The above quote was one shared by an ex-WWE writer that allegedly came from a particularly perturbed Triple H during his lengthy stint atop Monday Night Raw. The fragility from perhaps the most stable man in the organisation speaks to the insecurity that plagued every phase in his career, but for the third consecutive year the answer was a resounding "No".
Though not unpredictable, the result was nonetheless absorbing to unpack. WrestleMania 22 represented the biggest anti-Cena protest after months of simmering disdain towards his act, but WWE persevered with the push as they would countless times in a stubbornly successful effort to establish him as the undisputed breakout star of the as-yet-untitled post-Attitude era.
Hunter undermined the Champion in the build-up, flying in the face of the long-held logic about putting your opponent over - he saved that for the 'Grandest Stage' itself.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 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 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, 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
