The Good, bad, and ‘Let it play out’ of Triple H running the show

Using SummerSlam 2022 as the kickoff, three full months have passed with Triple H running both talent and creative for WWE. The conversations around the impact of that change swing wildly, and as things commonly go – the truth is somewhere in the middle. Some things have worked, others have not, but there’s certainly a difference in direction for WWE across all three brands. This is a look at the good, the bad, and the “just let it play out,” of WWE with Triple H running the show.

The Good: The returns

Johnny Gargano. Hit Row. Dexter Lumis. Candice LeRae. Karrion Kross. Scarlett. Bray Wyatt. Triple H went to the checkbook to bring back stars that fans wanted to see, and others that may not have been on the radar. This development helps flush out the WWE roster and move away from the tired trope of rematch after rematch that plagued the shows a few months ago.

Kross’s return wasn’t a major surprise, but Gargano, LeRae, and Hit Row were on the opposite side of that coin. Lumis’s return got off to a hot start but has stalled a bit when it comes to the overall interest. And of course, Wyatt’s return and the build-up to it will be recognized as one of the biggest moments of 2022. These returns are important for the future of the division and for building out the roster for more variety and opportunity.

The Bad: Lacking stories to build fan engagement

The mentioned big returns are here, but what are they doing? That’s a question that fans are now asking as episodes of SmackDown and Raw pass without something “major” happening. Think back to the start of the Lumis story, where things were going on behind the scenes, outside of the focus of the camera that immediately engaged fans. The White Rabbit build did the same thing. The issue is that this level of story is sparse across the main roster.

While it’s fun to get great matches each week on the roster, as Becky Lynch once said, it’s the story that draws people in. Can this be fixed? Of course, but WWE under Triple H made a major shift that was needed in the product and now needs to continue adjusting to find ways to tell compelling stories with more of the roster.

Let It Play Out: The direction of the women’s division

The WWE women’s division is in a perplexing position. On one hand, Triple H has ushered in important returns that help build out the depth of the group. Individuals like IYO Sky and Dakota Kai came back at the side of Bayley, three individuals that could be main event champions. At the same time, women like Emma and Sarah Logan are additions to the roster that can help within both the midcard and tag team divisions. There are a lot of pieces in place, but fans want to see bigger, more meaningful moves with more women across the board.

SmackDown and Monday Night Raw are still plagued with the issue of a few women’s segments across five hours of televised content. One can’t say that WWE doesn’t have a roster full of women prepared to perform – that’s simply not the case on the main roster. Plus, WWE NXT stands as an example that WWE knows how to book multiple women’s segments in a single show. That same dedication must be put forth for the main roster shows. The talent is there and fans are clamoring to get invested in their favorite female performers.