Triple H has been pushed as an A+ player. He was the centerpiece of the company at one time. And he hasn't exactly been buried ever since John Cena took that spot. Those few times over the years where John Cena ever took a slight depush, it was usually because Triple H was getting the spotlight. You can even see Triple H in a better position than John Cena right now. You can say that the kind of career Triple H is getting is a cross between being John Cena and being Vince McMahon. He has managerial power, but he isn't exactly completely retired. In terms of career, you cannot deny he is an A+ player.
I have been a Triple H fan for years. I didn't like him during his DX days. I liked him when he was The Game. In recent years, I am not as big of a fan. I still like the guy, but he can be a bit much. He is great on the mic. It's easy to have that confidence when you are in the position he is in. He isn't as entertaining as The Rock. Moreover, some people criticize him for talking too much. As for wrestling ability, he is solid. The Pedigree is one of my favorite finishers. He can definitely play great psychology in the ring and tell a great story. Yes, he doesn't pull of 450 splashes, but I am not going to criticize him for that. He can look and act intimidating for a guy that is not exactly a monster. He definitely has the ability to connect well with the fans. All that being said, I won't say he is an A+ player in terms of critiquing him. He does have his limitations, which I pointed out. I don't think it would be fair to grade him all the way down there with Alberto Del Rio and Kofi Kingston. I give Triple H an A-.
How about when it comes to actually bringing results? You would think that a guy that sometimes gets booked better than the current centerpiece would be the kind of draw a centerpiece should be. People have said some interesting things concerning Triple H's drawing power. He spit all those bottles of water and he never drew a dime. He was never the top star of the company. He was the guy that worked with the top stars of the company. Ratings didn't exactly soar after Austin left and Triple H was pushed as the top star. People can make the argument that Cena draws in the children. He annoys so many others, but the kids love him. Can you ever make that argument with Triple H? Was there ever a fanbase that would be less likely to support the WWE if Triple H was not there? He has been injured before. He has taken breaks before. There has never seemed to be an outcry for his return. He usually gets a good reaction when he comes back, but I wouldn't say he draws in the viewers. However, fans don't seem to give him the mixed reactions that face Cena gets. I would say that Triple H is more well-liked than Cena. It could be nostalgia from his days in DX, but nostalgia from Cena's days as a rapper hasn't exactly helped him. Triple H has that better overness. That is why I will not grade him lower than Cena. I'll give him a B+.
I have been grading Triple H as a wrestling performer. Technically, he also represents management. Should I go a step further and grade how he is doing in that respect? I don't think I should. Main reason why, Vince McMahon is still around and you can't be sure how much of what Triple H wants to do is actually getting through. Will the WWE be better under Triple H? Worse? Time will tell. Right now, I would give the overall direction of things a C+.
Changing direction completely, let me talk about the women. When I talked about the diva division, I said it was unfair to hold the division by the same drawing standards as you would the men's division. The WWE has never put equal emphasis on the diva division as they do the men's division. You can talk about Trish vs. Lita in the main event of Raw, but Rey Mysterio vs. Matt Hardy for the Crusierweight Championship was also a main-event match, for Smackdown. Was that division really treated as a top draw? Yeah? Where is it now? Point is, how about TNA's women's division? TNA does not run the same philosophy as the WWE. People always say that TNA treats their women better. And it isn't just empty talk. Knockout matches and segments have been known to get the highest ratings on some nights in the past, without even being in the main event or other hot spots. They feature women in main-event matches a little more often, without it being an extension of men's storylines, which is what you would sometimes have in the WWE, like when Lita won the Women's title from Stephanie McMahon with The Rock, Triple H, and other guys also involved. They had a PPV special featuring just the Knockouts last year. There are better standards in TNA for their women. Are the standards equal to that of the men? I wouldn't say that. There are more men than women, so it would be crazy to make them completely equal. In comparison to the WWE, however, they are better. TNA has relied on their women to actually draw for them, like they do everything else. You can say they are desperate for something to work out and take them to that next level. Should the centerpiece of the KO division be held by high drawing standards? No. Keep in mind, TNA rotates their centerpieces. That kills off momentum. They shoot themselves in the foot. When TNA does settle on one centerpiece for their men's division and KO division, then those individuals should be held by those high standards of needing to be more than just over. Until then, there are better standards for TNA's women's division than the WWE's.
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