Triple H and WWE's Decisions That Will Age Poorly by WrestleMania 42
Much has been said, repeatedly, about WWE's creative shortcomings on the road to WrestleMania 42, and deservedly so.
There is concern about whether fans have already seen the best out of Triple H and his creative team, and recent decisions, with the potential to age poorly by the time the Showcase of the Immortals rolls into Las Vegas, have only amplified it.
As WWE continues its journey back to Sin City for its annual extravaganza, dive into a few of those decisions that could prove poor come the kickoff of the 42nd annual Granddaddy of Them All.
Devaluing Drew McIntyre
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Drew McIntyre was given a WWE Championship reign because the company booked itself into a corner and needed Cody Rhodes to boost star power in the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber.
His victory was the result of the company having no choice but to have him win the title or risk robbing him of his credibility. In reality, booking a "here, damn" title reign further devalued The Scottish Warrior.
Not once in his two months as champion was McIntyre booked like an elite competitor in WWE. He beat Sami Zayn in a foregone conclusion match at the Royal Rumble, then spent the rest of his reign running interference in matches involving Rhodes and Jacob Fatu, seemingly hinting at a Triple Threat Match for the top prize in the company at WrestleMania.
Little did anyone know that McIntyre would not even remain champion until the biggest show of the year. Instead, he would drop the title back to Rhodes to set up a match with Randy Orton, while the Scottish-born competitor slipped back into the midcard to settle his differences with Fatu in a match not yet announced, but clearly on the docket given The Samoan Werewolf's role in his title loss.
The Rock is on record as calling McIntyre the "next big thing," but his booking has been subpar, at best, since the conclusion of his rivalry with CM Punk.
Nothing about the "means to an end" title reign he just wrapped did anything to change that perception, and come WrestleMania, when the lack of marquee stars outside of the two world title matches becomes apparent, it is a decision that will certainly age poorly.
A Lack of Direction for Gunther
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Gunther has spent the last four months retiring John Cena, then AJ Styles, and basking in the disdain and hatred of the WWE Universe as the closest thing to an old school heel left in wrestling's most prominent promotion.
As if those accomplishments are not enough, he achieved each while being one of the two or three best wrestlers on the planet.
Yet, as WrestleMania 42 approaches, he has no clear direction heading into the extravaganza.
His clean victory over Dragon Lee on the March 2 episode of Raw seemingly ended that rivalry. A Superstar on par with the top four or five stars in the company from a legitimacy standpoint, he finds himself on the outside looking in at the marquee bouts on the card.
CM Punk defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns while Cody Rhodes puts his WWE title on the line against Randy Orton. Brock Lensar recently issued an open challenge and, outside of answering The Beast's call to action that feels almost certainly reserved for Oba Femi, The Ring General's path back to Las Vegas and the 42nd Showcase of the Immortals is cloudy, at best.
He will be on the card and whatever he does will likely be a highlight of the weekend but, save for that aforementioned Lesnar challenge, the decision to keep him out of a top bout on the show is a decision certain to age like milk.
Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill
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Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill looks like a WrestleMania contest in that it features two of the most dominant competitors in the women's division, squaring off in a fresh match-up.
Unfortunately, that is about all the WWE Women's Championship Match has going for it.
There is no history between Ripley and Cargill, who have barely interacted on WWE television prior to their first face-to-face on the March 6 episode of SmackDown. When they did finally confront each other, there was a noticeable lack of chemistry between the two.
There was a tense back-and-forth between the two on social media, sure, but there is no other backstory to speak of and a decided lack of conflict for fans to invest in. There will be insults hurled back and forth in the weeks to come but unlike Punk and Reigns, who at least have very real issues at the heart of their championship bout at WrestleMania dating back over a decade, anything from here on out will feel all-too-manufactured for its own good.
Ripley and Cargill may end up having another in a line of Match of the Year candidates from Mami at the annual spectacular, but there is a very real possibility it rings hollow when it a little more forethought and effort behind the contest could have resulted in something truly epic.
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