After the WWE title had been vacated at the start of Monday Night Raw, and after Rey Mysterio & Michael "The Miz" Mizanin had reached the finals of what was supposed to be a 1-night tournament to crown a new champion in the wake of CM Punk defeating John Cena at the Money in the Bank PPV, on Punk's last night (for now) with the company, Vince McMahon came to the ring, bent on "firing" Cena.
Cena had recognized the situation developing before him the night before. McMahon, obsessed with revisiting the darkest night in company history (the 1997 Survivor Series) as often as possible, attempted to do it again, with Cena & Punk substituting for Hall of Famers Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart, respectively. Competitive fire gave way to fear of embarassment for himself and his opponent, and it cost Cena the title.
However, the tables were turned, when the insane chairman's son-in-law, Triple H, appeared as an emissary of the WWE Board of Directors, who'd finally had enough of McMahon's antics and removed him from office (as far as the story goes).
Ever since he went on the disabled list last year, Triple H (Paul LeVesque) has been groomed for an executive's job within the WWE, joining his wife, Stephanie, in the company hierarchy. Ironically, his first major signing, Sin Cara, had been suspended earlier in the day for violating the company Wellness Policy, and rumors have suggested that Cara may not be back. However, with "The Cerebral Assassin" in the forefront, that could change.
So what happens to Vince now? He turns 66 next month, and perhaps he'll finally step further back into the shadows, and enjoy his twilight years playing grandpa on a more full-time basis. For Triple H, who will be 42 next week, it doesn't mean his competitive career is over. His new on-camera role mirrors real life, true, and judging by the reaction he got from the audience in Green Bay, he'll remain a fan favorite for the short term. Everyone expects him to be the arch-villain, filling McMahon's role, in the long term. Realistically, however, this may be the start of some major changes in the company and how it's presented on TV, and that will be the single biggest challenge of "The Game"'s career. Stay tuned.
Or maybe, given his age, in another decade or two McMahon will finally depart this earth and without his drive and ego, "professional" wrestling will finally go extinct, freeing up the airwaves for more worthwhile ventures.
ReplyDeleteI think part of the point is that they're trying to push Vince toward retirement so the WWE can move forward into the 21st century. As long as he's around, they can't because of his complacency.
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