SummerSlam wasn't an event that Triple H was responsible for building, but his fingerprints were all over a handful of key booking decisions that have stood out on WWE television over the last week. Vince McMahon retired on July 22, and then on July 25, it was reported that Triple H would be taking over creative duties moving forward. Hunter has had the book for one week now, but the product already feels fresher and most of the talents involved seem a bit freer.
Triple H has always been given a lot of credit for the booking that eventually lead to the women's revolution in NXT and WWE. So, not surprisingly, his first notable moves have mostly involved female wrestlers. The changes that he's made to the Raw women's division, in particular, give that roster one of the strongest groups of performers in the business. Don't ignore the big shift he made to Friday Night SmackDown either.
Last week's Monday Night Raw and SmackDown didn't feature any huge changes in direction for WWE. Riddle vs. Seth Rollins was moved from SummerSlam to Clash At The Castle, giving that feud another five weeks to breathe and build. That was said to have been a Triple H decision, but when the Biggest Party Of The Summer arrived, the low-key modifications gave way to significant booking shakeups. It took all of 30 minutes of SummerSlam for it to become abundantly clear that transformations were coming.
SummerSlam Was A Soft Reboot Of WWE's Women's Division
The way Bayley we re-debuted alongside Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai was outstanding. Kai was someone who'd worked closely with Triple H while he was booking NXT, but had parted ways with the company back in May. Sometime over the last week, that was a bridge that was mended, and she'll be an outstanding addition to the Raw roster. Likewise for Sky, who'd been booked as a true star in the developmental brand, but had her legs cut out from under her when the black and gold version of NXT shifted to NXT 2.0. Her receiving a promotion and a prominent push at SummerSlam shows that Triple H intends to build her up to look strong on Monday nights.
That same segment saw Becky Lynch (finally) turn face. There was a time when the Lass Kicker was the most over wrestler on the roster—male or female—and her The Man character was generally outstanding. It can be argued that the manic personality she'd been portraying on Raw was a bit more dynamic, but it didn't allow fans to do what they've always wanted to do since Becky returned last year, which is cheer for her. Triple H wasn't done there, though. Following their match, Ronda Rousey turned full-blown heel on Liv Morgan, attacking her and a handful of other WWE officials. This, too, will allow audiences to do what they've always wanted to do with the Baddest Woman On The Planet. Which is boo her. It was a soft reboot of the entire division, and with rumblings that WWE is working to get Sasha Banks and Naomi back into the fold, the future of women's wrestling seems bright following Triple H's awesome first week at the helm.