What WWE WON'T Tell You About Triple H's Legacy

Triple H
WWE

Name one professional wrestler who has wrestled more main event duds than Triple H - duds fans in arenas could not have cared less about.

You can't.

No other wrestler had the luxury to beat his "record" under whatever was vaguely adjacent to a meritocracy in the old days. Historically, fellow politicians used their clout to hold on to their spot well past their physical prime and drawing peak, sure, but it was always untenable - even if the push never quite felt that way at its most oppressive. For the Game, there's always a continue screen. He unlocked it through WWE's monopoly and his position of unparalleled power. You can't name a wrestler with more main event duds to speak of.

You might argue match quality, and on a strictly foundational and athletic level, Triple H has the edge over Hulk Hogan and the very popular but totally dire fat lads of British wrestling's glory years main event scene. But they were over. They were household name over, and they were working magicians. They possessed a secret dark art that was always lost on Triple H: the ability to draw fans into their matches with body language, emotion, and connection alone. Triple H was the best wrestler in the world in 2000, but the career-altering torn quadricep he suffered in 2001 removed him from that stratosphere forever.

CONT'D...(2 of 6)

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!