Triple H Makes Backhanded Comment About AEW Booking’s Lack Of Creative Reasoning

Pro wrestling is a mixed bag, and it offers a variety for fans. That being said, WWE is very happy in their lane, where they are focused on telling stories, even if that’s not necessarily the best match they can book.

During the All-In podcast, Triple H spoke about WWE’s creative philosophy. He compared WWE’s approach to mixed martial arts. He said that while MMA is built on real competition, it still relies on personalities to attract fans. It is also hard to miss the fact that AEW also books much like UFC, where Tony Khan plugs wrestlers into matches without any build.

Triple H said WWE is focused on stories, not match quality. That is a big difference between the two, because WWE is sports entertainment. AEW may book things because it’s a great match, but WWE doesn’t do it that way. They work on good stories instead.

“We tell stories. I’m less—and people within our business sometimes take this wrong—but I don’t—we don’t write the shows based on, ‘That’ll be a great match.’ We write it on the stories that we can create.”

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Triple H continued by explaining how WWE builds on traditional storytelling structures. WWE isn’t about the quality of a match, or the amount of near falls that one match might have, but it’s the story of it all that hooks fans into an angle.

“The protagonist, the antagonist—how does that work with each other? Telling stories that can resonate with people, that maybe they’ve experienced in their real life, some type of fantastical version of that.”

Triple H’s comments certainly reflects WWE’s focus on characters and long-term narratives. This is something that they have focused on for years, dating back to Vince McMahon’s days with the company. They don’t build toward fights like boxing, because they are presenting a fresh angle to continue a storyline each week. This approach is also noticeably different from other wrestling promotions like AEW and NJPW, which often highlight in-ring performance.

AEW’s product has certainly been criticized for a while, as Tony Khan loads his cards with matches without any storyline reason to book it. Only time will tell which strategy wins out, but WWE is certainly happy with how things are going right now.

What’s your take on WWE building long-term booking versus how Tony Khan books things? Let us know what you think in the comments section!