15 Biggest False Narratives In Wrestling History

14. The Two Man Power Trip Was Great

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WWE.com

Nostalgia is the most powerful force, and its power intensifies as the years drag by and the world becomes a more awful, irreparable place. 

The Two Man Power Trip of Steve Austin and Triple H is often held aloft as one of pro wrestling’s biggest missed opportunities; if only Triple H didn’t tear his quad, 2001 might have been saved…

How true is this? 

This is a subjective opinion more than a demonstrably false narrative, yes, but compare the PPV buy amounts between WrestleMania X-Seven and Backlash 2001. The former (headlined by The Rock Vs. Steve Austin) drew 1,040,000; the latter (headlined by the Two Man Power Trip Vs. the Undertaker and Kane) drew a pathetic, terrifying 375,000. This is the steepest drop-off in the history of WWE on pay-per-view. 

The legacy of the Two Man Power Trip is artificially elevated by the incredible match, against Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho, in which Triple H suffered said injury.

Otherwise, it was a punishing heavy heat bore of a storyline that wasted - to nothing short of a business-killing extent - the appeal of the Stone Cold Steve Austin character. 

WWE is often appraised by its own fans on its commercial success. On that basis, the Two Man Power Trip was almost objectively a disaster.

Contributor
Contributor

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!