Some champions have struggled under The King Of Kings [Images courtesy of WWE.com]
The Paul “Triple H” Levesque era of WWE is riding as high as ever. Company business is booming and the product is generating massive buzz across the board, leading many to describe the current period as one of the best. The Game has rightly earned praise for this success as the central brain of the operation, as there has been a noticeable difference since he replaced Vince McMahon.
No booker is perfect, though, and The King of Kings has definitely had his shortcomings. One of the main criticisms currently levied against him is his uneven and sometimes negligent booking of some of his top champions. A section of the fanbase feels that he has not done right by these titleholders, and needs to do better with their booking, direction, and/or presentation.
Here are four current WWE champions Triple H needs to book better
#4. The Unholy Union has barely been featured by Triple H since their shocking WWE Clash at the Castle victory
Fyre and Dawn’s big win has had a lukewarm follow-up from The Game [Image courtesy of WWE.com]
The Unholy Union shocked the world at WWE Clash at the Castle 2024 by dethroning Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill in their home country. Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn received a massive ovation from the OVO Hydro Arena in a moment that felt like a potential turning point for both them and the women’s tag team division.
Unfortunately, that lightning-in-a-bottle momentum has not been fully capitalized upon, with Fyre and Dawn barely being showcased. They have had only one televised defense so far, with challengers Belair and Cargill feeling more important as they vow to reclaim the gold.
The women’s tag division has arguably been the weakest one in the company for years, and Triple H needs to devote more of a concerted effort to its booking in order to elevate it to its full potential. That begins with the consistent and dominant presentation of its champions.
#3. Logan Paul has defended the United States Championship only twice in 250+ days
When Logan Paul won the United States Championship from Rey Mysterio at WWE Crown Jewel 2023, a vast majority of fans were excited. The Maverick had impressed the audience and legends alike with his natural knack for the business, earning almost universal respect in the process. As a result, great things were expected not just in terms of social media exposure but also in the ring.
While Paul’s quality between the ropes has remained incredibly high, the regularity of his title defenses has been alarming. At over 250 days, The Social Media Megastar’s reign is the third-longest in the title’s 21 years under the Stamford-based promotion’s banner. However, it has only been defended twice, and one of those defenses ended in disqualification.
Given that Paul has competed six total times in that period, one can’t help but feel like Triple H and Co. could concentrate more of Paul’s booking on defending his title.
#2. Damian Priest’s title defenses have largely been overshadowed by Triple H’s booking of Drew McIntyre vs CM Punk
Damian Priest has been WWE World Heavyweight Champion for almost 100 days since WrestleMania XL. The Archer Of Infamy has stepped up big in his first world title reign, delivering three amazing defenses on PLEs and holding his own in promos against seasoned veterans. However, his successful defenses against Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins have both been thanks to interference from CM Punk while his win over Jey Uso came due to help from The Judgment Day.
This has led fans to call into question his ability to win on his own, something that has been reflected in his on-screen character. On one hand, it’s an intriguing story beat that could eventually play a part in his imminent babyface turn. On the other hand, it could be a stain on his reign, affecting his credibility with the WWE Universe.
Triple H and Co. could benefit from giving one of their top champions some clean successful title defenses, even if they come on weekly television. It would do Priest a world of good and prevent him from being overshadowed by Punk and McIntyre’s red-hot storyline.
#1. Bayley has taken a backseat on SmackDown since Triple H put the WWE Women’s Championship on her
As the heel leader of Damage CTRL, Bayley was one of the workhorses of the early Triple H era of WWE. The Role Model was prominently featured, albeit mostly in losing situations, which built her a groundswell of support from fans. This sympathy drummed up great interest for her WrestleMania XL program with Iyo Sky, allowing her to finally win a singles title match at The Show Of Shows.
The four-time women’s champion has had a decent number of defenses, but many fans feel she is not featured enough. She seems to have taken a backseat to the rest of the division, mostly featuring in tag team action and backstage segments. Given that, she is, in Triple H’s own words, “The MVP of the division”, The Game could stand to feature her more prominently.
Hopefully, her Summerslam feud with Nia Jax with Ms. Money In The Bank Tiffany Stratton lurking about will make her reign much more intriguing going forward.