5 things Triple H does better than Vince McMahon
Following Vince McMahon's shock retirement earlier this year, Triple H was promoted to Head of Creative. WWE has since entered a new era wherein the product has gone on an upward trajectory in the past few months.
Hunter seems to be the man with his finger on the pulse. He has learned from McMahon himself, who is rightly regarded as the greatest wrestling promoter the industry has ever seen.
However, The Game is also aware of what modern wrestling fans want, as evidenced by how fresh every show seems these days.
There are some things that Triple H does better than his father-in-law. Today, we look at five of those things and analyze where his work trumps that of the latter.
#5. On our list of things that Triple H does better than Vince McMahon: Overseeing more relaxed commentary for the product
Let's start off with a minor yet noticeable improvement in the WWE product. The commentators seem to be more easygoing and relatable. Whether it's Corey Graves' quip or Michael Cole's comparison, everything feels more natural and less restricted.
Check out: Hilarious memes of Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon famously banned his commentators from saying certain words like 'wrestlers' and 'fans.' We have seen all those words and some more mentioned on live TV under Triple H's control. A small but significant step in the right direction.
#4 Making WWE shows a proper mix between wrestling and sports entertainment
What makes WWE a global juggernaut today is that Vince McMahon prioritizes sports entertainment over pure wrestling. However, recent years have seen the product become almost entirely focused on the former. As such, the company's talented roster couldn't always go out to the ring and do what they were known for.
Under Triple H, however, things have been tweaked. While WWE is still predominantly a sports entertainment company, we are slowly seeing a hybrid version of the product come to life.
From Drew McIntyre challenging Kevin Owens to wrestle him (that word is the Holy Grail) to shows opening with matches instead of 20-minute promos, Hunter's approach to booking is seeing him prioritize the right things.
The Game has taken a hardcore wrestling theme and expertly meshed it with his father-in-law's vision to create what is the strongest WWE product in years.
#3. Making the midcard titles relevant and prestigious again
Vince McMahon always made sure that his company's top prize was always incredibly booked. But that often came at the expense of titles like the Intercontinental and United States Championship, which were relegated to a level below their already secondary status.
Triple H seems to be aware of how these championships can make shows much better. He has demonstrated his prowess by making them seem like much bigger deals when he was Head of Creative.
Crowning Gunther as Intercontinental Champion and Bobby Lashley as United States champion has been a masterstroke, as has to give them challengers on their level.
The Intercontinental Championship was defended in a premium live event for the first time in two years after the 14-time world champion took over the creative role.
Meanwhile, the United States Championship has been featured more in weekly programming and has been an important part of Monday Nights.
Indeed, the midcard champions are putting on matches that have the weight of world title bouts. From Gunther's jaw-dropping battle against Sheamus to Lashley's incredible tussle with Seth 'Freakin' Rollins, every contest makes the titles hotter prizes.
#2. Integrating long-term storytelling into the product
At his best, Vince McMahon has booked some incredible storylines that slow-burned for months. From Randy Orton's betrayal of Bray Wyatt to Seth Rollins getting his Shield brothers to forgive him, there is no denying the man's genius storytelling skills.
Unfortunately, this kind of booking hasn't been seen consistently recently. Triple H, however, is showing McMahon's level of writing ability in the short time he has been Head of Creative. Some of the long-term storylines going on at the moment in time are simply fantastic and only get consistently exciting every week.
From the White Rabbit QR codes to Sami Zayn's Bloodline shenanigans, we cannot wait for many of these narratives to pay off. Given the stellar work Hunter has been doing at the helm, expectations couldn't be higher.
#1. Making WWE a hot place to work
No one can deny WWE's status as the undisputed king of the wrestling industry. However, the company has recently seen many of its stars jump ship to rival promotions. It was far from ideal, especially given the talent of the wantaway performers.
While there were all kinds of reasons for this, the one that stood out was it not being the best place to work at. Wrestlers like Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho's explosive opinions on Vince McMahon's organization only served to rub this point further.
Triple H taking over as Head of Creative has seen WWE reestablish itself as a place for creativity and ambition. The likes of Karrion Kross, Johnny Gargano, Braun Strowman, and Dakota Kai have all returned and hit the ground running.
When you factor in names like Bray Wyatt, Aleister Black (Malakai Black), and even The Young Bucks (albeit briefly) being linked with the company, it becomes clear that HHH's magic comes with some real pedigree (pun fully intended).
Indeed, WWE is in safe hands, and we can expect the company to scale new heights in time with new soldiers in its ranks.