How Triple H Brought 5-Star Matches Back To WWE

Andrade 'Cien' Almas and Johnny Gargano's NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia main event had the wrestling world buzzing, and not just for its superlative quality.

An immediate modern classic, it was awarded an unqualified five-star rating from the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer. Not since CM Punk's cathartic Money in the Bank '11 win over John Cena had a WWE bout been bestowed with the honour, which, while subjective, effectively marks it as one of the promotion's greatest ever matches.

It's hard to say they don't deserve it. Almas and his challenger crafted a dramatic, story-driven masterpiece, during which Gargano emerged as the world's pre-eminent sympathetic babyface. No one else generates such an emotional response from the fans. They bought into every single near-fall, and there were many, as 'Cien' and 'Johnny Wrestling' shifted gears multiple times en route to a mesmerising closing stretch.

Almas, too, was fantastic, and now feels like a genuine megastar, having consigned the glib suspender-clad babyface of old to the past. His control sequences were as elite as Gargano's selling. When he won, it was the kind of devastating gut punch not felt since Tommaso Ciampa turned on Johnny last spring, and this had much to do with the sublime NXT Champion's work.

Notching the full ***** places the developmental duo among esteemed company. Until they came along, Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon, Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and the aforementioned Punk and Cena were the only wrestlers to hit this level under WWE's banner. High praise indeed, no matter your opinion on Meltzer and his divisive system.

This landmark score was a long time coming, as the past eight years have seen NXT transformed from disposable reality show to one of the world's most cutting edge in-ring products. TakeOver guarantees excellence, the weekly show is WWE's most consistently enjoyable, and the roster is crammed with elite talent. The 'developmental territory' concept has been revolutionised. NXT isn't just a proving ground, but a viable third brand, and a wrestling-centric island away from Raw and SmackDown's convoluted sports entertainment trappings.

All of this has been accomplished on Triple H's watch. NXT was his creation, and while it'd be wrong to give 'The Game' all of the praise, he deserves his share. Everything that helped WWE score their first five-star match in six-and-a-half years was overseen by a man whose main roster persona is entirely destructive, but has now forged a new identity as the architect of WWE's future.

So how did Triple H steer NXT to this point? Let's take a journey.

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