WWE and HHH: CM Punk, the King of Kings, Nash and the Tangled Web We Weave

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"Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question."—Thomas Jefferson

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Look how far we have come. Long gone are the days of the sloppy, the mundane, the mediocre and the downright disinterested storylines and plots that plagued the WWE during the past year. We have all been witness to a transformation that, while we all prayed for it, we never saw coming.

Who is the catalyst for this change? Many will cry the name of the man who has taken the reins of the rebellion and led them straight to the gates of the WWE kingdom, CM Punk. But for all the good and attention CM Punk has accomplished and received within the last few months, there is another man who is just as equally important to the story: HHH.  

HHH has returned. The Game. The Cerebral Assassin. The King of Kings has now taken his place at the throne, and with a smile and wave to the universe he has seemingly made Monday nights, and to a lesser extent Friday nights, "must-see television." He has altered the way we watch, listen and talk about the company.

Unlike the recent incarnation of Vince McMahon, HHH has become an accessible, prominent and serviceable king and character within the WWE. He has taken the throne with dignity, integrity and diligence.    

The current storyline now taking place has captivated the masses again; it has shed a new light on a product that was lost in the dark for so long. It has awoken the "fan" in all of us, but just like a movie or book there is story being told to us...but whose story is being told?

Is it the story of the rebel rebellion led by the steadfast CM Punk? A man who for so long was buried amongst the ashes of a company that had flamed out has now risen to challenge not only the authority of the king and his empire, but bring about change to those who sought it the most—you.

Or is the story of the king, HHH? A man who for so long ruled the kingdom as a champion, warrior and assassin. A man that has embodied everything we love about the WWE. His passion, love and unyielding talent have captivated two different generations. A man who has "changed"—for the better he will say—no longer the ruthless leader of Evolution, the McMahon-Helmsly era and Degeneration-X, but the peaceful, understanding "suit" who wants nothing more then productive peace amongst his people.

In the beginning I believed the story was about the rebellion, and the truth and change that CM Punk sought from the hierarchy of the kingdom, but he is now merely a character in a much bigger plot. There is conspiracy and heretics amongst the ones who wear suits. I believe this is where our true story lies.

The newly crowned king who seeks enlightenment, change and respect has a problem. His authority has been challenged, and undermined from day one. John Laurinaits, Vince McMahon's right-hand man for decades, sits with animosity, jealousy and rage over the transition of power. Power that he feels entitled to.

The king, who has made just as many enemies as friends on his journey to the throne thought he had one in Kevin Nash, but his allegiance is a mystery. Nash and HHH for a long time were brothers in arms, and together they ruled not only the ring, but the political underlings that play such a large role in the kingdom...

Was Nash now a friend or a foe?

All the while a burning light is glowing over the horizon; it can be seen from the castle towers. The cries and whispers can be heard through the wind. There is a revolution taking place and CM Punk is leading the march towards the gates of the WWE kingdom. Triple H can only look as the glow grows brighter. A war is brewing, and he is all but alone...the integrity and moral fiber now hang in the balance of this supposed "changed" man.                  

As dissension grows within the hierarchy of the WWE, there is little truth left that anyone can rely on. HHH, now seeing he should trust only himself, has put himself directly between the gates of the kingdom and CM Punk. Punk's followers, the rebellion, now watch as their leader takes aim at the throat of the company.

The Night of Champions is upon us. So begins our opus.

The Lost Leader and a Sledgehammer

"My crown is called content, a crown that seldom kings enjoy."—William Shakespeare

Where does the allegiance of HHH lie? Only he knows, but I believe it lies with one purpose: making the WWE everything it was and can be.

He has seen a lot in his time with the WWE. He's seen more than his fair share of rebels, such as Punk, come and go. He has seen the leader of men, and the ultimate emperor, Vince McMahon, succumb to tears as his power was stripped. He has seen the cell that contains hell, and all its three stages. There is nothing new to the new king except the power he now controls.

What to do with such power?

The newly changed HHH has a changed demeanor. He doesn't want to fight anymore, but wants to lead the WWE down the golden path it traveled back when he was one of the "warriors." Back when an eyebrow-raising would stir people into such hysteria that the clashing of beer cans could only replicate such a response. Back when "Attitude" seeped out of every wrestler who partook in the events. Back when HHH was champion of the kingdom.

Kevin Nash, a loyal friend, has challenged the demeanor of the king. "What kind of man are you?" echoes throughout the mind of HHH. The rebellion, now at the forefront of problems for HHH, has taken a tole on his reign and mindset. Punk, who has decided to forgo his chase of championship gold, has taken the plunge into the black hole of conspiracies and lies by challenging everything HHH wants to accomplish. He has done this by testing him.

HHH has been tested, and falied. Punk has accomplished this with personal attacks on the king with intricately placed pipe bombs along the way. The world around HHH is beginning to dissolve around him, and he sees no other way out than to revert back to the "Cerebral Assassin" and dismantle the rebellion before him.

HHH can longer look at his loyal friend Nash for help. He is polluted by the conspiracy and his place in it is as unclear as the world HHH will soon enter. The return of Nash has only added speculation and questions as to how deep the conspiracy runs rather then serve HHH as an ally in his time of need.

Can you blame HHH? Is he not supposed to answer the call of kings and fight for what he believes in, and for the kingdom he wants to rule? Is he supposed to act as mediator, separating himself from the battlefield, and rule with sound mind and politics? Is Punk allowed to roam the streets freely garnering more accolades and followers along the way?

HHH, the King of Kings, prepares for battle. He awaits the rebellion outside the gates, but he is not alone. With him is an old friend who has been by his side in many battles—the sledgehammer.            

"War is the trade of Kings."—John Dryden

Into the Void

Is this the story? The conclusion to HHH's opus? The rebirth of Punk? Or are they the same story?

As Punk prepares to meet HHH outside the gates, he might want to rethink his position as leader of the rebellion. What is he rebelling against?

Within the past month, Punk has done something that no other wrestler could do: He has made the WWE legit again in the minds of the mainstream. His story has been accepted and cheered for since the infamous night in Las Vegas when the world changed...but the change he sought has already happened. The WWE is a better place.

HHH should be looked at as a friend and as an ally. Punk has become so wrapped up in his own "rebellion" that he might have lost his cause during the journey.

What happens if Punk successfully dethrones the king? Is the WWE better without HHH at the helm? What is Punk's ultimate end game? Does he even have one?

...Or, just like his stint as leader of the Straight Edge Society and Nexus, is Punk leading all of us, the WWE universe, into the fire along with him? Will he abandon all of us once his mission is complete? Will he leave us like he left Otunga and McGillicutty—lost and without purpose?

Let us not forget who CM Punk is: a mass manipulator; a cult leader; and now rebel leader of us all.

Perhaps CM Punk is the virus, and HHH is the cure. If you are a member of the rebellion, that phrase is reversed. The king has spoken and the inhabitants of the WWE kingdom turn to one event, the Night of Champions. The night when the rebel leader meets the newly crowned king outside the gates of the kingdom and does battle with the "enemy."

Whose story is this?

Who is the enemy?

What new wrinkle to the conspiracy will unearth itself?

Maybe, just maybe, HHH isn't the "changed" man he claims to be, but still the vicious, calculated, cerebral "game" we all have known. Perhaps the throne is where HHH is to be reborn, his powers allowing him to tangle a web so complex that Punk and any other rebel will be lost. Perhaps a tyrant has been born.

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"The three aims of the tyrant are, one, the humiliation of his subjects; he knows that a mean-spirited man will not conspire against anybody; two, the creation of mistrust among them; for a tyrant is not to be overthrown until men begin to have confidence in one another—and this is the reason why tyrants are at war with the good; they are under the idea that their power is endangered by them, not only because they will not be ruled despotically, but also because they are too loyal to one another and to other men, and do not inform against one another or against other men—three, the tyrant desires that all his subjects shall be incapable of action, for no one attempts what is impossible and they will not attempt to overthrow a tyranny if they are powerless."—Aristotle

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