7 Reasons the Triple H/Raw Storyline Is Great for WWE

In the last few months, new COO HHH has faced a vast and daunting assortment of problems: championship confusion, lawsuits, fierce on-air arguments, fired ex-employees running amok all over pay-per-views and violent and vicious attacks on referees, cameramen and announcers.

Poor Hunter. He must be wondering why he was so eager for the COO job in the first place. It has brought him nothing but a tremendous amount of stress and hardship. Thank God he has his Oscar-Winning acting career to fall back on. Oh, wait... 

As most viewers will know, these issues built up over time and culminated in a dramatic angle last week on Monday Night Raw when the majority of the WWE roster (and a whole bunch of fed-up production people; although announcer Booker T hilariously claimed on SD he was actually just going to the bathroom) staged a mass walkout, claiming they had "No Confidence" in HHH or his ability to control a show that was quickly plunging into chaos.

In what was a gripping end to Raw, a silent, sombre-looking HHH was left standing in the ring all by himself, as the fans in attendance did their best to rally behind their beleaguered COO.

A shocking, sensational angle that has helped re-ignite WWE's sagging flagship show; here are just some of the reasons we continue to think this is the best WWE storyline in quite some time.

It Has Provided David Otunga with the Perfect Role

Prior this angle on Raw, David Otunga had been stuck in WWE's lower card, doing nothing. Well, OK, he fought regularly in Raw's tag team division, which is essentially the same as doing nothing.  

Thanks to this angle, though, Otunga now has a prominent role that he can play to perfection. You see, when Otunga mentions on Raw he has a Harvard Law degree and was a practicing lawyer, it's not a storyline made up by WWE scribes. Otunga actually did quit a blossoming law career in Chicago to go be a WWE wrestler (we bet his parents were overjoyed).

Up until now, Otunga had struggled to find the right role in WWE in the last few years, facing accusations from critics that he lacked charisma and wrestling skills and only had a contract in WWE due to his connection with megastar Jennifer Hudson (his long-term girlfriend and mother of his two sons). There was undoubtedly some validity to those claims, and certainly, Otunga did not help his cause with a series of flat, uninspiring performances in and outside the ring.  

However, every since he embraced his real-life legal past, Otunga has emerged as some of the most interesting supporting characters in ages. With his smug, snobby attitude, snazzy bow-tie and deliberately confusing legal jargon—Otunga berating HHH for being "arbitrary and capricious" was a backstage highlight—there's more than a hint of the amazing Carlton Banks (from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air) about Otunga's new personality.

And better still, due to the fact Otunga actually was a lawyer and knows what he is talking about, he brings a believability and credibility to the role no-one on the roster else can.

We reckon this character can go places. And hey, just think of the absolute fortune WWE will make in merchandising when they market the David Otunga series of bow ties to the kids! 

It Has Brought Miz and R-Truth Back into the Main Event Scene

During WWE's "Summer of Punk," The Miz and R-Truth had been relegated to a tag team in the upper-mid card, as management struggled to come up with new ideas for the two stars. 

This was a disappointing development: The Miz was coming off one of the longest WWE title runs in recent times and had main evented the hugely successful Wrestlemania 27. R-Truth had had a brief spell in the main event scene with star John Cena, and while he came up short in his attempt to get the title from WWE biggest's star, nonetheless impressed many with his in-ring performances and wacky and widely entertaining heel character. 

But thanks to the angle in which HHH fired them for assaulting several referees at the Night of Champions pay-per-view, the two have once again been pushed to the forefront of WWE, as they run in at various live events (including storming in and doing a Nexus-style beatdown at the end of the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view) to protest their firing and attempt to oust HHH as COO.

We bet all the little Jimmies are pleased.

It Gives John Laurinaitis Screen-Time

With his absurdly deep voice, stiff demeanor and shifty eyes, WWE's duplicitous Exective Vice President of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis, is one of the best side characters on WWE television in quite some time.

A total 100 percent bad guy (no shades of gray here), Laurinaitis plays the corporate drone with a campy, cartoonish quality not seen since weasles Patterson and Briscoe stuck doggedly to Vince McMahon's side in the '90s during his encounters with Steve Austin.

When John's not undercutting HHH or stirring up trouble with the Raw mid-card, he's texting some mysterious person seemingly every five minutes (WWE should move with the times and get the man an iPad). 

All in all, Laurinaitis is about as subtle as a pantomime villain (HHH is only now just realizing he can't trust this guy?!), and we love him for it.   

The Phil Brooks/Paul Levesque Drivel Is Finally Done with

"I'm Phil Brooks and you're Paul Levesque!" Brooks exclaimed to Levesque a few weeks ago in what was, we assume, supposed to be a deeply dramatic moment on WWE television. 

Instead, everyone just cringed and realized they were fast growing sick of this complicated work/shoot stuff was all over Raw. In the weeks leading up their Night of Champions clash, Phil and Paul would go back and forth in long, arduous promos talking about...well, no one is quite sure. Like I noted, they were really long promos.

Something about "change." And Phil thought his "change" was better. But Paul insisted that no, his "change" was far superior. It's a wonder frustrated fans didn't start throwing quarters in the ring during these segments.

In fact, WWE's flagship show was beginning to remind us of Nitro 2000, when the shoot-obsessed Vince Russo aimed seemingly every since storyline at the "smart fans," and the results were so convoluted and confusing people tuned out in their droves, and it ultimately killed off the struggling company for good. It's a wonder Mrs. Brooks (Phil's mom) didn't end up on a pole at some point.

Thankfully, with this recent Raw walkout storyline, both Phil and Paul have moved on to better things. Paul is entangled in a corporate power battle with Ronnie and Mike, and Phil is teaming with John Cena on Raw and focusing more on having great matches rather than annoyingly pointing out everyone's real name all the time.

It Has Given the Mid-Card Something to Do

Thanks to the current storyline, the oft-neglected mid-card heels on Raw have been given prominent roles as they try to oust CEO Triple H.

As noted, Otunga is shining as an obnoxious lawyer rallying the troops against Hunter. Vickie Guerrero stable—Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler—have also been brought into the main event storyline and been main eventing Raw lately (something unthinkable just a few short months ago).

Likewise, Smackdown Christian had been floundering after his program with Randy Orton finished, but his current involvement in the lawsuit storyline has breathed new life into his career and augmented his status as a whiny, scheming heel. IC Champion Cody Rhodes has also greatly benefited from screen-time with HHH and hanging around with Vickie and Del Rio on Raw and Smackdown.

Would fans be seeing so much of these underrated stars if this angle wasn't happening? Highly unlikely. And for this reason alone, the angle can be considered great. 

We Can Learn Many Things from It

Let's give praise where it's due: Triple H is a great boss. And certainly any wrestling fan hoping to run their own business one day can learn a vast assortment of things from watching HHH's unique approach to dealing with employees since he was made COO. This guy should write the ultimate Human Resources book about workplace etiquette.   

Having personal issues with a badly behaved employee? Rather than holding a private meeting to sensibly discuss their issues, challenge him to a fight on pay-per-view! Oh, and mock their "Skinny Fat ass," too!

Want to fire two long-term workers but don't know quite how to do it? Embarrassingly fire them in public in front of millions of viewers and then have them tossed out the building!

Several workers threaten lawsuits due to unsafe working conditions? Mock their problems and call them weaklings live on-air!

If a concerned woman worker confides in you that she and several of the other female employees are extremely afraid for their safety in their current environment, kindly remind her that nothing bad has happened yet. However, when something unspeakably awful does happen to one of the women, then you'll totally do something. But until then, they're on their own.

Oh, and rather than letting the cops deal with trespassers on the premises, violently shove law enforcement aside and attack the invaders yourself when they are handcuffed and being escorted out the premises. Attack your right-hand man, too, just for the sake of it.

Summarily, this Raw storyline simply has to continue, just so we can get more tips from HHH about how a boss and COO of a major company should conduct himself.

It Keeps HHH Busy on Raw and Away from Movies

With HHH a focal point of Raw, it is highly unlikely that "The Game" will be able to take time away from the company to film movie roles, meaning The Chaperone 2 or movie No. 449 where he plays a remorseful guy getting out of jail and vowing to go straight will not be unleashed on an unsuspecting world.

Hey, this may be the best reason of all to hope this current corporate power struggle angle continues. There is only so much movie-goers can take, after all.