Why Vince McMahon Has Erased Triple H's Legacy

by Michael Hamflett
Bron Breakker Andre Chase
WWE.com

If Episode 1 of 2.0 was anything at all, it was the start of NXT's entire history suddenly being thrown into as much disarray as that Network archive makes it look.

When Triple H took WWE developmental to Full Sail University, he kept the letters from the daft b*llocks reality show because it was convenient and they already had a minor television/online presence in-built. It wasn't perfect, but he worked incredibly hard to make "NXT" mean one thing rather than the other.

Does that genuinely mean we have moved into a same-but-different time for the show rather than witnessing a complete overhaul? This must surely scar 'The Game' more than the tear he suffered before Kane's mask and wig fell off in 2018.

Did all those classic black-and-gold moments as booked by a creatively on-fire Triple H even happen? If wrestling really is cyclical, are we being launched headfirst into the 1990s once more? If Hunter's run was NXT's Golden Era, are we headed into the financially bereft but philosophically bold New Generation that never speaks of the Bayleys, Nevilles and Adam Coles that built its name? Then, after a nip-slip or accidental gusher draws the most Twitter engagement in the history of the initials, will Cora Jade be forced to not-skateboard down to the ring for a bikini contest or Cameron Grimes exclaim "to the f*cking moon, c*nts!" to expedite the shift to "edgier" new Attitude Era-adjacent material?

Pray for the absolute state of whatever mess emerges out of NXT 3.0: Ruthless Aggression. Triple H might have to. If history really is repeating, it'll be his only chance to get back on top again.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett