Triple H Now Fully In Charge Of 205 Live

Vince McMahon has handed another part of WWE to Triple H. According to PWInsider; The Game is now running 205 Live. The changes, mostly a harder-hitting higher-flying style and a draw-down of character-driven stories, are attributed to Trips’ influence.  The last few weeks the show has mimicked the popular “Cruiserweight Classic” that spawned the division and weekly show. The tournament match between Hideo Itami and Roderick Strong is a call-back to the original tournament’s fast-paced but longer-match style.

What This Means For The Future Of WWE

This is the first primary roster project that we know Vince ceded control over. He’s a notorious micro-manager. Nothing goes on in WWE without his approval. But perhaps that is changing. Some people believe that NXT was a test-case for Triple H to prove he could run a promotion on his own. Hard to argue that the developmental brand isn’t a massive success both in and out of the ring. I am confident that Vince still has veto power over anything that goes on in 205 Live, though. However, the fact that he gave another brand to Triple H to run shows that Trips has gained the respect he needs to eventually take over the company creatively.

For the last few years, it has been evident that Stephanie will take over the business side while Triple H will manage the creative portion. This style isn’t without precedent. Before her Senate runs and her appointment to the Small Business Administration, Linda McMahon ran the business side of WWE while Vince focused on the creative.

Vince Nearing The End?

I don’t see Vince retiring or leaving until he is physically or mentally unable to. But he is loosening his grip on the company he built. That is a reassuring sign for the future. Triple H’s love and knowledge of wrestling are unmatched. He holds the past in high-esteem but looks to the future to keep the next stage of this business bright. He was responsible for the return of War Games, The Revival, taping at Atlanta Center Stage, and other little parts that are throwbacks to classic NWA/WCW. Even though he helped put the “entertainment” in “sports entertainment”, he knows it still says “wrestling” on the marquee and people pack arenas around the world to see it.

Will This Work?

This is an effort to reboot the brand and make it popular, though I don’t know how that will be done in the current format. The show comes at the end of Smackdown tapings, and the crowd is ordinarily tired. Perhaps Trips will move the show to NXT tapings or smaller venues where the crowd will be closer and tuned-in into the action. Or maybe, since it is a “Raw” exclusive brand, the show can serve as the lead-in to Raw.

We’ve only seen two weeks of the “new” 205 Live, but so far the product has improved. Hopefully, fans start to take notice.

Are you excited about the future and Triple H’s growing influence in WWE and 205 Live? Share your thoughts in the comments below.