4 Things Tony Khan does better than Triple H
Triple H is in charge of the creative direction of WWE, while Tony Khan spearheads the booking department of AEW. The intense competition between the two wrestling promotions often leads fans to compare the booking styles of The Cerebral Assassin and the AEW President.
WWE's onscreen product has witnessed a sudden resurgence since Triple H succeeded Vince McMahon as the chief booker of the company. The quality of WWE storytelling has improved tremendously under The Game, who carefully puts together exciting long-term stories.
While Triple H has done an incredible job as a booker, there are certain areas where he has been outshined by Tony Khan. The head booker of All Elite Wrestling has a completely different approach than The King of Kings, as the former focuses heavily on the quality of in-ring performance.
However, Khan has also presented several amazing storylines over the past five years, and this has helped AEW appear as a viable threat to WWE. In this article, let's look at four things Tony Khan does better than Triple H:
#4. AEW storylines are paid off better on pay-per-views than WWE
Triple H has often been criticized for dragging out major storylines. Chad Gable vs. Alpha Academy, Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan, and Damian Priest vs. Gunther are some of the major WWE rivalries that have suffered from not being concluded at the right time.
The Game has been guilty of not pulling the trigger on certain moments at the right time, diminishing the quality of the story to a certain extent. Tony Khan has done significantly better than Triple H in this regard, as the AEW CEO is known for booking satisfactory endings to his storylines on pay-per-views.
The Cerebral Assassin is also notorious for ending intense storylines on weekly shows instead of having those matches take place on marquee PLEs. While Tony Khan has also made a few booking blunders, he has comparatively done a better job at building the payoff to certain storylines.
The conclusion to the Hangman Page vs. Kenny Omega rivalry at Full Gear 2021 remains one of the most satisfying endings to an AEW rivalry.
Sting's Farewell at Revolution 2024 and Bryan Danielson's coronation at All In 2024 speak volumes about Tony's ability to finish off feuds in a massive way.
#3. The booking of the AEW Women's Division has been a lot more consistent than WWE's
Triple H has left a lot to be desired when it comes to the booking of the women's division. The Game has booked a few great feuds for the female roster, but his overall booking has been quite inconsistent.
The Cerebral Assassin has been accused of putting too much focus on certain specific talents like Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan, with stars like Bianca Belair, IYO SKY, and Naomi forced to settle for less prominent roles.
Furthermore, Triple H has not done a satisfactory job of following up on the big moments. The veteran's booking of Bayley's reign as the WWE Women's Champion was questionable, as it derailed all the momentum she had at the end of WrestleMania 40.
While the WWE Women's Division is still in a great spot, it is far less consistent than expected. Meanwhile, the AEW Women's Division continues to thrive under Tony Khan's leadership.
The rise of stars like Willow Nightingale, Jamie Hayter, and Kris Statlander has added variety to the female roster. The arrival of top stars like Mercedes Mone and Toni Storm has also helped legitimize the division.
At All In 2024, Mariah May dethroned Toni Storm to conclude one of the most personal rivalries of the year. Although her title reign has been full of ups and downs, The Glamour has been able to keep things fresh by defending her title against new opponents.
Having introduced two new mid-card titles for the women's division, Triple H would hope for more continuity in his stories going forward.
#2. The Casino Gauntlet contract has overshadowed Triple H's approach towards the Money in the Bank briefcase
It has been over two years since Triple H took over as WWE's head of creative, and his approach towards booking the winners of the Money in the Bank briefcase has been a matter of criticism. The King of Kings has often appeared out of wits when it comes to incorporating the MITB briefcase into WWE's weekly storylines.
Over the past two years, The Game has been questioned for his lack of judgment when it comes to who wins the high-stakes, multi-person Ladder Match. In 2023, LA Knight was at the height of his popularity, but the WWE Chief Content Officer decided to hand over the briefcase to Damian Priest instead. In 2024, Triple H booked a failed cash-in for Drew McIntyre, only to further intensify The Scottish Warrior's feud with CM Punk.
When it comes to presenting the briefcase winners as strong contenders on television, the former leader of Evolution has again left a lot to be desired. From Damian Priest to Tiffany Stratton, there have been many instances when an MITB winner has looked like a clueless dummy due to poor booking.
Earlier this year, Tony Khan introduced a concept similar to the Money in the Bank briefcase. At All In 2024, Christian Cage won the Casino Gauntlet Match to secure a guaranteed world title shot, which he can cash in at any time of his choosing.
Since winning the contract, Cage has been presented as a looming threat by Tony Khan. While outside circumstances have prevented him from having a successful cash-in, The Patriarch has only targeted the titleholder under logical scenarios. Cage has been quick to target the champion whenever he has found the latter vulnerable.
The situation is a lot different when it comes to WWE, where the briefcase holders have been absent in scenarios where a successful cash-in is more likely.
#1. Blood & Guts Match has constantly outshined the WarGames Match in terms of execution
Blood & Guts is essentially AEW's version of WWE's WarGames. Both match types have a giant steel cage surrounding a double-sided ring, and it is often used to conclude personal rivalries between two teams.
Tony Khan has justified the Blood & Guts stipulation with his booking in the last three years. While Triple H has also put together a few decent WarGames Matches, none of them have been able to match the brutality and violence of Blood & Guts.
The Cerebral Assassin has also been accused of not doing a satisfactory job of building a cohesive lineup for these matches. The head booker of WWE often puts random stars together without properly explaining the reason for their inclusion in a team.
The addition of Bronson Reed and Bayley to their respective WarGames teams this year was questionable, and this affected the viewing experience to a certain extent. On the other hand, Tony Khan always builds the teams for Blood & Guts for a considerable period before pitting them against each other inside the deadly structure.
AEW's version of WarGames is far more menacing, helping it leave a bigger impression on the minds of the audience.