention of Hunter Hearst Helmsley, men and women still recovering from a (usually) political battering at the hands of The Game, the Cerebral Assassin, the man who romanced his way into the ultimate position of power in an industry that has an unhealthy obsession with the stuff. Triple H has used his lofty seat to hold many people down over the years, and those many people aren't about to forget.

We all have our reasons for hate. Much of the rancour listed here has understandable roots, from career sabotage to professional jealousy. 'He hates me because I stopped him putting sh*t in Mark Henry's sandwich' might just be the best reason for anything ever, however.

Justin Roberts always comes across as a stand-up guy. His book (Best Seat in the House) is one of the best wrestling books in recent memory, a warts-and-all dive into the murky waters of WWE backstage bullying and behaviour. It isn't the easiest of reads but it might just be one of the most important.

In the book, Roberts wasn't exactly glowing when it came to the perception of Triple H. Hunter's willingness to play favourites was central to it all, more accurately his willingness to keep things from getting over in favour of his personal faves getting more exposure. It isn't anything fans didn't do when running a promotion on EWR, but it does count for a little more in real-life.

As per his book:

"Hunter started squashing stuff that really started getting over. If you notice, it's all about the future, and the future is NXT. But focusing on the future shouldn't mean ignoring the present. Zack Ryder got over huge to the point to the point where the crowd was cheering for him at Madison Square Garden while The Rock was standing in the ring. Dolph Ziggler got over. Primo and Epico are fantastic wrestlers, but they get lost in the shuffle. There is a glass ceiling, and anybody they don't want to get over is squashed despite the fans strongly getting behind them."

Roberts also had issues with Hunter's running of live events, but it is difficult to imagine just how chaotic those things are.

While JR's (no, not that JR) comments might sound like the standard for recently-released WWE talent, the tone and balance of the book suggests there is more weight to the AEW ring announcer's words than most.