The Game may be most closely associated with Monday Night Raw but Triple H was an integral part of the early success of SmackDown, the top heel in the entire industry and the man fans wanted to pay their hard-earned money to watch get his comeuppance at the hands of The Rock, Mankind, Steve Austin, Kane or any other headline babyface. He was a staple of the show, a performer so uniquely talented that Vince McMahon and his writing staff could center an entire broadcast around and still convince people to watch. As the ruthless and relentless villain, the leader of a reunited D-Generation X or the cerebral and manipulative husband of Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, The King of Kings proved capable of adapting and growing to fit any role written for him. After years spent on the Raw brand, The Game was drafted to SmackDown in 2008 and began a really underrated run on the show that, just over five years later, is undervalued by fans and critics alike. As WWE champion, he was not only the top dog on the blue brand roster, he was also charged with leading a group of young, talented stars. For example, his work with Jeff Hardy was absolutely essential in establishing the charismatic enigma as a main event star in WWE. With Great Khali, he did more to get the Punjabi giant over than any Superstar since John Cena. Whether he was working the likes of Big Show and Vladimir Kozlov or Jeff Hardy and Shelton Benjamin, The Game rose to the occasion, delivering performances that ranked among some of his most valuable. Today, some five years after he stopped appearing as a full-time in-ring competitor on SmackDown, he regularly appears on the show as the evil COO of the company, typically to make life a living hell for Cena, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns or whomever else dares threaten the rule of The Authority.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
