Triple H will be back on WWE programming, probably sooner rather than later. That's because former protege Seth Rollins is out for revenge, and that will lead to a showdown between the two.
Rollins wants to play The Game, and many fans are ready to see it happen. But despite how much Hunter's return may be on the fans' radar, the move is not a good one for WWE.
A returning powerhouse like Triple H should be best for business.
He should come back to a hero's welcome, and he likely will. Triple H is a future WWE Hall of Famer, and one of the best Superstars the company has ever seen. He should immediately affect any storyline he's involved in, and that will surely happen. His presence alone is enough to turn any angle on Raw upside down.
But it's not enough this time.
It's not enough that Triple H is coming back because the timing is obvious. Assuming he returns in January, it's only a few months until WrestleMania 33 in early April. Once again, WWE must look forward to its biggest night of the year, which means the card must be stacked with talent.
If not for Mania, Hunter would arguably not be coming back.
No matter how many times it's happened, WWE repeats the same formula. The top veteran talents are utilized for WrestleMania, whether specific storylines exist for them or not. It's as if the current Superstars are not enough, even though they're the ones carrying the bulk of the programming throughout the year.
But Triple H has a way into Mania thanks to the angle with Rollins.
The Game shocked the world when he betrayed Rollins and assisted Kevin Owens in winning the WWE Universal Championship. Rollins had always been Hunter's guy and was suddenly on the outside looking in. It makes sense that The Architect wants to get vengeance against Triple H, and the match will definitely be a main event.
However, that leads to another problem with The Game's return.
Despite the fact Rollins should win the match, there's always the chance he won't. Triple H may have put Roman Reigns over at WrestleMania 32, but he didn't do the same for Dean Ambrose.
It's not to suggest that Hunter should job every time he works a match, but at some point, he must step aside for the next generation to move ahead.
There would be no benefit in a Triple H win over Rollins, no matter where the match takes place. But considering Rollins is already an established main eventer, why would Triple H lose to him? The Architect is a star and doesn't need the rub.
The timing of the match is indeed an issue.
The only way to add real weight to the match is if a major championship were involved. Rollins could feud with Triple H and get the payoff at WrestleMania when he beats The Game for the title. But that already happened with Reigns in 2016.
WWE will probably not run the same storyline again with yet another Shield alumnus.
Hunter will likely come back and destroy Rollins in the middle of the ring. He may even do it with his infamous sledgehammer, with that act of violence leading to the big match between them. But with no title and no major stipulation attached, fans have to wonder what the point of it would be.
Why destroy Rollins, building him as the sympathetic figure who's on the verge of stardom, when he's already over?
Even if Rollins does beat Triple H, there's no guarantee that The Game won't work another match at some point, as he did against Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler went down to Triple H on the March 14 edition of Monday Night Raw in 2016.
The match didn't give The Showoff any sort of substantial rub, and fans were left to ponder why it happened in the first place.
There seems to be no good reason for Triple H to beat anyone at this point in his career unless he's wrestling another veteran or making the career of a younger Superstar. Neither one of those scenarios applies to Rollins.
Triple H's return seems to be nothing more than just a way to boost ratings and create interest in the next big pay-per-view event. The brand split has created thin rosters for Raw and SmackDown Live, so perhaps WWE views Triple H's eventual involvement as a necessity.
Is Triple H's return good for WWE?
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Believe it- he's a legend and any time he's on TV, it's good for the company and for the Superstar he faces
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Forget it- Hunter's return will just be more of the same, and there just doesn't seem to be a reason for it this time
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Triple H is coming back whether fans want it or not
But reuniting Triple H with wife Stephanie McMahon on TV as The Authority may be too much for fans to deal with.
The constant heel oppression that WWE seems to be infatuated with often rears its ugly head, and when it does, it never seems to go away. From Eric Bischoff to Vickie Guerrero to John Laurinaitis, one corporate antagonist after another has wreaked havoc on WWE.
The same is true for the McMahon family, who play the role better than anyone.
However, fans may not want that again. Stephanie's heel character is kept in check by Raw general manager Mick Foley, and that has worked out pretty well thus far. Too much of Stephanie or the Raw commissioner and The Game combined will undoubtedly not work out for WWE or for the fans.
Triple H's imminent return feels pointless. It doesn't seem to serve a purpose, and the company has been moving fairly well without him. But he will be back, and fans will once again hail The King of Kings.
Whether they want to is another matter.
Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.