Vince McMahon was finally ousted from WWE amid a series of sexual misconduct allegations. While he retains an executive role in the company, WWE's new owner - Endeavor - seems mighty pleased with Triple H calling the shots from a creative standpoint.
RAW, SmackDown, and NXT have all benefited massively from The Game being in charge, putting WWE on the hottest streak it's had in several years.
WWE has improved from top to bottom, with storylines behind every match we see; on Vince's watch, most bouts had no rhyme or reason and simply took place over and over on a weekly basis.
Now, Triple H has told Sports Illustrated about his approach to booking.
"I started at zero and saw all the various stages of it," he says. "I’ve worked in front of basically no people, and I’ve worked the biggest shows in the world. I understand the process–the successes and the failures. Even when you get an opportunity to move up the card, then you’re moved back down and you’re not sure if you’re going to get that opportunity again - I’ve been there."
"Vince taught me years ago, you put yourself in the seats and you’ll never go wrong. You’ve always got to maintain that perspective. I started out as a fan. Book what people want to feel and see."
Writing this stuff is a feel. You can analyze stories and how they come together, but how does it make you feel? If you can make people feel those stories, they’re going to be invested in the product," Triple H continued. "That’s how we try to approach, find that ultimate emotional place for the talent and the characters and the stories they’re in."
He'd go on to say that WWE "[doesn't] take our fan base for granted," and praised the current generation of Superstars for the way they've managed to connect with fans.
Triple H being the right person to take charge first became apparent in the mid-2000s when he was calling the shots in NXT. The developmental brand was praised for being vastly superior to RAW and SmackDown, with TakeOver events even stealing the show during WrestleMania weekends.
McMahon eventually decided to take charge of NXT, dubbing it NXT 2.0 and delivering a dire series of pro wrestling shows which allowed AEW Dynamite to effortlessly beat it in terms of ratings each week.
Are you pleased with Triple H's role as head of WWE Creative?