The End.

Good post Kevin. This is a fair balance post. But the only thing i disagree you is that he hand pick orton and batista to be stars. In my opinion jericho was and is a better wrestler then triple h cause he did'nt fit wwe style. What do you think?

What about Big Dick Johnson? Put him in honorable mentions next to Sheamus! :D

"When The Ultimate Warrior squashed him in about a minute and a half at WrestleMania XII in 1996, insider fans complained what a travesty it was that a young up-and-comer such as Triple H had to put over an over-hyped prima dona such as Warrior in that fashion."

_______________________________

I thought that was hilarious, myself.

HHH is a very good mic man, but in my opinion, he is overrated in the ring. His move set is limited and so fake-looking that his offense requires as much suspension of disbelief as Rey Mysterio's.

Ultimately, I think that the best illustration of HHH's backstage power is not his number of titles but the disposition of his on-screen character. As another poster alluded to two weeks ago, HHH was a fearless heel who would almost always outsmart the babyface, and now he is a face under whose skin no heel can get unless they assault his wife. I have said this before, but it warrants repeating: without HHH's advantages, he would not be the sledgehammer-wielding superhero/supervillian whom we know.

Well reasoned (hey I am a trips mark so I was happy with the number 1 spot) This is an argument I have had with many of the IWC, who contend that without Trip's marriage to Steph he would not be such a big star. Forgetting of course where he was a big star on the rise before he even started dating Steph.

Nice post Mr Eck.

Bravo. Your argument is very well worded.

I"m not a huge Triple H fan...I like the guy, and I like what he can do in the ring. He keeps his character entertaining and fresh, which is something that some other wrestlers (Double H? hahaha!) can't do.

I totally 100% agree with you. I believe when he 'retires" from the ring people will have a different view of Triple H. I still mark out for the sledge hammer no matter how ridiculous it is

As much as I hate to say it, I have to say your defense makes sense Eck...I would have actually preferred 'Taker to be #1, but that's a personal preference. Course, now everyone is going to come out of the woodwork and say your wrong...but that's life. I'd like your thoughts (call them "predictions") on perhaps the next big name superstars to retire. I was suprised to see Dreamer leave, and that got me to thinking, and a combination of Shawn Michaels, 'Taker, and even Kane strike me as probables in the next couple of years.

When I think of this decade, I will certainly not be thinking about HHH. The first few years in the WWE (then still WWF) were dominated by Rock/Stone Cold, then you had the Lesnar/AngleBenoit/Guerrero period and then Cena/Batista/Orton after that. HHH was never a draw or must-see TV to me, but that's just one man's opinion. Rarely did he steal the show with his matches, although I consider his triple threat with Benoit and Michaels to be the best WrestleMania match of all-time.

I wish HHH would have jobbed to RVD at some point in their feud. RVD was over an insane amount and needed just a nudge to be a top guy. Sadly, it never happened. But I agree, he helped build up Batista quite well.

Excellent points Kevin. Yet again you prove why you are the best wrestling critic on the net.

HHH did not elevate Orton. If anything, HHH has been the biggest obstacle to Orton, just as he has been to Jericho. It was Chris Benoit that elevated Orton to main-event status and it was HHH that brought Orton back down to mid-card status. Thank goodness that demotion was only temporary.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Remember that it was Triple H who handpicked Orton and Batista to be part of Evolution. That alone elevated Orton. The truth is that Orton was supposed to be a superstar babyface in his feud with Triple H in 2004, but the fans did not take to him as a face. Instead, they got behind Batista, and he shot past Orton at that time. Eventually, Orton got to the top, but it was Triple H that got the ball rolling.

unlike most wrestling fans... you back your arguements with facts...

good to see a blog not run by a smark

Good show

I personally don't think you should even have to defend your choices since this is YOUR website.

I agree with everything you said. I'm in the group where I feel HHH holds down people (namely Jericho) that are a threat, but for whatever the reasons, he was the biggest name in the last 10 years. Anybody who denies that is either looking for an argument or not listening to the criteria

I remember watching HHH way back when he had a feud with he had a feud with Cactus Jack (not the retirement storyline) and he showed real in ring talent, and I also remember that ladder match with the Rock which was one of the best matches on that card. The only one better was the Austin/Taker match that night.

As far as holding people down, I agree that Jericho has been, but RVD? I have been a huge RVD fan since back when he was the ECW Television Champion, but when he made the jump to WWE I never saw him as having the ability to convert that cult like following into more mainstream popularity. Trips has always been able to make reasonable workers look good during their matches, but I dont think RVD could do the same, too much emphasis on big spots than on telling a story through the match.

Acutally there was one Triple H storyline, that was fantastic in the making, had the potential to be one of the best - back when him and SCSA formed the Power Trip and between them held all the major belts, what were your thoughts on that story line Kevin?

RESPONSE FROM KE: It would have been interesting to see how it played out.

I still don't understand why Benoit or Guerrero did not make the top ten.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Because in my opinion they did not make as big an impact as the guys on the list. As talented as they were in the ring, Benoit and Guerrero were mid-carders for a good chunk of the decade.

I didn't comment on the announcement of HHH as wrestler of the decade, probably because I couldn't have agreed more.
Who else would you choose?
There aren't many people who can perform so consistently as he does with everyone he wrestles, and even though I prefer him as a heel, he can play both roles as well as any of the other main guys and has done for as long as I can remember.

Can't argue with this. But still think Chris Jericho should have been a place or two higher.

Once again Kev, your HBK bias shows through... how can you bash HBK's best friend? You'd have gotten thousands of more emails if you picked HBK as wrestler of the decade, so you went with his running buddy HHH instead.

Just kidding. It's not even close for wrestler of the decade. you can't judge it based on what we know about what happens off-screen. this has to be judged based on what we see on screen and he's easily the most consistent guy out there.

Just started reading your "ring posts" and i have liked what i have seen....Myself i have been a wrestling fan since 1990 and have seen it all before ,redone then redone again.........
I agree with you that Triple H is the wrestler of the decade...Yes he may be Vince's son in law but he actually has the talent and in ring presence to pull it off..And while i still disagree in his role in the whole Montreal incident(i feel it should have really only have been between Vince,Shawn & Bret)i can't think of a reason not to like the guy....He seems genuine in interviews...holds himself well outside the ring...no scandels....
As for his matches....the Foley match of course was a classic...The battles against HBK when he returned..espically the last man standing draw match...Triple Threat at Mania 20 is one of my all time fav matches....Incidently i know that hindsight is a wonderful thing but the tribute he gave to Beniot before the terrible news came out i thought was outstanding....
He has put over many performers as you say...He made Batista and to me Big Dave has never been as good since he had those matches..
Going to be interesting to see where he goes over the next few months...Will he fued with Shawn....perhaps....Even though we have seen it before it would be good to see it from a HBK heel point of view...
Anyway...just thought i would add my supp ort to you naming him as wrestler of the decade.

>> Love him or hate him, Triple H is the Wrestler of the Decade. <<

And if you're not down with that, we've got two words for you...

Hey Kevin,

As you go over HHH's career, I had always wondered what his role would have been in the Invasion-Alliance angle from 2001. Since he was the only top star who was injured during that time, my guess was that his babyface push would have started earlier than the big Royal Rumble return. I just couldn't see him being a heel and being apart of the Alliance faction with Kurt Angle and Austin already on that side. Any thoughts?

RESPONSE FROM KE: I agree that he would have been a babyface. That was a weird time in WWE -- remember Austin playing a whiny heel -- and being on the sideline for the whole Invasion mess was probably the best thing that could have happened for Triple H.

And that's the bottom line, really. Can't agree more.

Great post. I'm not a big HHH fan but I don't dislike him. You are right on all parts about him being wrestler of the decade. PWI also put as such which gives your post more validity.
I just hope he doesn't win the singles belt anymore; he truly doesn't need it. He should just elevate the new guys since he's going to be the last of the Attitude Era guys when Taker and HBK retire.

I don't really have a problem with your choice of HHH, however my opinion of him is that he has never quite reached that "iconic" level, in spite of being pushed so hard as the top guy for so long. Guys like Hogan, Savage, Andre, Austin, The Rock, Flair, HBK and Taker are who I would consider "iconic" since I feel they have crossover appeal to the general mass of non-wrestling fans. I always felt that HHH was the top of the Next Tier of wrestlers with guys like Jericho, Sting, Nash, etc. That's just one man's opinion though.

"Love him or hate him, Triple H is the Wrestler of the Decade."

Ok fine. Cronyism rules in professional wrestling and the staged wrestling events used to measure success will mirror that.

Anti-TNA biases aside though, I could make the argument that Kurt Angle should be wrestler of the decade in that he has held an equally important role in whatever company he has been involved with as HHH, did not marry into power, and has better skills in the ring and at least equal skills to HHH on the mike.

RESPONSE FROM KE: If you are making the point that Angle is a better all-around performer than Triple H, I agree with you. I still think Triple H made a bigger impact.

Did you co-sign a loan for HHH or something? I think his biggest crime is his last one. There was charismatic and talented superstar there ready for a big push and his buddy gets the shot instead. I'm talking about Kofi not getting the propper push but HHH's spotter, The Albin Bacne Monster, Sheamus getting a totally undeserved one. Give me a break. If HHH had decent wrestling acumen we wouldn't have to sit there and watch him trot out DX. I know you are in the tank for DX but two 40 years old dudes isn't gonna make me not watch TNA. And now that they got Hornswoggle in it is even more ridiculous . He must get HHH's coffee or something.

Kev i don't kmnow why u are justifing yourself the truth being the truth based on your criteria HHH is the logical pick that being said i have to disagree with your evaluation on HHH yes he did get punished by getting put in gimmick matches that 9x's out of 10 he won so it didn't hurt his credibility. and i will always disagree with you on Orton I think beating Beniot 2x made people take him seriously only to have HHH squash him and send him back to the upper mid card for another year and as far as holding people back the list is 2 long to name but the same could say about all of his clique friends. all in all HHH has worked really hard over the years and desrves to be where he is if you look at Hall & Waltman for him not to end up like them has to be given credit and the amount of pressure he may have to deal with on day to day because im quite sure he has women thowing themselves at him and unlike his daddy in law he has not given in to those urges. but finally when you book yourself your always gonna be at the top ie Dusty Rhodes,Jerry lawler,Jeff jarrett etc and none has said anything about them

Kev,

I couldn't agree with you more man. I was never a HHH fan, I found DX funny at times and other times found them extremely annoying back in the 90's. I despised HHH, and than after a few years I started to respect him a ton. I saw he was a main eventer and a talented guy. That respect eventually allowed me to like HHH a little bit. However, I didn't realize how much HHH meant to the business (IMO) until his second leg injury. I think it was his quad that he tore for the second time. As someone who respected HHH but didn't care for him, I really missed the guy while he was gone for 9 months. By month 5 or 6 of him being out I remember thinking I can't wait till HHH comes back because he was an elite guy in the WWE with the likes of the Rock, Undertaker, and Stone Cold at the time. I was excited when he was coming back and that really made me start to like HHH which I never have before.

My point is, HHH is a guy who love um or hate um, you have to respect the guy. We all know being Stephanie McMahon's husband has helped his cause in the business but before that relationship even existed he was a superstar and elite guy. He's a main eventer (not as much as he once was) and he's been one of the mainstay's in the WWE for the past 15 years. I have always respected HHH but not always liked him. Therefore, I feel that you are spot on with your assessment.

Now tell Vince to break back the Rock to guest host an upcoming Raw Episode!

Does it matter that he's been no more than just an okay in-ring performer - with a finishing move that looks like it couldn't hurt a fly?

I agree completely with you placing Triple H first; according to the criteria he could be no where else, and likewise no one else could take that number 1 spot.

However you said that the only person who could have come close was Cena...I defiantly think Cena should be up there (again according to the criteria), but what about Undertaker? Surely he is at least in contention for the top spot; personally I feel over Cena.

Kevin, you made many of the same point I made against everyone in the HHH post. The fact is HHH was successful way before being part of the family, he is highly skilled (yes, even more skilled than Undertaker which everyone loves despite his political power plays), and has probably more passion for the business than just about everyone else on the roster.

The HHH I remember is the HHH that would come on my TV every monday night for 15 minutes whining and moaning and parading himself around. And then that wasn't the last you saw of him neither!

And he would SQUASH his opponents. The fans would be crying for new blood and they knew it wouldn't happen because HHH just wouldn't lose that strap.

And let's not forget that horrid Booker T feud. That was just racist at some points (youtube a few infamous clips if you don't agree)

The problem is....between 1999-2009 there aren't many wrestlers who stayed the course. So, my vote would have went to Kurt Angle. He held it down. He made you want to watch WWE...and I guess he's doing it big at TNA too. He was that character that you loved to clown on but wouldn't turn the channel when the bell rung. It was all "you suck" until you saw him doing moves you've never expected before

Thank you Kevin, I agree with you 100%. Triple H was the wrestler of the decade, unquestionably. I think he should be judged as any other wrestler, in the fact that sometimes he'll do what's best for him, but he always get cast with the shadow of being Stephanie's husband and it causes people to forget that he was already a star in his own right before that happened.

My personal opinion is that you have Kurt Angle way underrated in the countdown. Yes, he has his detractors outside of the ring (dui's, hgh use allegedly, marital issues, etc)...however inside the ring he always has great matches, even when he is banged up beyond belief.
For what its worth, he was also IWGP champion.
For my money, if I had to choose between watching a Kurt Angle match or a HHH match, I choose Angle and that is largely based on comparing their work over the last decade.

RESPONSE FROM KE: No doubt Angle is a better wrestler than Triple H. He'd be at the top of a Best Workers of the Decade list, but that's not what this was.

Although I may not agree with Triple H being Superstar of the Year, you do make many valid points Mr. Eck. Triple H was a major star and won the world title before he married Stephanie, so he's was already at the top of his game. He wouldn't have as many title reigns if he hadn't, though. I always see people misconcept that. Therefor, I respect your opinion, and keep up the fantastic work with these articles.

Let me start this comment link. Hey, if Kev thinks HHH is WOTD, its as good as choice as any. And please remember, it IS a choice. Kev makes excellent points to his selection. Its HIS selection, and we all have our own. As for me, just coming back to the universe after my 2nd 19 year hiatus (1971+1990)I would select Cena. Only because I'm a rebel. Its Kev's ring post and it should be respected, not analyzed. He brings us what we want, and need. Like him or not for what he says, we all still read for enjoyment, or reviews.
Touching on a line...Warrior also beat Andre the Giant in seconds. He left the ring, as quick as he entered. True entertainment. And if you think about it, who could be smack in the middle of a heel and a face better than HHH???
ECK ROCKS!!

Let's figure out a way to get rid of Bubba The Sponge.

I liked the list. Disagreed with some, but that is always the case.

I wanted to know if you might do a list of who you would predict to be at the tope of this list at the end of the next decade.

I hope that we won't still have HHH and HBK still on the list, but you never know, with your love for HBK and his unwillingness to retire he probably makes it.

Hey Kevin, agree with you on most of your points. For better or for worse no-one had has much impact on wrestling in the decade than Triple H. However one thing I do want to point out is that a major reason why people hate HHH is his awful main-event run 2002-2004. Boring overlong promos, awful matches (in his defence he had to carry Kevin Nash and Steiner but still) and involvement in some shocking storylines (Katie Vick anyone?).

Whereas Cena's huge title run in 2005-07 at least lead to some brilliant matches (Orton, Umaga, heck he even pulled off a watchable match out of the Great Khali) and some great feuds (the feud with Edge immediately comes into mind).

I'm not saying that I'm a Triple H hater (I actually enjoy a lot of his work with a lot of his matches making my favourite all-time lists) but even I can see why people dislike him.

One thing I thought I'd put out there. Wrestlemania 23 - the Wrestlemania with the highest buyrate in WWE history was headlined by Cena vs HBK (although Trump vs McMahon was a major reason for its high buyrate) with no HHH in sight.

RESPONSE FROM KE: On your last point, you are absolutely correct. That buy rate was due to Trump-McMahon. Everything else on the card was secondary.

At first I was pretty shocked that Triple H was chosen as wrestler of the decade in your countdown, mainly because I'm one of the fans who feels like he has his spot because of his family ties and his tendency to hold other performers down. But, after reading your argument here, I have to agree that there's more to him than that. I was a big fan of Triple H back in the Attitude Era when he was first starting to break into the main event, but in recent years I think I've just grown tired of seeing him constantly on top. Every year when Wrestlemania rolls around, it's pretty much guaranteed that Triple H will be wrestling in a World Title match, which he has done so for the past several years. Hopefully this year the seeds that are slowly being planted for a HHH/HBK confrontation at 'mania will in fact grow into something special, as I think it will be very refreshing to see Hunter not in a World Title match there and he always seems to produce amazing things with Shawn when he competes against him. There's no doubt that Triple H is a great worker and he has elevated guys such as Orton and Batista, plus he gets a huge reaction from the crowd, whether he's playing the heel or the babyface, so maybe I should take it easy on the guy.

Hope you and your family had a great New Year Kev, and all the best for 2010 :)

Have to say that this is spot on Eck! I've faithfully watched WWE tv for as long as I can remember (I'm only 25) and as many people that "dog on" Trips, he still goes out there night in and night out and not only puts on good matches, but gets huge pops from the crowd. Do I wish that the backstage politics didn't happen and people that he seems to have ties to get favored treatment (see elmer glue man...aka Sheamus)? Obviously! But it has always been a part of the business and always will be a part of it. Can't knock the guy for making the right friends and marrying the woman he fell in love with. Thanks for the great blog!

And if you are not down with that, Kev has got two words for ya.

I enjoy the blog by the way.

Fair points Kev, however, I just feel this decade, while Triple H has been "one of" the top guys, THE top guy, the guy who has replaced Stone Cold so to speak, has been John Cena. I would put Cena at #1 and Triple H at a (very) close #2.

While its fair to say Triple H has put over many stars this decade, look at the stars he has put over. Chris Benoit, Batista, Cena. All are lacking in one department or another. Benoit had no charisma, Batista and Cena are limited in the ring. Triple H knew they weren't threats to his spot and would never be perceived by fans as being better than himself. However, Triple H has NEVER in a meaningful way put over anyone who has the whole package, charisma, work rate and mic skills like Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho and Edge. He's a smart man and knows guys like that will be perceived as better than him (because they are, in every department) and are therefore threats to his spot. This has been Triple H's negative effect on the business.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Definitely a valid argument there.

Good article Kevin and I agree 100% with your facts as stated. I am 100% a Triple H fan - love the character --- and while I feel that it certainly helps being Vince's son-in-law, etc., I still agree that he was a gifted wrestler and paid his dues way before he became involved with Stephanie. Reading his book - Making the Game - Approach to a better body - he's been into this ever since he was a boy and if it's true, was very diligent in going to the gym, learning and paying his dues. Even today, I don't think he sits back and just relies on "family ties" --- and you got it right - on tv and at live events, the fans "love him" and the merchandise sells. LOL - I bowl on Saturday night and we even have a team there (I'm not on this team by the way) - DX Army - that come in every week with DX shirts/wristbands, etc. --- so I agree Triple H should have gotten that no. 1 from you --- if you truly speak about he last decade, I can honestly say, I began watching in 2006 and since I've been watching, I've never seen Bret Hart, the Rock, etc. even wrestle weekly.

And whether you "hate" or "love" a wrestler, we've all got to remember, these are characters, it's entertainment. I personally "hate" the wrestlers Randy Orton and Chris Jericho, but I'm sure they're decent human beings and I will definitely admit, they're both good wrestlers (who can really get the fans anger going). As usual, great blog --- Kevin, you really make my day with your blogs - It gets my days here at work off to a good start.

You obviously have not seen Hunters own King of Kings DVD where he talks about the Curtain Call and that Vince said to him it wasnt a harsh punishment and he was doing it just for forms sake and that it wasnt as bad as it could be. Thats Hunter not me.
Lets not forget he was back on the booking commite by 97 and Vince has always thought Hunter is the best thing since sliced bread.
Besdies can anyone forget his promo to Booker T about Bookers kind not making champions it was so rascist he may as well as have called him the N word and gone the whole hog.

Thank You Kev that was great! But to be fair I am a HUGE Triple H Mark! :o)

That is one of the most well thought out, unbiased articles of any kind I have ever read. I do not love or hate Triple H, but no one could argue any of the points you present. That is as fair an assessment of his decade as you could have. Excellent job, Kev.

I don't disagree with most of this, but I have two main comments.

"He was the top guy during the peak year of the Attitude Era (2000)."

He was actually the number 2 guy in 2000; the number 1 guy (by a country mile) was the Rock. HHH played a role to be sure, but Rock's contribution to WWE's success dwarfed that of HHH. It's like comparing Hogan and Piper's contribution to business in the mid 1980s. So I don't mean it as a knock because HHH was important, but he wasn't number 1.

Secondly, I would never say that HHH's relationship with Stephanie made him a main eventer. That's not true. His relationship with her, however, made him THE main eventer. From end of 2002 to 2005 he WAS Raw, even though the ratings and buy rates did nothing to justify it. I had hoped he would step back once Cena rose to the top but he stuck around at the top of the card after. In 2008-09, he had a long run with the WWE title and beat all the younger stars like Orton, Hardy and Edge.

I kind of compare HHH with Randy Savage. Both great wrestlers and excellent all-round performers. They had superb runs in the mid-card in mid-late 90s and 80s respectively before having fantastic runs as the main heel (Savage in 88/89 and HHH in 99/00) although still eclipsed by the top guys (Hogan and Rock). But then there's a divergence. In 1992, WWF gave Savage the belt after Hogan left but he didn't do as well as before, so Vince went with new blood in Bret, Yokozuna and Luger. In 2002/3, WWE did the same thing with HHH after Rock and Austin left and the result was the same - nowhere near as successful as before.

But instead of trying someone new, he hung around for years as the main guy, pushed harder than any wrestler in history. That's what his marriage achieved.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Rock was certainly the biggest star in the industry in 2000, but as far as wrestling on the top of the card, he and Triple H were just about even. Rock was in 10 PPV main events that year, while Triple H was in nine. Triple H held the WWE title for 153 days that year; Rock held it for 140. Rock was the top face, and Triple H was the top heel.

Hey kev , once again you make a few good points as to why triple h is your choice for wrestler of the decade but keep in mind that triple h was surrounded by top stars during the early stage of the decade and was put over strong by the likes of The Rock , Steve Austin , foley and Taker. Now lets compare that 2 the quality that Cena had to work with and his ability to consistently be the top draw in wwe. Triple H being the top guy without the support of top guys post attitude era has never been successful or materialised into instant ratings or buyrates. But once again based on championships and spot on the card he is the only other logical choice

In the big picture, Triple H really is the wrestler of the decade. I do find it interesting, though, that you consider his peak year to be 2000, the first year of the decade. If that was his peak, then he really hasn't descended from that peak very much.

I also think it speaks volumes of Paul Levesque the wrestler that out of all the big names from the "Attitude Era", he's the only one that's left and fully active (I don't consider Undertaker to be a "big name" from that era). Steve Austin left in 2002 and never wrestled a full schedule ever again, and the only full schedule Rock wrestled in the last decade was 2000. Then he got into movies. Triple H was and never will be as popular as those two, but he certainly lays claim to being the man who has the most dedication to wrestling as a sport, as entertainment, as a business, as an art, or whatever else you want to consider it. Triple H really is the King of Kings.

I hate HHH, but I even said in your HHH post that there is nobody else that can be in that number one spot, the ones that say otherwise are just blinded by their dislike of him,

Very well said Kev. Couldn't really agree more. Triple must have had high profile programs with about every top star in the business. He also to a lesser extent, helped complete Jeff Hardys elevation to the main event level (Armaggedon).

"Lets not forget he was back on the booking commite by 97"

__________________________________

Yes! Was that not THREE FREAKING YEARS before he married Stephanie? I feel like I am shouting in the wilderness when I point that fact out. It's heartening to see that someone else understands its significance: HHH has been in a conflict of interest since 1997.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Well, that's basically what I meant when I said that he had Vince McMahon's ear. But, again, he is not the only wrestler to be on a booking committee and also be one of the company's top stars. Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair immediately come to mind. A conflict of interest? Sure, but do you think if Vince McMahon thought Triple H was bad for business (long before HHH married his daughter) he would have been booked as a top guy? Like I said, it is a conflict, but it's not like Triple H was a no-talent guy who was in way over his head being in a top spot.

>> Love him or hate him, Triple H is the Wrestler of the Decade.

And if you're not down with that, we've got two words for you...

Posted by: etucker | January 8, 2010 9:03 AM

Good one. Did you come up with that on your own?

For as much as everyone bashes HHH (myself included, and probably more than most), he is the most prominent wrestler of the decade unquestionably. There are only 4 other people who ever had a chance. The Rock and Brock Lesnar could and should have been, but their left the business for other interests. Jericho would have had he not been jobbed to oblivion, and Cena almost was despite his lack of experience. Rightfully or wrongfully, he was the man for the decade, just like Hogan for the 80s. He had the titles, the matches, the spotlight, and the longevity.

I think the problem with the Hunter bashing is that it takes the big problem with Paul Levesque and lets that one error cloud all other judgment. HHH cares about wrestling, and he works his ass off for the pro wrestling business. No one can legitimately question that. The problem that I don't think is brought up enough is not that he rarely loses, but more how he beats people. He buries people both in the ring and on the mic. He doesn't give his opponents much credibility at all. When people have a competitive match with a big star, they earn a certain amount of respect. HHH rarely has competitive matches with up and comers (Shelton Benjamin and Jeff Hardy are the last two that come to mind, Shelton being in 05 and Hardy being late 07, summer of 08. You could include Orton if you really want to, but I feel that he had been made by his Cena and HBK programs prior). He also treats everyone like garbage in his promos. This is the biggest poison, in my humble opinion. The Rock and Jericho and so many others can and have talked people into buying matches by making their opponents, titles, and the matches themselves seemed meaningful. There are really only 2 HHH promos. It will either be the DX joke-laden promo mocking his opponent and anything in front of him, or the "I'M THE GAME AND I NEED THE TITLE AND I WILL GIVE ANYTHING TO HAVE THE TITLE WHICH MEANS I'M GOING TO BEAT YOU!" Neither one benefits the opponent at all, or really sparks interest in the match. Hopefully, he will continue to use his status to make the current bunch of talent more credible, like with Legacy, but HHH deserves a lot of the criticism he gets. Plus, he is the sole reason why the internet's favorite wrestler, Mr. Chris Irvine, is not the second coming of Ric Flair. So, he's playing an away game in that respect.

HHH did not elevate Orton.he only hurt orton's career....undertaker,hbk and cena are the one who elevated orton.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Don't foget Foley.

Kev, Agreed....all hail!!!
Even if I am an HBK fan. You hit the nail on the head... with a sledgehammer!!!

Right on target..who else could it have been?

The best compliment I can give...you were 100% right Kev.

Here's a question,

With all the Triple H haters out there, I don't often hear too many boos for him. I definetly think he's past his peak for his career, but still, he is capable of interesting stuff - but needs a few more moves

Granted I've only been to a few live events in the last few years, but my impression from crowd reactions on TV is that his detractors, while VERY vocal on-line are not too many in numbers in the arenas.
I can't recall the last time he was booed out of the building, and I also have never heard any chants regarding his backstage politics.

Kevin, I agree with your statements regarding the myth of HHH holding guys down and putting no one over. In fact, you're on the cusp of convincing me that he really deserves the top spot over Cena for best "wrestler" of the decade.

If the question was changed to "who has had a bigger impact on WWE's business and financial success over the last decade," would that change your answer? To me, that accolade has to go to Cena due to his unparalleled main-stream exposure and merchandising strength.

I dont get it, kevin i like reading your articles, but when your bias starts showing for HHH and starts influencing your articles, i dont get it.

Here are some facts

1. How many great matches has Triple H had? The last wrestlemania match between him and Orton was simply boring.

2. He doesnt have the in ring psychology of lets say a steve austin or kurt angle.

3. He has put over only people who are friends, lets see, batista, and sheamus.

4. He is actually responsible for the decline of Orton, oh you might argue, he is responsible for the push but just like RVD he couldn't get orton into superstar league. For that have a look at Bret Hart putting Steve Austin over.

There are many more reasons but Triple H if he wasn't married to Stephanie McMahon or kissing every ass worthwhile kissing in WWE would have been in some independent wrestling arena by now. Simple. To me the best wrestler without a doubt is Kurt angle, superior on the mic, superior in the ring, and most importantly WILLING TO PUT PEOPLE OVER.

Interesting article, though I disagree. I have always found HHH overrated as a wrestler and his whole career is proof that you can be as mediocre as possible, but if you keep pushing someone and promoting them as the best thing ever people will eventually buy into it. Even in 2000, there were better performers than him that did not get credit for it online (ex. Rock, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Taka) to the point that some fans actually believed that he carried them to the great matches that occurred that year. Sure, he did a good job as the top heel until WWE made the same mistake that WCW made with the nWo and kept having the Mcmahon-Helmsley Facgime constantly come on top of the faces (and heels in some cases) to the point that it got repetitive and ridiculous. Remember the whole storyline with Kurt Angle and Stephanie? That one got botched due to HHH and incidentally enough that was when Stephanie became head writer. Ever since, Raw got progressively worse and it's yet to really recover. People complained online and offline when Hogan did this in WCW, but I'm surprised people don't compare what he did to what HHH does and has being doing for almost a decade.

When HHH was really the top guy in 2002, all that happened was that people quit watching because why bother watching a guy who always wins? I was one of those casual fans who gave up on Raw because of that. Whether it was Jericho, RVD, Booker T, or even Kane the feuds got stupider and HHH would not only win but would also kill off the credibility of his opponents. I remember there being an interview where Booker T basically called his WM XIX match the worst of his career several years back and that's really saying something consider some of the stupid crap they did to him in WCW and during the Invasion. Batista got put over because he was HHH's friend and once that feud ended he became more like Luger in that he got infinite title shots and either choked or got made to look like an idiot. He's not seen as big of a star as Cena or arguably Rey Mysterio. Orton constantly looks like a joke whenever HHH appears. Neither of those guys would be a threat to him.

I don't normally comment twice, but I wanted to address one of the earlier comments.

"

Here's a question,

With all the Triple H haters out there, I don't often hear too many boos for him. I definetly think he's past his peak for his career, but still, he is capable of interesting stuff - but needs a few more moves

Granted I've only been to a few live events in the last few years, but my impression from crowd reactions on TV is that his detractors, while VERY vocal on-line are not too many in numbers in the arenas.
I can't recall the last time he was booed out of the building, and I also have never heard any chants regarding his backstage politics."

HHH doesn't really get booed. What happens is that the crowd gets silent the longer he stays out there. Look at the crowd's reaction after HHH/Orton WM 25 or HHH/Kozlov near the end of 2008. Even then, there was the time where the crowd cheered when he was laid out and taken away on a stretcher at Backlash last year. That's probably why they put him back with DX.

I will agree that the fans who hate HHH are a vocal minority but that has been the case online for years. Most so-called smarks will go so far as to make excuses whenever HHH screws up; he gets a lot of leeway that many other wrestlers never get. That's just what I saw from lurking online years ago and from when I started posting online about 2 1/2 years ago.

As for Wrestler of the Decade, it should have gone to Chris Jericho or Rey Mysterio for the WWE alone. Once you include other promotions over the years picking HHH as WOTD seems even weirder but everyone has a right to their opinion.