Have WWE Fans Found Triple H’s Weakness as a Booker Ahead of WrestleMania 41?
Triple H has been the chief content officer of the WWE for nearly three years, being the head of creative for Raw and Smackdown. His run has received positive feedback and was a much-needed change from Vince McMahon’s widely criticized booking. However, there have also been moments where Triple H’s booking was questioned, which has increased heavily in the leadup to WrestleMania 41. All these problems stem from one thing, which is the inability to adapt.
One of the main things that Triple H is applauded for is his long-term storytelling. This was seen numerous times in the Bloodline storyline, such as when Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn became WWE Tag Team Champions and when Cody Rhodes won the Undisputed WWE Championship. This has, though, been also the biggest reason why there are fans who are not behind Triple H’s booking philosophy. Unlike McMahon, who was changing scripts hours before shows, it seems that Triple H is locked in on his ideas.
This was seen at the 2025 Royal Rumble, where Jey Uso outlasted 29 other men to earn a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 41. This moment felt as if it had been in the works for years, especially when looking at Uso’s character development since 2020. However, many believed this was an undeserved opportunity due to the abysmal match the Usos had against each other at WrestleMania 40 and because his in-ring work is subpar at best. It would have been the perfect time to shift from what was supposed to happen and give the win to someone like CM Punk or Drew McIntyre instead.
At the Elimination Chamber, John Cena earned the right to face Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 for the Undisputed WWE Championship. This was likely the plan that Triple H had for months following the retirement announcement Cena made at Money in the Bank 2024. Although fans were excited about the feud, the build to what is supposed to be one of the biggest matches ever has been nothing but lackluster. That is due to Cena’s part-time schedule, as he has only made three total appearances following his shocking heel turn at the beginning of March. It’s confusing as to why Triple H has wasted his WrestleMania main event on a wrestler who simply isn’t showing up, especially considering that Cena will be appearing regularly in a few months.
These are just two of the biggest instances of Triple H not being able to shift away from original plans, with many other storylines suffering the same fate. The Austin Theory - Grayson Waller split has been teased for over a year, and fans are still confused as to when that will happen. Triple H has halted the New Day’s momentum following their heel turn as there are no clear plans for the duo until Big E’s return, which may not even happen. This was also the case with Chad Gable, as one of the hottest wrestlers in late 2023 and early 2024 did not get his WrestleMania moment, which was instead given to Sami Zayn as that was always the plan. Triple H certainly has more positives than negatives when it comes to booking the WWE, but there is a clear reason why WrestleMania 41 does not feel as exciting as it should be.
