Ranking Every PPV in the Triple H Era of WWE

In the seven months since Triple H assumed creative control of Raw and SmackDown, WWE programming has seen a significant uptick in quality and the monthly pay-per-views have felt much more special.

The Game will have the tall order of putting together his first WrestleMania card in the coming weeks and ensuring it's a success, especially with the high bar set by last year's Vince McMahon-led installment.

Triple H's track record so far, while not flawless, has shown he's capable of producing compelling PPVs. He was tasked with handling an already-booked SummerSlam less than a week after taking on his new role and did a commendable job, setting the standard for what fans have come to expect from WWE on the biggest stages.

Seven premium live events have occurred under his regime, and some have been stronger than others. They've all also suffered from a similar issue of having mediocre midcards underneath memorable main events.

Where will WrestleMania 39 ultimately fall on this list of every Triple H PPV ranked from worst to best?

7. Survivor Series WarGames

Survivor Series was far from a failure as an event, but it simply wasn't Triple H's strongest showing as WWE head of creative.

Above all, scrapping the theme of brand supremacy that had hindered the prestigious PPV since 2016 was the best thing he could have done this year. In its place was the long-overdue debut of WarGames on the main roster.

The story for the men's match wrote itself with The Bloodline battling some of their biggest rivals in Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre and The Brawling Brutes. Its execution was exceptional, though an argument can be made for the women's match being the better of the two.

The rest of the card lacked that same level of excitement, but the United States Championship clash between Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins and Austin Theory more than made up for it. Their Triple Threat was a thrill and culminated in Theory stealing the win to become champ.

AJ Styles and Finn Bálor's second-ever one-on-one encounter delivered in a major way, but Ronda Rousey vs. Shotzi for the SmackDown Women's Championship did not.

Even as Triple H's weakest premium live event to date, Survivor Series still had its fair share of highlights and was an enjoyable evening on the whole.

6. SummerSlam

The card for last August's SummerSlam was already set in stone when Triple H replaced Vince McMahon as the head of WWE's creative direction.

No changes were made to the lineup ahead of time other than Seth Rollins vs. Matt Riddle being bumped in favor of a brief brawl between the two instead.

The purpose of the PPV was to send the message that the new regime was different from the last and that change was imminent. However, no one expected that change to happen as soon as The Biggest Party of the Summer.

Following an outstanding opener from Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch for the Raw Women's Championship, Bayley made her return from injury along with the debuting Damage CTRL. That moment alone indicated a new era was officially underway.

The middle of the show was fairly straightforward but fun, with The Mysterios besting The Judgment Day, Pat McAfee beating Baron Corbin, and The Usos retaining their tag team titles against The Street Profits.

Closing out the night on the highest note possible was the Last Man Standing main event between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, which exceeded all expectations as an absolute spectacle.

5. Crown Jewel

In the past, WWE's events emanating from Saudi Arabia have been panned by fans for essentially being "glorified house shows" with nothing of any major significance happening (in addition to the usual subpar in-ring quality of most matches).

However, that hasn't been the case with the last three shows in the Gulf state, specifically Crown Jewel 2022.

The first few matches (Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley, The Judgment Day vs. The O.C., and Damage CTRL vs. Alexa Bliss and Asuka) were decent though unspectacular. Surprisingly, it wasn't until Braun Strowman vs. Omos that the pace started to pick up with that battle of the behemoths being much better than it had any right to be.

The Usos vs. The Brawling Brutes for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship was a treat while it lasted, and Bianca Belair and Bayley ripped it up in their Last Woman Standing match for the Raw women's title.

In the main event, Logan Paul had another standout performance, this time against undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns. Despite the outcome never truly being in doubt, it was an excellent back-and-forth battle and a credible contender for Match of the Year.

Crown Jewel wasn't a barn burner of a show by any means, but there were enough gems to make it worthwhile and leave viewers satisfied.

4. Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble is typically a tough PPV to bungle, with the same-titled men's and women's matches selling themselves, but that hasn't stopped WWE from giving fans a less-than-stellar show in the past.

Thankfully, this year's version was a memorable one, largely thanks to its exceptional ending. Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens had a quality contest, but Sami Zayn betraying The Bloodline afterward and getting laid out himself was some of the strongest storytelling WWE has done in many years.

The Rumble wouldn't have been as well-received as it was had it not been for the men's and women's Rumble matches being as entertaining as they were. Neither will go down as the greatest ever, but both were wisely formatted and had the right people going over in Cody Rhodes and Rhea Ripley.

The only drawbacks to this show were the forgettable midcard contests. Bianca Belair vs. Alexa Bliss was bland and basic, while Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight in a Pitch Black match was quite the disappointment.

All in all, Triple H kicked off The Road to WrestleMania in effective fashion here.

3. Extreme Rules

Extreme Rules was already confirmed for the WWE PPV lineup in October prior to Vince McMahon's departure, so it's possible we may have seen the last of this pointless gimmick show now that Triple H is in charge.

If so, then at least the potentially final installment of the event was among its best ever.

For the first time in close to a decade, Extreme Rules actually featured a full card of matches with stipulations attached to them. Imperium and The Brawling Brutes shined in the Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook opener, followed by the solid Strap match between Drew McIntyre and Karrion Kross.

Bianca Belair continued to prove herself as the queen of extreme by beating Bayley in a grueling ladder match. Finn Bálor also emerged victorious over Edge by forcing him to say "I quit," featuring a super-suspenseful finishing sequence and top-notch drama.

Matt Riddle and Seth Rollins had a fun Fight Pit match, though it was quickly overshadowed by what everyone was eagerly anticipating: The return of Bray Wyatt.

Ronda Rousey regaining the SmackDown Women's Championship from Liv Morgan was a bit of a letdown, in addition to the match itself being nothing out of the ordinary.

Otherwise, WWE knocked it out of the park with this premium live event.

2. Elimination Chamber

Similar to Extreme Rules, Elimination Chamber is often treated like a throwaway show due to it happening so close to WrestleMania. Ideally, its placement on the PPV calendar should raise the stakes of each match, but rarely has anything of actual note occurred at the event.

Triple H shattered any and all pre-conceived notions about the Chamber this year with the star-studded card he assembled for it. Everything felt must-see and would have WrestleMania 39 implications.

The two Chamber matches were terrific. Asuka outlasted five other women to earn a Raw Women's Championship opportunity at 'Mania, and Austin Theory's defense of the United States title inside the structure was a phenomenal piece of business.

Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley was repetitive but quick and painless. Additionally, Edge and Beth Phoenix vs. The Judgment Day was an exciting attraction that moved his feud with Finn Bálor forward.

The entire event centered Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn in the main event, a match nearly a year in the making. Everything about it was wonderful, and the electric atmosphere was what took it to that next level.

Throw in a rowdy crowd at the Bell Centre in Zayn's hometown of Montréal, and Elimination Chamber could end up being WWE's Show of the Year come the close of 2023.

1. Clash at the Castle

There was a lot riding on Clash at the Castle last September and whether the many creative changes would improve the WWE PPVs at all. The answer to that was a resounding "Yes!"

SummerSlam clearly had Triple H's influence all over it, but this was his first real test in crafting a card fans wanted to see and then executing it properly. Hopes were high for the show, and WWE did not disappoint.

The event opened with an average six-woman tag team match (Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss and Asuka vs, Damage CTRL), but the hot crowd in Cardiff, Wales made it feel WrestleMania-worthy. Liv Morgan vs. Shayna Baszler and The Judgment Day's tag team match against Edge and Rey Mysterio were well-wrestled, but the top matches carried this show.

Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre, Matt Riddle vs. Seth Rollins and especially Gunther vs. Sheamus were amazing outings that had a heavily invested crowd from start to finish.

All fans can do is hope another Clash at the Castle is on the horizon. Even if it's half as exhilarating as this inaugural installment, it will be a blast once again.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.