WWE TLC 2011: Is Triple H's Ring Career Coming to a Close?

This Sunday, Triple H will face Kevin Nash in a ladder match at WWE’s Tables Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view.

And, the crowd goes mild.

From the first moment this match was announced, fans all over the world have been not caring in the slightest at a ridiculous pace.  Ticket sales have been not moving so fast that it has in no way broken records, as fans continue to not line up to see this epic attraction.

My sarcasm getting on your nerves yet?  Sorry about that, my bad.

I suppose I could have just said that no one really seems to care about this match.  Like, not at all.

Ten years ago?  Yes.  Of course.  Five years ago?  Well, okay, sure, I’ll bite, why not?  But, right now?

Funny how everyone seems to really love and miss the Attitude Era, but at the first sign of WWE throwing fans a nostalgic bone, the complaints immediately begin rolling in.

The thing is, neither Nash nor Hunter are young men anymore.  Their best days are obviously behind them.  And, considering those facts, the question becomes: why?

Why is this match happening?  What purpose does it serve?

Well, to be honest, once a guy is viciously attacked by a sledgehammer while he’s strapped to a backboard, what else are you going to do?

Go home and call it a day?  

Triple H is the heir apparent to run the company of course, so no, he didn’t go home.  He’s going to wrestle his way to redemption over the guy who tried to cave his skull in. 

It’s professional wrestling 101.  We have a problem, we have a match, try and solve the problem.

So, the match is happening.  And, it’s a ladder match.  And, there’s a sledgehammer hanging above the ladder.  And, again, you’re asking me, Tom, why should I care?

Because, this could be it for Triple H, that’s why.

No, this is not some bit of inside information, gleaned from a dirt sheet, or picked from a newsletter somewhere.  This is all me, just speculating.

Hey, we’re wrestling fans, that’s part of the game, right?

I just happen to believe, that the clock is ticking for Triple H’s in-ring career.  Nineteen years in the business, 13 World and WWE Championships, thousands of main events, and after all of that, what is left for him?

Honestly, what’s left for Hunter in the business?  What mountain is left for him to climb, what trophy remains for him to attain?

There’s only one thing left.  Running the company.

We all know the deal, Vince McMahon has stepped back from the public eye of WWE on a weekly basis.  The success of the product on the air has been left to the WWE talent, and until just recently, to Triple H, who is serving as the Chief Operating Officer.  Of course, it’s all storyline when it comes to TV, but the fact is, as with the Superstars who entertain in the ring, Vince will eventually begin looking toward the future of the company.

That future lies with his family.  Namely, Triple H.

He’s put his time in, he’s been very loyal to the company for many years and he’s proven that he has a good head for the business.  

Oh, yeah, and he’s the boss’s son-in-law.

But, despite his family connection, this is Triple H we’re talking about here, he is WWE through and through.  He, The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, are pro wrestling lifers, guys who love the business and have given everything they have to the industry.

Taker has not been in the ring since WrestleMania, and Shawn Michaels is now retired.  How long before Hunter does the same?

Could this upcoming match against one of his best friends, Kevin Nash, signal the end of his career as a wrestler?

I for one do not believe that anyone expects Nash to be the guy who retires Hunter from the ring.  Yes, they have some serious heat after the past few months, but Nash has had all of one match on the air since he came back to the fold.  It’s just not enough for this match, which is already being dreaded in many circles.  

Most likely, Hunter’s last hurrah will be on the big stage of WrestleMania.  In front of a capacity crowd, against a huge name, with his whole career behind him, and a legendary legacy he prepares to leave behind.

TLC is not WrestleMania.  Not by a longshot.

Despite when Triple H decides he’s finished in the ring, his legendary career speaks for itself.  He is one of the best of all time, and it’s been one great ride.

But in the meantime, it’s on to TLC, and the ultimate showdown in the most anticipated match in the history of WWE.

Okay, sorry, I’ll stop now.