For The Record 10.19.08: The Future of Triple H

Posted by Kristopher Rodriguez on 10.19.2008

Triple H will have many different job opportunities within WWE upon retirement from the ring. He would be a natural head of talent relations or storyline writing. However, he could also play a crucial role for WWE’s on-air product... as a commentator.

Welcome to the debut of "For the Record." Okay, that's enough of the niceties.

Triple H has the potential to be a main eventer for the next 10 years. He is in exceptional physical condition, superb on the mike, and is more over at this time in his career than ever. The WWE is lucky to have him on their roster and whether Triple H was married to the boss's daughter or not, he would still be the top guy. He is that darn good.

However, Triple H's career could also be cut short if he were to sustain any more major quad tears. Those are significant injuries and though he was able to recover quite nicely the first two times, a third one in his advancing years could diminish his abilities. As a result, Triple H could end his run as a wrestler sooner than we think. It all depends on how his body holds up.

Pondering how long Triple H's career will last brings to bear an interesting question. What will The Game do when he is done lacing up the boots? An executive position will surely await him since he and his wife will likely run things when Vince McMahon walks away. However, Triple H will always be more useful on camera than behind the scenes. Keeping such a talented and charismatic performer out of the limelight would be quite a waste.

His presence and talents would best be used in the coveted position of commentator.

Bringing his wit and insight to the commentating booth would make him an instant hit. He would also be credible to the fans because of his many years of wrestling experience. But besides all of that, there is a very practical reason why he would be a useful commentator. He would be the WWE management's unfiltered mouthpiece.

One of the advantages to being a top executive and a commentator is that the corporate commentator can convey the company's marketing messages directly. He doesn't need a middle man calling the matches. We cannot underestimate the importance of a commentator to a wrestling promotion. They don't simply call holds and engage in playful banter. Their roles are far more substantial in the grand scheme of things.

Commentators explain storylines to the general audience. However, if a broadcast team cannot convey to the fans what the management team expects them to communicate, the quality of an angle can suffer. That is something that Vince McMahon vigorously tries to prevent. In fact, as we know, WWE commentators can't even speak without McMahon literally in their ears. Most Internet wrestling readers are aware of the problems that occurred when Mick Foley was on commentary. Foley was trying to call the matches while Vince McMahon was screaming in his headset. That was because Vince had a message that he wanted the WWE audience to hear, but had a difficult time filtering it through Foley.

Not only do commentators move along storylines, they also influence how fans view wrestlers. If commentators do their jobs effectively, they add depth to characters. If communicated ineffectively, the audience will not respond as well to characters and storylines as the promoter hopes for.

Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff were perfect examples of top executives who were able to deliver the company line without a middle man. Though they weren't all that talented, they were at least able to impart impressions to the fans directly. If McMahon wanted to point out a nuance in Austin's character, or say that Razor Ramon oozed machismo, or attempt to fudge through the awkward ending of Luger and Yokozuna's match at Wrestlemania X, he was able to do it himself. He didn't need to yell in the ears of Jim Ross or Jerry Lawler. The same notion applies to Eric Bishchoff. The early phase of the NWO invasion was confusing and unprecedented in televised wrestling history. For legal reasons, Bischoff had to be careful to not make it appear as though WWE sent their stars over to WCW. He also had to be careful not to refer to Hall and Nash as Razor and Diesel. For him to have to rely on such an aloof gabster as Tony Schiavone to frame the storyline legally and correctly would have caused sleepless nights for some in Turner land.

To this day, I would bet that Vince McMahon wishes he were a commentator. Vince knows what he wants. He has a direct interest in making sure that wrestlers are marketed correctly and that fans order pay-per-views. To communicate straight from the horse's mouth is always easier than relying on a surrogate.

Having Triple H as a commentator would be the next most ideal thing to having a promoter in the booth. He could easily communicate the company line because much of the company line would be his. I say this because the general expectation is that Triple H will yield much influence as a WWE executive. Triple H also has another thing going for him. Most fans don't know that he is married to Stephanie McMahon. Yes, we know they are married, but the average layman is not aware. Therefore, from a fan's (or some might say mark's) perspective, Triple H would be offering sound commentary without being tied to the McMahon hip. Fans like to think that they are getting an independent perspective. The more independent and objective a commentator appears, the better.

Triple H has already mastered wrestling and politics. We may someday find out if he can master the toughest job in a wrestling production: that of commentator.