The Rise Of Triple H | Wrestling Timelines
February 28, 2011 - Political Warfare
Triple H cuts a promo on Raw.
This follows his famous silent confrontation of the Undertaker the week prior, during which both men sized one another up, fired up the crowd using masterful body language, and exchanged their signature taunts.
Triple H, in building a marquee match for WrestleMania XXVII, decides to bury the full-time roster for reasons known only to himself. Certainly, there’s no rational business reason for his comments. What is the benefit in telling the entire world that the superstars they watch every week are not, in fact, stars?
Well.
Triple H explains that he has put himself forward as the Undertaker’s opponent.
“When you look around in that locker room in the back, Dead Man, I know you see the same thing I do: there are no challenges left, really. There is no big test in front of you.”
He doubles down, talking about how ‘Taker lives year to year, defending his undefeated WrestleMania Streak, because it keeps him going.
“But the fact is, when you look around that locker room, I’m the only true challenge you’ve got left, Dead Man.”
So what is going on here?
While Triple H was often guilty of repeating himself in his promos, he makes sure to stress this. Also: Triple H was also prone to burying fellow wrestlers, for either his own amusement or because he was self-conscious. He’s right this time, though. The roster ranges from green to diabolical. There’s nothing for him to be worried about.
The “subtext”, if you can even label it as such, is “Nobody else can work the Undertaker because WWE has failed to promote any true headliners for years”.
This could be very easily interpreted as a sideways jab at John Laurinaitis, whose tenure at the helm of the farcical developmental system had been savaged by critics for years and years.
Perhaps Triple H says this, live on Raw, because he wants to draw a line in the sand and make everybody aware that, as of February 2011, the wrestlers stink.
Perhaps Triple H says this because he has been working on a plan to take over the developmental system.
Perhaps Triple H says this because it will help his guys to look better in comparison to Big Johnny’s guys.