Triple H has certainly proven to be a heck of a businessman, and over the past seven years or so, Hunter has established himself as one of the biggest and most influential executives in the WWE – definitely a man with plenty of say and pull behind the scenes. While Triple’s main focus is undoubtedly still NXT and the superstar’s a part of that show, there’s no doubt Hunter is becoming more and more involved with the going-ons on the WWE’s main roster shows, Raw and SmackDown Live. As well, considering many of the talent currently on the main roster are a product of NXT, Triple H is very much a key player when it comes to the decisions on WWE’s main shows. Triple H is unquestionably looking to make the WWE’s product as appealing as possible to the wrestling fans of today, and as a result, Triple H has become rather “picky” when it comes to the wrestlers he’d like to showcase and push to the forefront of WWE.
Things are definitely changing for the better in WWE, but at the same time, the ever-so-quickly evolving WWE can be a bad thing for some superstars who don’t fit Triple H’s ideals. Thankfully for those said talents, Vince is still the main man in charge backstage, and until Vinny Mac gives up total control to Hunter and Stephanie, Vince will still make the final call. With that being said, although there are plenty of superstars who have Triple H’s full support, there are certainly some wrestlers on the WWE main roster Triple H cannot wait to end if given the chance to do so. Today, we will take a look at 10 WWE Superstars who have Triple H’s support, and 10 he wants gone…
Has Support: Samoa Joe
Right from the get-go, Samoa Joe was unquestionably one of Triple H’s guys, and his monster push down in NXT reflected that notion. Now we all know full-well that Samoa Joe doesn’t exactly have the most typical “WWE Superstar” build, but regardless, in the ways that count, Joe is above and beyond. However, with Vince McMahon still running the main roster shows, it’s truly no surprise as to why Samoa Joe has yet to achieve the successes Triple H clearly believed Joe had deserved on the main roster.
Despite getting multiple opportunities at the WWE and Universal Championships, Samoa Joe was always booked as “second class” compared to the likes of Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman, and even Drew McIntyre (all Vince’s guys). If Triple H was in charge, you can be assured Samoa Joe would be a WWE Champion by now…
Wants Gone: Baron Corbin
Despite being a product of NXT, Baron Corbin certainly wasn’t one of the Superstars Triple H was the most hopeful would succeed on Raw or SmackDown Live. In fact, for whatever reason, Triple H was never a very big fan or supporter of Baron Corbin despite his agility and overall speed for a man of his size, but thankfully for Corbin, Vince was fond of “The Lone Wolf” – enough to keep Corbin in a relevant position in WWE.
Apparently, Baron Corbin rubbed Triple H the wrong way with his sour attitude and disposition behind the scenes, and while this definitely annoyed Vince to a certain extent as well, Vinny Mac has undoubtedly been far more forgiving considering Baron has rebounded since his “burial” of sorts during his MITB briefcase run. Baron Corbin is lucky Vince is still running the ship, because if he weren’t, Triple H would waste absolutely no time sending Baron Corbin off!
Has Support: Shinsuke Nakamura
The signing of Shinsuke Nakamura to WWE was entirely Triple H’s idea, and there’s no doubt that Hunter was (and still is) a huge fan and supporter of Nakamura. In NXT where Hunter had full creative control, we got a glimpse of the potential Hunter saw in Shinsuke, and by all means, very few fans were against Nakamura’s rise to prominence in NXT. Triple H had very high hopes for Shinsuke Nakamura on the WWE’s main roster, and while Vince was willing to run with the idea of pushing Shinsuke for a brief period of time, McMahon quickly lost interest in Nakamura.
Unfortunately, Shinsuke has been on quite the downward spiral in recent times on SmackDown Live. The former United States Champion is nowhere near as influential or prominent as he was just a year ago, and it really goes to show you just how much can change in one calendar year for a WWE Superstar.
Wants Gone: Zack Ryder
Long before Triple H was ever in the powerful executive position he is in today, Hunter had a bizarre dislike for “The Long Island Iced Z”, Zack Ryder. According to multiple wrestlers, Triple H had attempted to sabotage Zack’s career on numerous occasions and, looking at where Zack Ryder is on the WWE’s pecking order right now, I think we can all agree Hunter succeeded in doing so. If Triple H were in total control, best believe Hunter would be doing far more than just pushing Zack Ryder even further into the ground – Triple H would likely fire Zack right on the spot.
Although Vince McMahon is still in control of which Superstars are pushed or demoted, there’s absolutely no denying the fact that Triple H’s views and opinions can still sway McMahon to a certain extent. Clearly, it didn’t take very much swaying on Triple H’s part for Vince to lose interest in Ryder, because over the entire year of 2018, Zack didn’t even have a single match on Monday Night Raw.
Has Support: Sasha Banks
Sasha Banks has always been one of Triple H’s personal favorites, and there’s no doubt Hunter gave Sasha a huge opportunity down in NXT to make a name for herself and gain a large fan following. Though Triple H has taken some credit for helping Sasha Banks mold into the star she is today, he has also made mention of the fact that Sasha’s hard work and determination to succeed at the WWE’s Performance Center and in NXT were factors as to why he saw so much potential in The Legit Boss.
Sasha Banks definitely has all of Triple H’s support on the main roster, however, Vince McMahon hasn’t been nearly as optimistic in regards to Sasha Banks. According to a few sources, Vince has reportedly labeled Sasha as being “injury prone,” hence why she wasn’t a part of any major storylines until recently when she was included in a feud against Ronda Rousey. Hopefully, Triple H has been able to change Vinny Mac’s mind on Banks!
Wants Gone: Dolph Ziggler
“Underrated” is often times the word that fans immediately think of when Dolph Ziggler’s name comes to mind, as the former World Champion had all the tools required to be a top Superstar in WWE – yet, for some bizarre reason, Ziggler has never reached the level most believed he should’ve. Well, the reasoning as to why this is the case may clarify the situation, because surprisingly enough, Triple H was never a fan of the self-proclaimed “Showoff”.
Hunter’s hatred for Ziggler stems all the way back to The Spirit Squad days, and Hunter believed Dolph’s work wasn’t good enough for the main roster, hence why he was sent packing to OVW. Regardless, even since then, Triple H has not gotten any easier on Ziggler, as he apparently believes Dolph doesn’t take directions well and is way too obsessed with becoming the next Shawn Michaels. Perhaps there’s a bit of jealousy here, but considering Vince wasn’t a huge supporter of Dolph Ziggler, to begin with either, it’s pretty clear as to why Dolph has always been underutilized…
Has Support: The Revival
The Revival are just about as talented of a duo as you could ever want, and they were unquestionably one of Triple H’s favorite NXT tag teams. Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson are both great in the ring, they are both above average on the microphone, and their chemistry together cannot be denied. As a result, Triple H pushed The Revival hard in NXT, and you can be assured that Hunter was fully on board with Scott and Dash’s goal to take over tag team wrestling in WWE.
However, like many of Triple H’s NXT creations, The Revival have been completely mismanaged and booked absolutely atrociously on the main roster thus far, and over the past few weeks, we have become aware of The Revival’s wishes to leave the WWE in the near future for greener pastures elsewhere – most likely in AEW. If Triple H was the man in charge of Monday Night Raw, there’s no doubt The Revival would be dominating the Tag Team Division.
Wants Gone: Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon and Triple H have never meshed well together, whether on-screen or backstage, and the reasons for this being the case aren’t exactly clear. However, what we definitely do know is that there is a bit of a “power struggle” and clashing of egos behind the scenes with Hunter and Shane, and their relationship has remained very strained for well over a decade now.
According to multiple sources, Triple H was against the idea of bringing back Shane McMahon to the WWE, and while Hunter clearly got his way a number of years back when Shane had desired to return, a couple of years ago, Vince obviously felt differently hence why Shane-O-Mac returned and was put into a prominent role. Triple H certainly isn’t a fan of the constant spotlight Shane has been receiving in the ring on SmackDown Live, and you can bet your bottom dollar that Hunter would love nothing more than to push Shane out by having him go on a losing streak before being ousted of the company all together!
Has Support: Bayley
Bayley may not be your average WWE women’s wrestler based off her looks, but there’s absolutely no denying the fact that Bayley’s one of the best pure wrestlers (male or female) the WWE have on their roster. Triple H was a huge supporter of Bayley down in NXT, and she was presented at the top of the Women’s Division for the entirety of her stay there – in fact, Bayley was a part of some of the greatest NXT matches in history.
Hunter believes that Bayley has all of the tools required to be a top star in WWE, despite her less-than-glamorous appearance (at least compared to the likes of Mandy Rose and Alexa Bliss), and “The Game” was sure that Bayley would be a huge success on the main roster. However, things certainly didn’t go as Triple H had planned for Bayley in WWE, because for the bulk majority of her run thus far, Bayley has been an afterthought with no clear direction. Once Triple H takes over however, Bayley will undoubtedly have a career resurgence, so don’t lose all hope yet…
Wants Gone: Jinder Mahal
Triple H may have had some nice things to say about Jinder Mahal after their “huge match” at the WWE Live Supershow in New Delhi, India two years ago, but the comments Hunter made in front of the cameras certainly don’t reflect the way Hunter views Jinder behind the scenes. The rise of Jinder Mahal in WWE was entirely Vince’s plan to break out into the Indian market, and Hunter had absolutely nothing to do with it whatsoever.
If anything, Stephanie McMahon was the other high ranking executive supporting her father’s decision. Even dating back to Jinder Mahal’s time spent in NXT before the developmental brand was anywhere near as popular as it is now, Triple H didn’t believe Mahal had a future in WWE, hence why Seth Rollins was the man who became the inaugural NXT Champion. Triple H has especially been displeased with Mahal recently for his questionable body transformation, as well as his lackluster in-ring performances.
Have Support: Drew McIntyre
Although there are many wrestlers on the WWE roster Vince McMahon and Triple H strongly disagree with each other on, Drew McIntyre just so happens to be one of the Superstars they both agree is deserving of the spotlight. Drew’s rise in WWE is mainly due to his hard work in reinventing himself on the Indies and reestablishing his name in the wrestling business after a terribly ended run in WWE – the 3MB stigma was undoubtedly hard for McIntyre to get rid of, though thankfully, he eventually did.
Drew McIntyre impressed Triple H during his run in NXT, enough to warrant a run as the brands headlining champion, and Drew was certainly primed to make a big impact on the main roster. So far, Vince has been very open to pushing Drew McIntyre on Monday Night Raw, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if McIntyre captures the Universal Championship before the year’s end. Unlike some wrestlers who’re only getting pushed because Vince is in charge, once Hunter takes over, Drew will still be presented at the forefront of WWE.
Wants Gone: Mojo Rawley
Loud, obnoxious, overly boisterous, hyped, and resembling John Cena, it isn’t hard to understand why Triple H was never a big fan of Mojo Rawley, and as to why Vince McMahon was very high on the former football player. Mojo definitely didn’t fit the mold of NXT very well, hence why he was never featured in any sort of a prominent spot. However, even since Rawley signed with WWE, Vince was a big supporter, and in all honesty, it’s hard to blame Vince for feeling this way considering Mojo sort of resembles one the WWE’s biggest “cash cows” in recent memory, John Cena.
While Mojo Rawley has yet to receive a sustained push on the main roster yet, it’s clear Vinny Mac still has plans for Mojo in the near future, but those plans would be nixed if Hunter took over the reins of the main roster. Hunter sees little value in Mojo Rawley at the moment, and perhaps the reason Rawley hasn’t seen much screen time recently (much like Zack Ryder) is because of Triple H.
Has Support: Bobby Roode
Long before signing with the WWE, wrestling fans had pointed out just how similar Impact Wrestling’s Bobby Roode looked compared to the WWE’s Triple H, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if this simple fact helped put Roode in the good books of Hunter. Regardless, Triple H was very impressed with Bobby Roode’s work down in NXT, and Roode’s hard work paid off in the way of having a glorious NXT Championship reign. Before joining the main roster, Bobby Roode was unquestionably one of the hottest names in the entire company, let alone NXT, and many fans (and Hunter) believed that Bobby would be an instant sensation on Raw or SmackDown Live.
Clearly, Triple H hasn’t been at all impressed with the way Roode has been handled on the main roster, because despite showing all the promise and potential in the world to become a World Title contender, Roode was simply cast aside in favor of other talents. With that said, if Bobby Roode can handle his demoted status in WWE for a bit longer, once Hunter takes over, Roode will be pushed heavily…
Wants Gone: Nia Jax
Triple H has unquestionably been one of the key reasons as to why we have seen “The Women’s Revolution” get off the ground in WWE, because like many things, it all started down in NXT with the “Four Horsewomen” – Sasha, Bayley, Becky, and Charlotte. Triple H is very particular about the women’s wrestlers he desires to be presented at the forefront of the WWE, because like most fans, Hunter is not interested in the WWE moving backward when it comes to women’s wrestling by pushing untalented “lookers.”
Nia Jax is one of the female Superstars who hasn’t really impressed Triple H much despite the fact Stephanie and Vince are reportedly high on Nia, and Hunter’s reasoning for feeling this way is likely due to Nia Jax’s shortcomings in the ring, being somewhat botch prone, and even worse, a bit of a danger to her opponents given her rough and tumble style. To put it nicely, let’s just say that Triple H would not be pushing Nia Jax if he was in charge of Raw…
Has Support: Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens has been a “Triple H guy” ever since the moment Kevin put the pen to paper during his WWE signing, and Owens’ monster push in NXT certainly reflected it. Despite not looking like your average monster heel, Triple H saw massive potential in the charismatic and talented Kevin Owens, and it definitely didn’t take much convincing on Hunter’s part for NXT fans to jump on the KO bandwagon which was seemingly heading in an upswing direction.
However, while Triple H was able to get his point across to Vince that Kevin Owens was a true talent who was deserving of the spotlight, McMahon, unfortunately, began to lose interest in Kevin shortly after his Universal Championship reign. Kevin Owens’ recent injury may actually be a blessing in disguise, because prior to getting put on the shelf, Owens wasn’t in any sort of a prominent feud. With that being said, you can be assured that when Kevin makes his return in the near future, Triple H will be trying to talk Vince into giving Owens another major push – it pays to be in Hunter’s good books, doesn’t it?
Wants Gone: Bobby Lashley
It’s definitely no surprise that Bobby Lashley was one of Vince’s guys during his first (and current) run in WWE, as Lashley possesses the look and intimidation factor McMahon has always had a soft spot for. Triple H, on the other hand, never quite bought into the Bobby Lashley hype even during Bobby’s first run in the company, and things certainly haven’t changed in Hunter’s mind the second time around. As many fans are well aware, most new WWE signee’s start off their journey in NXT before getting called up to the main roster, but that wasn’t the case for Bobby Lashley.
Perhaps Vince felt as though Lashley was too big a name to have to go through “developmental,” or maybe Hunter wasn’t interested in acquiring Bobby for NXT. As some fans had expected, Bobby Lashley hasn’t taken the WWE by storm this time around either despite getting pushed quite heavily and if it were up to Hunter, talent such as Kevin Owens, Bobby Roode, Sami Zayn, and Bray Wyatt would be receiving the spotlight Lashley has been getting lately.
Has Support: Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins has truly evolved significantly since his humble beginnings in NXT, though right from the get-go, it was obvious that Triple H had huge plans for Seth considering he was crowned the inaugural NXT Champion. Well before fans were buying into Seth Rollins as a legitimate “star in the making,” Hunter made sure to include Seth in The Shield faction, because despite the fact some fans considered Seth to be the least important member of the group, Triple H still saw it as the perfect way to get fans used to Seth before his push would really begin.
Seth Rollins has had his ups and downs in WWE, but Triple H remains one of “The Architects” biggest supporters, likely one of the reasons as to why Seth has continuously been featured in a prominent role despite the fact Vince has always favored Roman Reigns. When Triple H takes over for Vince, if anything, Seth Rollins’ push will only intensify, as Hunter clearly believes that Seth is a worthwhile talent (and rightfully so).
Wants Gone: Brock Lesnar
With a roster full of promising young superstars who are totally capable of handling the spotlight, you can be assured that Triple H is furious that Vince McMahon continues to choose Brock Lesnar in favor of his NXT creations for the top spot on Monday Night Raw – usually, at the expense of Hunter’s favorites including Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, and Finn Balor, among others. Triple H has never been a very big supporter of Brock Lesnar even during “The Beast Incarnates” first run in the company, and many believed that Hunter was unwilling to put Lesnar over back in the day when Vince had approached him about it unlike other big stars such as Hulk Hogan and The Rock.
While Triple H is unquestionably a changed man compared to before considering Hunter’s all for “what’s best for business” now, there’s no doubt that he’s grown tired of the part-time Brock Lesnar hogging the spotlight (slightly ironic given Triple H’s infamous past). Regardless, Triple H would love nothing more than for Lesnar to put over some of his chosen ones before leaving the company for good.
Has Support: Finn Balor
One of the talents that Triple H and Vince McMahon have clashed heads the most over is definitely Finn Balor. Balor’s an example of a superstar Triple H believed was the future of the WWE, where as Vince simply looks at Finn and proclaimed he’s “bland and boring.” In NXT, Finn Balor was protected and booked extremely soundly by Triple H to showcase his strengths and hide any weaknesses (most notably Finn’s less-than-perfect mic skills), but once on the main roster, Vince clearly noticed Balor’s shortcomings right away, hence why Finn’s big push was halted just as quickly as it started.
Finn Balor also being labeled by Vince as “injury prone” didn’t help matters, but Triple H has remained a big supporter of Finn Balor, regardless. It cannot be argued that Triple H is somewhat responsible for Finn Balor’s renewed push in the WWE lately, and Vinny Mac is clearly giving Balor another chance to prove himself – as well, the introduction of AEW has made Vince make some decisions he otherwise wouldn’t under normal circumstances…
Wants Gone: Braun Strowman
When you look at a wrestler like Braun Strowman, it’s impossible to deny that the first thought that comes to mind is “Vince is definitely behind this beast.” Although Braun Strowman has come a long way since his early days of being one of Bray Wyatt’s henchmen, Triple H has still yet to believe that Strowman is the future of WWE. As some fans would say, Braun is definitely a bit of a “one trick pony,” and like most monsters before him, they tend to have a short shelf life before getting demoted down the card.
Clearly, Braun Strowman still has a few more good years in a prominent role, but it’s doubtful that Braun’s push will be something that continues well into the future. Triple H wanted no part of Strowman down in NXT given his greenness and lack of talent, but Vince was certainly willing to give the lumbering behemoth a chance – thankfully, Strowman proved Vince to be a worthwhile investment. However, it’s clear that Triple H would love nothing more than for Strowman to put over some of his chosen ones.
