MR. TITO: Refuting Triple H Criticisms by MVP and Online Fans About Diversity in WWE
Today, I need to defend Triple H from some incorrect or possibly ignorant criticisms levied at him lately. Following MVP‘s interview where he was upset about how the Hurt Business was used and dissolved, wrestling fans who seemed to have AEW loyalties began piling on with different allegations but without any evidence to back it up.
What did MVP exactly say?
During June 22nd, 2024, comments were made online for Instagram in which MVP provided responses. For example, someone said “the Triple H era is emasculating black men” to which MVP responded “you get it”. Regarding the Hurt Business business breaking up, MVP stated: “Triple H had the power to fix it. He chose not to. Go figure”. When asked if Shelton Benjamin should be brought back before reuniting the group, MVP stated “That’s the only way. The current regime doesn’t want it either.”
Reportedly, both Bobby Lashley and MVP are no longer on WWE’s internal roster and will both be subject to release (if they haven’t been already) or their contracts will just expire without renewal. Lashley is 48 years old as a still active wrestler, whereas MVP is 50 going on 51 in a managerial role.
Here’s a sample of what people are posting about Triple H online, such as this one on X/Twitter:
{BEGIN QUOTE from X/Twitter}
Under HHH:
Lashley quickly goes from main eventer to frequently unbooked midcarder
Bianca Belair goes from face of the company level star to tag team act
Street Profits go from best tag team in the world conversation to losers
Didn’t think Mercedes was worth Charlotte money
{END QUOTE from X/Twitter}
And of course, everyone is bringing up Triple H‘s treatment of Booker T during Wrestlemania 19, which I, myself, have criticized Triple H for his bad creative decisions back then. But that’s an example from 21 freakin’ years ago. Are people allowed to evolve? HHH was trying to make himself the most despicable heel and did terrible things like implying Kane killed Katie Vick and then performed necrophilia afterward.
But let’s run through actual facts because the beauty of having freedom to speak your opinion doesn’t mean that your opinion is right. Furthermore, everyone has the right to refute your opinions as well.
Fact #1 – Hurt Business split up during January 2022
Triple H was not involved in Talent Relations (John Laurinaitis was) nor was he involved with Creative (Bruce Prichard was). Therefore, no Triple H did or said broke this group up. Later during 2022, he could reunited the group and maybe when they teased a runion during January 2023.
How good was the Hurt Business? They were on the RAW brand during 2021 when WWE was rebuilding following COVID. With that, Bobby Lashley was WWE Champion from March 2021 through September 2021. Viewership held steady at around 1.7 or 1.8 million. After Bobby lost the title, viewership plummeted with Big E as WWE Champion. To be fair, the 4th quarter is historically the weakest drawing quarter of the year with NFL football, holidays, and the weakest Pay Per View schedule.
My issue is how much further could you take them? Bobby Lashley is your top guy but he’s a guy in his mid-40s with lots of mileage on that body. Being honest, I struggle to name that many Lashley matches that I’ve been excited about. I can remember angles, such as the Hurt Business assembling and supporting Lashey to become champion or the time Rusev let Bobby make out with his wife, but I just don’t remember much else. Lashley has an amazing look, but there’s more to wrestling than just the look. Charisma, promo skills, connecting with the fans, and psychology weren’t always strong suits of his especially as he got older.
I love me some Shelton Benjamin, but Father Time always wins. I still don’t get how WWE botched his push during the mid 2000s, but the snitches backstage overheard him complaining about creative and that got back to management (a source once told me).
One could argue that the Hurt Business vs. Bloodline could have drawn something, but I just don’t see the equivalency of Bobby Lashley and Benjamin/Alexander to Roman and the Usos as draws, as proven by the growing numbers of the Smackdown brand. Bloodline didn’t need a stable to feud with, as their internal conflict drew well enough with Roman and the Usos having heat, adding Sami Zayn, and later adding the Rock to the group. Classic stable vs. stable wouldn’t have worked because again, they’re not equal as draws.
*****
#2 – Jade Cargill anyone?
All I need to say… Triple H’s talent relations signed her and are pushing her to the moon, despite her lack of in-ring experience.
To refute Bianca becoming a “tag team act”. You just have ZERO vision of a long-term storyline. Eventually, these two are going to break up and likely going to have a BIG match at Wrestlemania 41 against each other. That’s the plan from what we’ve read and seen.
Bianca Belair is a Triple H signed and developed talent… You really think that she’s just a Tag Team act? She was quite dominant in the main event women’s scene during 2022-2023 when HHH was managing that creative.
Cargill vs. Bianca is going to be huge! Have patience, impatient online trolls!
*****
#3 – Sasha Banks
In case you forgot, online folks, Sasha Banks walked out TWICE on the WWE. Not once, but twice!
So exactly why would you reward “Charlotte Money” to anyone who is a proven flight risk when the creative doesn’t go perfectly her way?
Furthermore, the issue isn’t so much what the WWE wouldn’t pay her, but what AEW overpaid her. Early reports suggested AEW was paying $5 million per year, but that was refuted by the Observer Boys though they hinted it was something near that. “Charlotte Money” is reportedly around $1-2 million downside guarantee.
But let’s go back… Who signed and developed Sasha Banks? Triple H. Who kept trying to push Sasha Banks in the WWE, despite Vince McMahon wanting Charlotte Flair to always dominate? 3 of Charlotte’s Women’s Title reigns are because she defeated Sasha and each of those times occurred at a Pay Per View. Sasha Banks walked out both times due to creative that Vince McMahon was pushing for or against her. That’s just a fact.
To hold Mercedes taking way more money at AEW is ridiculous and as you’ve seen from 2024, WWE was right not to overpay Sasha. Been a rough 2024 for Mercedes.
*****
#4 – Street Profits?
Street Profits are a decent tag team, but not earth shattering. Last time I checked, they were part of a winning team at Wrestlemania 40 with Lashley.
*****
#5 – Gave every opportunity in Velveteen Dream to succeed
Remember him? He was accused of sending bad things to underaged individuals on Social Media which he has refuted. That said, the accusations put a ton of pressure on the WWE to release him but Triple H kept him on the roster and tried to weather the storm. The legal pressure was too much and they let him go.
HHH did everything he could to salvage his career, while building him up strong in AEW. I believe, to this day, that Triple H thought Dream was his big breakout star from NXT. However, it just didn’t work out and these allegations
*****
#6 – Naomi Returned
Hey, Naomi rejoined WWE… Didn’t she walk out on the WWE with Sasha Banks a few years ago? She’s back and being used reasonably well by the WWE. And who else gets a big entrance like her?
The issue with Sasha was money that AEW was willing to pay her.
*****
#7 – Lots of diversity in NXT
My eyes might be deceiving me, but hasn’t Women’s Wrestling evolved through Triple H’s tenure as EVP of Talent Relations?
NXT champions ranging from Big E Langston, Shinsuke Nakamura, Andrade, Keith Lee, Trick Williams, and Carmelo Hayes. I’m counting 4 black NXT Champions with additional diversity mixed in there and probably a few others that I’m forgetting.
Oh yeah, back to the Women’s division again and their NXT Women’s Champion reigns featured Sasha Banks, Asuka, Ember Moon, Kairi Sane, Iyo Sky, Roxanne Perez, among many others… All kinds of diversity.
Vince McMahon only liked North American made wrestlers, unless he could exploit their nationality with a gimmick. Triple H is recruiting from EVERYWHERE on the map right now.
*****
The funny accusation that Triple H gave the storylines intended for the Hurt Business to the Bloodline is hilarious. Even if that were true, I guess Triple H loves the Samoan ethnicity instead?
This stuff just doesn’t make sense. Unless you have solid evidence of someone showing bias against you or on the extreme end, racism, make sure that you’re correct and have facts to back it up.
In just this column, I proved that Triple H is pushing diversity hard through the WWE during his tenures as an executive since the early 2010s. Think about Japanese wrestlers, which Vince McMahon was hesitant on using (Yokozuna does not count). Asuka and Nakamura have had good WWE careers, as have others from the Asian region.
The issue with the Hurt Business is that it was led by older wrestlers. They were fun at first and lost some steam long-term. That’s why they were disbanded and why each will be finding work elsewhere, unfortunately. But’s the wrestling business. Was Edge(Adam Copeland) discriminated against when he was let go by the WWE to sign a bigger deal in AEW? No, WWE just didn’t want to overpay him in his 50s. Simple as that.
Here’s the fact of the matter with Triple H haters… They are AEW fans who believe that AEW’s recent declines in viewership and attendance were ONLY due to Triple H growing the WWE. Seriously, they think that… They don’t realize that AEW’s quality has diminished to cause them to decline, but that fans are watching WWE instead because it improved with HHH. How? They have ZERO shows that oppose each other. Wednesday nights are theirs and theirs alone.
And I say all of this as a major critic of Triple H as a wrestler and his executive tenure during the 2010s… The Triple H of 2022-2024 is best manager of the WWE since the Attitude Era, period, end of story. He’s killing it and pushing wrestlers of all shapes, sizes, and colors.
Go ahead, MVP and Bobby Lashley… Reunite that Hurt Business in AEW… See how it goes…
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