At the start of Monday Night RAW we finally got to hear some words from Triple H, the man that will be attempting to end the Undertaker's streak at Wrestlemania 27. The promo at the top of the show was well done, but there were a lot of heavy words and perhaps some unintended consequences. As usual, there will be spoilers for Monday Night RAW discuss, so come back after you've had the chance to check it out for yourself.
It's hard to argue with the King of Kings. Breaking his silence after his tremendous return to WWE last week, Triple H presents the idea that he has done everything in the wrestling business. He has accomplished everything that he could ever possibly desire. I have no doubt that this is a true statement. Triple H goes on to say that there is only one last thing for him to accomplish -to be the one to finally break the Undertaker's Wrestlemania win streak. As far as accomplishments go, I cannot disagree. This would be a final exclamation point on what is already a storied career. I thought that this portion of Triple H's promo was right on message and is a good story to tell in the final weeks leading up to the year's biggest event.
Unfortunately, there were certain statements in Triple H's promo that were off point, in my opinion. He made the statement that after 16 years in the business he had nothing left to prove against any of the other wrestlers in the locker room, save the Undertaker. I understand the sentiment but this type of statement is extremely detrimental to the young talent that WWE has been attempting to build up over the course of the last few months. By inference Triple H thinks the Nexus is a joke. He thinks the Corre is a joke. He thinks CM Punk, Sheamus, Jack Swagger, the Miz, and all the other newer, younger guys are not worthy to compete against him in the ring. Statements like this from top guys in WWE devalues these other wrestlers and makes the youth movement look like wasted investment.
I think that the viewpoint explained above is an oversimplification. If one takes a moment to try to separate the person from the character, these statements by Triple H are less offensive. Consider that Triple H as the character probably should think he is better than everyone else in the locker room. If a wrestler doesn't think he's the best guy or girl on the roster he probably shouldn't be a wrestler. The problem is Triple H as the person is too involved in the business. Fans in the know are aware of Triple H's status within the business side of the company and because of this the fans are reading into Triple H's words too much. Consider that as a company spokesman, Triple H would never try to run down the other guys in the locker room. Such a move would be bad business and both he and the WWE are smarter than that.
Regardless of this, the promo on Monday night ended with Sheamus coming out to the ring and getting utterly destroyed by Triple H. If you've been following along with my articles you know I briefly lamented the glossing over of Sheamus when addressing Triple H's return and Wrestlemania challenge to the Undertaker. It was Sheamus, after all, involved in the storyline that sidelined Triple H all those months ago. It would have made some sense to have Triple H come back, feud with Sheamus, and thereby elevate Sheamus through association. Instead, we get this beat-down which, while satisfying in the short-term, just makes Sheamus look weak.
I could spend a few hundred words lamenting the decline of the monster-heel Sheamus character, the one that injured Triple H and won the championship all those months ago, but there's little point. Since that time Sheamus won the King of the Ring, which should have helped solidify his standing on the roster. Instead, the King Sheamus character has been marginalized by the WWE and he has been deemphasized as a main event player. Sheamus as a monster heel character is an idea that has all but completely faded into obscurity. In my mind, this beat-down by Triple H was the final nail in the coffin containing this character's credibility.
King Sheamus is dead. Long live the King of Kings.
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