How Good Was Triple H Actually?
3. Range
Very poor.
Triple H was very over as a babyface in 1998. As on the pulse as any wrestler ever, he knew what was in, and he was credible, because he found that stuff amusing too. His relentless dick jokes were “f*cking over”.
It never happened for him as a babyface beyond that. Yes, he drew a ridiculous pop at Madison Square Garden on January 7, 2002: the date of his heavily publicised return. This pop and its importance is one of the most overstated moments in modern wrestling history, and that’s not a negative “hater” to take. There was no lasting significance to the moment at all. Triple H was famously and completely outclassed at WrestleMania 18; his main event against Chris Jericho was stolen by the Rock and Hulk Hogan. ‘Mania 18 took place on March 17, 2002 - just 69 days after the return pop. ‘Mania 18 was no aberration, either. Triple H had turned heel by July. Everybody knew he wasn’t working as a babyface.
Triple H played face for several more years in the mid-to-late 2000s and early 2010s - to mixed success. His 2008 SmackDown run was well-reviewed, but either side of that, the D-Generation X reunions are generally considered excruciatingly unfunny, lame, and unproductive. Hardcore WWE fans will tell you that Triple H is a legendary heel - but even they never seemed to adore him as a babyface. Triple H teased retiring at SummerSlam 2012 with tears in his eyes. This garnered no sympathy or even noise whatsoever from real, ticket-buying WWE fans.
Condescending and narcissistic to an almost impressive level, Triple H was a natural heel. He was the main antagonist in 2000, arguably WWE’s creative peak. In the 2010s, though, he was more overbearing than effective as the head of the Authority stable. And, since this is an assessment of his range, it should be mentioned that HHH played a tyrannical power-hungry authority figure in 2000 and in 2018.
In the ring, he always seemed to wrestle the same match, although he could go full slapstick comedy on occasion.
4/10