10 Current WWE Wrestlers Vince McMahon Didn’t Know How To Book (That Triple H Will)
At the moment WWE is only about a month into the new regime with Triple H as creative director. Many believed it would take a while for big changes to materialize as Vince McMahon had monopoly on WWE creativity for decades. However, it looks like Triple H will be making a splash every week on both Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown.
One of the biggest changes in the Triple H regime is the surprise wrestlers that seem to show up every week. The matches last longer and are more powerful and faster. The term “Vince McMahon boys” put a cap on many wrestlers based on their height and build, but it looks like many of the wrestlers Triple H booked at NXT will be more likely to get a shot at the main roster.
10 Mustafa Ali
Vince McMahon obviously didn’t understand the Mustafa Ali character, as McMahon reportedly made Ali publicly announce that he wanted to be fired from the company.
However, since Trips took over, Ali looks rejuvenated as he immediately faced a triple threat for a number one contender for the US Championship and proved exciting as a tag team with Cedric Alexander. Hopefully Triple H sees what a lot of other fans see in Ali and he can be the star many have been waiting for.
9 Gunther
While Gunther became Intercontinental Champion under Vince McMahon’s tutelage, rumor had it that he was buried before the former chairman was ousted. That would have been a shame as at NXT UK Gunther was arguably the most dominant champion WWE has seen in quite some time, rivaling Roman Reigns’ run with the Universal Championship on the main roster.
Gunther has been perfectly cast as one of the most dangerous indie wrestlers. His matchup against Sheamus Clash at the castle could be a hint that Trips understands his character better with the addition of Imperium as well.
8th Shayna Baseler
Shayna Baszler has already seen the benefits of the creative Triple H headline. Baszler was more of an afterthought for most of her main roster career after being a dominant NXT champion. Baszler was never put on the same level as any of the four riders or Bianca Belair or her friend Ronda Rousey.
However, Triple H booked her to face Liv Morgan for the SmackDown Women’s Championship Clash at the castle, and she seems much more of a serious threat to the women’s locker room. With Baszler’s MMA history, it makes all the sense in the world that she’s treated a lot more like Ronda Rousey than a jobber.
7 ricochet
Ricochet should be considered one of the most electrifying and exciting wrestlers in the world. At NXT, his airstrike was treated as an attraction under Triple H, but on the main roster he was treated a lot less important than he ever should be.
Most of Ricochet’s matches weren’t considered important on the card, even when he was carded under the Vince McMahon regime, but under Triple H Ricochet will likely once again be showcased as the most exciting wrestler to watch. He’s already shown new life in the ring and behind the mic on SmackDown, and this appears to be the tip of the iceberg of what Ricochet could become in WWE.
6 Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura is one of the biggest examples of the difference between booking an NXT wrestler and booking the main roster wrestler. The difference between Shinsuke Nakamura in NXT and on the main roster is day and night. Nakamura in NXT was presented as this incredible attraction and the coolest wrestler in the world.
Even when he was appointed to the main list, it looked like he would be treated as such and after his WrestleMania 34 Match against AJ Styles, Nakamura’s character began to falter. Nakamura went into a heel, which never worked because fans wouldn’t boo him, and then into a comedy-like character who was never seen as a serious threat to the world title again.
5 Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Ciampa is arguably the most important wrestler in NXT history. Ciampa is a two-time NXT champion, but on the main roster he was minimized to The Miz’s minion. Though he’s still on the main roster with The Miz under the Triple H regime, it seems like he’s becoming more of a focus on Monday Night RAW.
Ciampa has previously fought Bobby Lashley for the US Championship and has an interesting history with The Miz, Bobby Lashley, AJ Styles and Dexter Lumis. Ciampa has been one of the biggest highlights at Monday Night RAW each week and expects to continue doing so under Triple H.
4 asuka
Just looking at Asuka’s accomplishments on the main list, you wouldn’t think Vince McMahon didn’t know how to book them, but context matters in that aspect. Asuka was the most dominant and destructive force in NXT. However, the main roster made her too much of a comedy act.
Despite being a Grand Slam champion, Asuka was not booked as the dominant unstoppable force that she was in NXT. With Triple H leading the main roster, fans may see a more dominant, NXT-like Asuka.
3 Butsch
The name says it all. When NXT’s Pete Dunne was named to the main roster, many of the NXT fans were excited as one of the best wrestlers in the world finally got his chance on the roster. However, under Vince McMahon, Pete Dunne was renamed Bitch and became a comedy, Scrappy Doo-esque character in a trio with Sheamus and Ridge Holland.
For a wrestler that Triple H helped position himself as one of the most brutal, hard-hitting technical wrestlers on the planet, it was day and night of a different character. If Triple H allows Pete Dunne to return to this bruiserweight character, WWE may have a new megastar on its hands.
2 Karion Kross
Karrion Kross was certainly considered one of Triple H’s guys. Kross was a dominant champion in NXT and one of the guys billed as one day taking over the company as the face of WWE. However, it was immediately apparent that Vince McMahon didn’t have the same ideas as Triple H, as Kross lost his first match on Monday Night RAW to Jeff Hardy within minutes.
Kross was given an odd gimmick and a helmet before being quickly fired as soon as he was called to the main roster, but when Triple H became head of creative, he brought back Kross and Scarlett and gave him a much more similar character to what he was in NXT. Already in a feud against Drew McIntyre, Kross looks set to take a top spot in WWE.
1 Finn Balor
Finn Balor is one of those wrestlers that Vince McMahon never seems to understand how to book. Balor was one of the most iconic wrestlers outside of WWE when he was Prince Devitt in New Japan and founded the famous faction Bullet Club. In NXT, Balor was a similar character, as cool as can be, and his Demon gimmick used perfectly and sparingly.
However, when he lost the Universal Championship the day after winning the title, Vince didn’t look at him again. Hopefully, once Judgment Day has taken its course, Balor will return to his old glory days.