MR. TITO: The REAL and LEGIT Criticism That Most WWE Marks Are Missing about Triple H

Since early 2025, the Internet Wrestling Community has been throwing darts at Chief Content Officer of the WWE Triple H. Even though WWE business is mostly doing well with attendance still being high (despite higher prices), merchandise selling (despite higher prices), and viewership of WWE shows being reasonable for live shows along with demand from states and cities to overpay to host WWE events, somehow, there are calls for Triple H to “resign” or to be “fired” by the TKO corporation. Rewind back to mid 2022, these SAME fans were excited that Triple H replaced the “tired”, “senile”, and “obsolete” Vince McMahon on Creative and the “yes-man” John Laurinaitis on Talent Relations.

But why? Why are there calls for Triple H to be fired or forced to resign?

For one, I think that Triple H is getting blamed for the TKO Corporation’s decisions. Even though Triple H has NOTHING to do with strategic or financial decisions made by TKO, he is somehow receiving blame for the price gouging at live WWE events, on merchandise, and now streaming PLEs on ESPN+. Further, HHH is also getting blamed for the many corporate sponsors that WWE programming shoves down your throat on the ring and plugs throughout the show. On top of all of that, HHH is getting blamed for exporting top WWE shows to Saudi Arabia such as Royal Rumble 2026 and Wrestlemania 43. HHH is also taking blame for placing Wrestlemania in expensive Las Vegas for a second year and moving away from rightful New Orleans who lost Wrestlemania 42. WWE President Nick Khan and TKO Board deserves those darts, not HHH. Triple H being great at creative helped create the demand to be exploited with high prices, but HHH doesn’t set prices for WWE shows. TKO does.

I also think that many WWE fans are upset about Triple H’s public allegiance to the current President of the United States, Donald Trump. Trump is a very polarizing individual and a lightning rod for debate, yet HHH isn’t hesitant to obtain any photo opportunity with him. The WWE audience is a mixture of fans from a variety of political beliefs which is contrary to the TKO counterpart, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), who are diehard MAGA supporters. When Dana White supports and appears with the President, their fans cheer it on… It’s different with WWE fans, I believe. While they knew Vince McMahon’s political allegiance, he wasn’t that public about it other than helping Linda McMahon run for Senate and a few photo ops when Linda was a cabinet member during Trump’s first term. Vince was truly a good friend of Donald Trump, yet he didn’t rub it in because he wanted everybody’s money.

In addition, I think that after Wrestlemania 40, Triple H’s tone towards RAW and Smackdown changed and he has put more energy and focus on the PLEs and Saturday Night’s Main Event shows instead. While RAW and Smackdown have mostly been Infomercials for PPVs and PLEs since the Monday Night Wars concluded through March 2001, both shows have become worse for the past few years. In return, though, I’d argue that PLEs under Triple H have IMPROVED and I’m 100% for shorter events with 5-6 matches. Sorry, but 10+ match shows running for 4-5 hours are brutal to watch especially when 2/3 of those matches don’t deserve to be there, AEW.

I think that if fans skipped RAW and Smackdown, while just viewing Saturday Night’s Main Event and PLEs exclusively, they would be a much happier as WWE fans with a lot more time on their hands. And then you’ll appreciate Triple H more for his creative decisions since mid 2022.

Personally for me, I’ve seen Triple H’s tenure with CREATIVE as being a MASSIVE UPGRADE from the Vince McMahon tenure that ended through 2022. I can remember when the same fans bashing HHH now were ripping Vince’s decisions to shreds for about 20 years prior 2022. You know how I know? Because I wrote damn columns and covered the industry during that period of time, while listening to YOU and YOUR gripes about the wrestling business. You HATED Vince and were appreciative when he stepped down when the Janel Grant allegations were made public. Then for mid-2022 through 2024, you praised HHH’s creative decisions. And I agree, and said so as a major Triple H critic for his executive work of the 2010s (which we’ll get into in a second).

What did Triple H make better with Creative?

– Improved the Bloodline: Added Sami Zayn to shake-up the group and add drama, while getting Jey Uso over to sell a ton of merchandise as a fan favorite.

– Made Cody Rhodes into a bigger star. Built upon the bicep tear, built him up through 2023 with the Rumble win, big Wrestlemania 39 match, and then a strong feud with Brock Lesnar. Vetoing Cody turning heel, which the Rock wanted to do, versus John Cena turning during 2025 was a great decision by HHH.

– Better focus for Women’s wrestling. Without HHH, we don’t have a strong women’s division and it was very Charlotte dependent before his tenure. While Charlotte still gets booking love, others are receiving opportunities.

– John Cena’s heel turn that saved not just Wrestlemania 41, but interest in John Cena for the rest of 2025 when the Rock refused to make himself available. John Cena is a bigger star now than ever thanks to his 2025 run. Wrestlemania 41 gained over 10,000 tickets sold after February 2025 thanks to this heel turn decision.

– Gunther. He’s HHH’s top signed prospect and has flourished with HHH as the writer.

– CM Punk’s WWE return. This was all Triple H and CM Punk has returned mostly to his prime form under HHH’s regime.

– PLEs are way better and have better finishes to events, leaving you wanting more.

Now, could things be improved creatively with WWE? Yes, of course… Nobody is perfect. But I’ll take mid-2022 to 2026 Triple H as Creative Lead versus Vince McMahon micro-managing multiple Creative Leads since the peak of the Attitude Era during mid 2000. Yeah, there are many masked men and mysterious things in boxes these days, but the main event scene in the WWE is more exciting with Roman, Punk, Drew, Cody, Seth when healthy, and Gunther versus overpushing Brock Lesnar as too dominant and pushing an inexperienced Roman Reigns to the top during the 2010s. Given that Vince’s exit based on $20 million NDA payouts with female victims could have placed WWE in shambles, Triple H has been the steadying hand that not only kept the WWE going but made it BETTER as well.

That said…

The internet wrestling community FAILS to recognize Triple H’s TRUE weakness as a WWE executive.

As described above, Triple H is mostly good at Creative. While there are some flaws, he makes mostly sound decisions and delegates authority to a large creative staff and doesn’t micro-manage them as Vince did. And trust me, putting up with Bruce Prichard is no easy task but HHH does it well and empowers others to make creative decisions.

I also think that HHH does well producing Live Events and also empowering others to produce live events or matches. I thought less of Michael P.S. Hayes as a backstage suck-up to HHH and Stephanie over the years, but Hayes is THRIVING as a producer of top WWE matches. He’s seriously entering Pat Patterson levels of respect with how matches are ending and that’s a pure compliment from me.

So creative is going well and as are WWE live events, especially PLEs and SNMEs… So what’s the true weakness for the WWE?

TALENT RELATIONS.

THAT is the WWE’s real weakness right now and for the next 5 years unless a serious turnaround happens.

Ever notice how VETERAN-DEPENDENT the WWE has become recently? Brock Lesnar and John Cena still have big roles, and Randy Orton is still relied upon too. Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre are not spring chickens. Roman Reigns and a mid-40s CM Punk are headlining Wrestlemania 42. Seth Rollins has a ton of WWE miles on his body and is getting repeatedly injured.

Behind them? You’ve got Gunther and… I guess Bron Breakker, but is he really ready for the big time? Oba Femi could be a big star, though I thought his star wasn’t shining as bright when Brock Lesnar entered the 2026 Rumble match. I love Dominik Mysterio, but I just cannot buy him as a Main Eventer. Bronson Reed and Jacob Fatu have to remain healthy and available to make it to the top. I’m not as crazy on Reed as Triple H is, however.

I just don’t see the current younger wrestlers or the upcoming developmental crop rising to effectively replace the top male wrestlers of today in the WWE.

About a year ago, NoDQ’s Virtue posted a list of WWE wrestler ages, with most top WWE stars nearing 40 or within their 40s. While Pro Wrestling allows top stars to venture into their 40s and remain effective, it’s also the decade where wrestlers get injured so easily. Literally everyone is holding their breath that CM Punk and Roman Reigns make it to Wrestlemania 42 without injury.

But I want to take Virtue’s point a step further… During the 2010s, I was HEAVILY critical of Triple H’s tenure as EVP of Talent relations from mid-2012 through early 2020. I argued that compared to Jim Ross managing Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) and John Laurinaitis managing Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), Triple H’s signings and management of wrestlers produced FEWER main event stars with staying power. I argued that point until I was blue in the face, but I think that it needs revisited because Triple H’s creative of 2026 is very veteran dependent. And those veterans happen to NOT be his signings.

For example, the Wrestlemania 42 main event is CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns. Both Punk and Roman were John Laurinaitis signings, FACT. CM Punk began during 2005 when John Laurinaitis took over Talent Relations and managing Ohio Valley Wrestling from the corporate end. Roman Reigns signed during 2010 and joined Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), which became WWE’s developmental territory after Laurinaitis chose to move away from OVW. Roman remained in the developmental system when Triple H took over Talent Relations during mid 2012, but Roman was only under HHH’s supervision a few months before his WWE debut at Survivor Series 2012. I always laugh when people claim Roman was a “Triple H signed wrestler” or a “Triple H trained wrestler”, but facts aren’t on your side. Besides, if you want to claim Roman as a “Triple H guy”, then you’ll have to OWN the terrible main event work Roman did during the 2010s. Suffering Succotash!

As an exercise, let’s go back to 2010 and chart every MALE wrestler who won a World Championship and then describe which EVP of Talent Relations was in charge when they began their WWE career. This should prove my point rather easily.

Jim Ross through 2004 – Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW)
John Cena
Brock Lesnar
Randy Orton
Batista
Rey Mysterio Jr.
The Rock
Chris Jericho
Kane
Edge
Christian
Mark Henry
Big Show
Goldberg

John Laurinaitis, 2004 through mid 2012 for OVW & Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), NXT 2.0 from early 2020 through mid 2022
The Miz
Sheamus
CM Punk
Daniel Bryan
Alberto Del Rio
Seth Rollins
Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley now)
Roman Reigns
Bray Wyatt (HHH brought him back after release, may he RIP)
Jinder Mahal (though HHH brought him back, made him champion during 2017)
Kofi Kingston
Drew McIntyre (HHH brought him back, gave him his best push)
Bobby Lashley
Big E Langston
Jey Uso
Jack Swagger
Dolph Ziggler
Cody Rhodes (signed him twice)

Triple H – Mid 2012 through early 2020 with NXT, mid 2022 to present with NXT
AJ Styles
Gunther
Finn Balor
Kevin Owens
Damien Priest
Braun Strowman

Wow… Obviously, Jim Ross is the kingpin and his signed and then developed wrestlers have smashed it in the WWE for DECADES now. Getting over 20 years of star power for a talent is remarkable, let along a few stars who have actually transcended wrestling. Ross’s guys are serious pop culture heroes.

But damn, look at Johnny Ace here… His 2004-2012 tenure as EVP of Talent Relations has really stocked the WWE talent pool on the male side of the ledger. As much as he’s mocked, he really did a number raiding independents for their talent and it gave WWE a solid base of talent for 20 years as well.

THEN, Laurinaitis was Talent Relations manager during early 2020 through mid 2022. Guess who he signed? Bron Breakker and Solo Sikoa. Both guys, though needing more experience, have made significant contributions to the WWE. Solo was a very important member of the Bloodline while Breakker is a top WWE star today despite his youth and inexperience.

And then we get into Triple H. Let’s be totally honest here… Finn Balor and Kevin Owens are solid hands, but are NOT long-term main eventers. They are, as Triple H described, like Chelsea Green… They are guys whom future main eventers work with to get to that level. Finn Balor is too small as a top guy, while Kevin Owens just isn’t the top guy draw BUT he complements the main eventers well as a solid opponent or again, getting someone else over. In the same vein, though not a world champion (yet), Sami Zayn has been one of HHH’s best signings and he’s complemented the rest of the roster well. It’s arguable if he’s a top guy or not, but I think he’s a very important WWE roster member.

Sorry, but Damien Priest and Braun Strowman as World Champions… Ehhhhhh. Strowman had the look and some skillsets, but his “paying his dues” comment plus getting owned by Brock Lesnar really diminished his stature. Damien Priest looks the part and wrestles the part, but just isn’t a top guy based on intangibles that make main eventers like mic skills, psychology, charisma, and connecting with the audience emotionally.

For HHH, Gunther and AJ Styles are his prized pigs. AJ was a great free agent signing that gave WWE 10 solid years of action, while Gunther is a current top guy who could get bigger (damn, that Jey Uso loss at WM 41 still hurts though). Props to him for those guys, though Gunther is the only one developed from his system to be a long-term main eventer with drawing power who always belongs there.

Then, for Triple H, you look at who he TRIED to push as NXT Champions… Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura were solid free agent signings, but HHH bought them with too much mileage. Both gave WWE great years and great matches, but not enough to go further than upper midcarders (though Samoa Joe’s work with Lesnar could have been something). I could argue the same about Bobby Roode as an older free agent.

But then you have HHH’s real reaches at creating future superstars. I liked Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano as a tag team, but as singles main eventers? Nope, too small and also lacking intangibles as a main eventer. Loved Adam Cole, though, but the guy is too small unfortunately despite the legit intangibles he really had. Cole would have been the perfect guy to push as the Cruiserweight Champion if they dared to care about that title. Keith Lee had some bad health luck, but I think that maybe he looked better in the smaller NXT pond versus the WWE and even AEW spotlights. We’ve tried pushing Karrion Kross and Aleister Black for YEARS but they just don’t impress as top guys. Triple H repeatedly believed in Andrade and it just never worked, though most saw him being an issue due to his smaller size and some backstage matters.

TALENT RELATIONS is the Achilles heel of Triple H in the WWE. We have almost 14 years of a sample size to prove that, especially with Wrestlemania 42 being dependent on Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and CM Punk to draw fans to expensive Las Vegas.

Yes, HHH has success with the Women’s division. Zero disagreements there. HOWEVER, he has the “pick of the litter” with female athletes because unless you’re a tennis player or a golfer, you’re not going to make much money in female sports. WNBA struggles to ever make money, pro soccer and volleyball leagues struggle or fail, and boxing/MMA women’s matches are mostly undercard fights and only have exceptions when they draw on their own (Ronda Rousey was a beast in her day!). That, and HHH has a strong female trainer with Sara Del Rey.

But the men’s side of the ledger, ehhhh… Triple H LACKS having good scouts who are looking throughout the country for athletes to try pro wrestling. The one exception was when Mark Henry did it and he obtained Bianca Belair, but then WWE let him go. Then, Triple H has a WEAK head male trainer with Matt Bloom aka Prince Albert aka A-Train aka Lord Tensai. If you watched his career, he wrestled the big man style without much selling or psychology while he lacked promo skills, charisma, and personality to draw as such a wrestler. I still laugh at the failed hard 2003 push as A-Train on the Smackdown roster that derailed a younger Edge’s push while the Lord Tensai stuff became comical quickly during 2012. THAT is your head trainer?

Think about what could happen in 5 years with this current WWE roster. Much of the top guys will be in their mid 40s or early 50s. Who replaces them? Sorry, but I’m struggling seeing Bron Breakker, Oba Femi, Jacob Fatu, Dirty Dom, and others effectively replacing CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, or Drew McIntyre. Gunther is 38 years old, by the way, which means he’ll be 43 in 5 years.

WWE is too veteran dependent right now and that is because THEY HAVE TO. The NXT developmental promotion and the WWE Developmental Center is FAILING to train MALE wrestlers to be ready to eventually replace the long-time WWE main eventers that John Laurinaitis or Jim Ross signed during the 2000s. Seriously, think about that… WWE is too dependent on guys signed 2 decades ago!

If I were operating another promotion, say All Elite Wrestling (AEW), TNA, or even Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW), I would make a concerted effort to develop young talent and then groom them into becoming the next big stars that WWE doesn’t have. AEW has blown their massive opportunity of listening to Jim Ross instruct them on how to construct a developmental system and have instead realized on signing nothing but free agents or anyone California Indy/NJPW mark Dave Meltzer likes. Edge, Christian, Mercedes, Will Ospreay, and Okada have NOT brought attention to AEW as free and only increases their expenses.

Go back to your history books, folks… How did the WWE defeat WCW during 1998 and then put them in their rear-view mirror through 2001? Yes, those signings of Steve Austin, Triple H, and Mick Foley were massive… But the signing and development of Kane, the Rock, Edge, Christian, and Kurt Angle were incredible and gave WWE fresh stars compared with the aging veterans of WCW. WCW died because they refused to push younger faces to the top besides Bill Goldberg who has issues as an in-ring performer outside of spearing and jackhammering wrestlers in less than 1 minute. That’s why Chris Jericho’s 1999 debut was enormous and still appreciated by fans to this very day.

WWE is a “dead man walking” because they are veteran heavy and AEW cannot catch them because they, too, are veteran heavy. I think that we’ve officially hit the peak of the John Laurinaitis signings from 2004-2012 and Triple H’s tenures between 2012 to present haven’t restocked the pond with fish that could grow into even bigger and more impressive species.

Triple H as EVP of WWE’s Talent Relations IS the ultimate weakness of the WWE. Unless another promotion exploits said weakness of the WWE, we’re about head into a darker period for Pro Wrestling for the next 5 years or more.

Thus, online fans need to STOP focusing on WWE’s Creative but on TALENT RELATIONS… That’s a more valid Triple H criticism than anything else tried lately by online marks.

You’re welcome for the playbook, but you can read my columns during the 2010s to see that I’ve been incredibly consistent of being critical of Triple H’s talent signings, talent assessments, and talent developmental.

The Game sucks at signing and developing talent, period.

And why AEW hasn’t spoke to Jim Ross about signing and developing young talent is beyond me. Tony Khan is a total idiot for not utilizing an absolute genius on his payroll. I would give Jim Ross a staff of about 10 or more people and have them dedicated to learning whatever Jim Ross can teach them and then go execute what he taught them.

Mr. Tito Column Archive @ NoDQ