Vince McMahon taking the most cutthroat business approach he has in years led to over 80 names getting the boot in 2021 alone. Nick Khan gaining more influence than Triple H convinced Vince to fire a large percent of the roster and essentially change the business model by ending the old NXT.
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Many names believed they’d have brighter WWE careers after working with or getting hired by Triple H. Unfortunately, they never got that chance to get pushed by someone who fully believed in them. Some of the best wrestlers in the world are on the free agent market or have signed elsewhere due to WWE closing the doors on them. Triple H would have absolutely pushed the following names that Vince quit on.
10 Bronson Reed
The NXT push of Bronson Reed showed that both Triple H and Shawn Michaels were high on him. Reed was outstanding in the ring and had a look unlike anyone else in the company. Triple H seemed to want him as a long-term future player on the main roster.
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WWE showed no care for that when releasing Reed earlier in the year. The massive cuts saw Bronson losing job and returning to the free agent market. NXT losing Reed hurt the depth since he was among the respected stars.
9 Ember Moon
The main roster run of Ember Moon showed that Vince McMahon wasn’t a big supporter of her. Moon was always impressive in the ring, but that didn’t lead to a noteworthy push beyond losing one title shot on PPV to Bayley.
A return to NXT saw Triple H believing in Ember again with another noteworthy role. Moon was always a valuable part of the NXT women’s division when Triple H had power. The main roster run would have likely found way more success if Triple H was booking Ember.
8 John Morrison
The shocking release of John Morrison saw him never getting to pay off the end of his tag team with The Miz. WWE releasing Morrison came just a short while after his wife and former NXT talent Taya Valkyrie also got the boot.
It was revealed that Triple H was the one responsible for Morrison getting hired since he made the decision. Morrison likely would have received a bigger push and long-term value in WWE if Triple H had anything to say about it.
7 Buddy Murphy
The success of Buddy Murphy mostly came in the cruiserweight division for WWE. Triple H used Murphy well in NXT as part of the Blake and Murphy tag team with Alexa Bliss at their side. Murphy even looked good in the Seth Rollins vs Rey Mysterio feud after having solid matches with both.
That wasn’t enough for WWE to spare him from the wave of releases. Murphy witnessed things changing drastically from Paul Heyman trying to make him a fixture on the Raw brand to the firing. Triple H was another supporter who would have used Murphy better than Vince McMahon did.
6 Tegan Nox
WWE called up the NXT stands out Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox together to join the women’s tag division. Despite not being a full-time team in NXT, they looked together on the main roster as a rare credible women’s tag team in the title picture.
The team ended in shocking fashion when WWE fired Nox during the push. Triple H was always a supporter of Tegan in NXT and hoped she would become a major part of WWE’s future. The firing coming when Nox was doing a good job just made it even more bittersweet.
5 Andrade
The signing of Andrade to NXT was a Triple H move every step of the way. Many fans questioned NXT using Andrade without the mask he wore wrestling in Mexico, but Triple H believed in him as a top star with his own face.
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Not even a slow start in NXT doomed Andrade as Triple H pairing Zelina Vega with him led to the NXT Championship win. The main roster run of Andrade never found the same success and Vince McMahon let him go during the earlier budget cuts of 2020.
4 Karrion Kross
Karrion Kross received one of the fastest pushes in NXT history due to Triple H believing in him. The presentation of a star-making entrance with Scarlett Bordeaux as his manager helped Kross get over and win the NXT Championship right away.
An injury forced Kross to relinquish the title, but Triple H showed even more faith by having Kross win the belt again by dethroning Finn Balor. The main roster run of Kross was an all-time flop that never would have happened if Triple H had the power.
3 Keith Lee
The future of Keith Lee seemed brighter than most other wrestlers on the roster when called up from NXT to the main roster. Lee had an outstanding run in NXT winning both the North American Championship and NXT Championship.
Triple H even made sure that Lee was arguably the most important star spotlighted in 2019 when the NXT roster got involved with Raw and Smackdown during the Survivor Series 2019 build. Lee’s main roster stint went poorly from the stalled push to the Bearcat name to the release.
2 Ruby Soho
Ruby Soho is currently in a noteworthy AEW role, but WWE dropped the ball with the promising talent during her time there. The Ruby Riott name led to her leading the Riott Squad and doing her best with the inconsistent booking.
Many fans forget that Ruby was a beloved in NXT under Triple H’s guidance since she was called up to the main roster as a heel. Triple H’s portrayal of Ruby was similar to AEW today, which means she could have had more success in WWE with him running the show.
1 Aleister Black
WWE dropping the ball with Aleister Black was a huge disappointment since he seemed like a can’t miss prospect. Black was among the most successful NXT stars ever with an outstanding presentation influenced by Triple H.
The NXT Championship win of Black helped prove that he could be a top champion for a great brand. WWE did push him on occasion, but the potential of Black was never fulfilled. Fans were stunned when WWE released him as part of the early 2020 wave. Triple H’s previous use of Black could have made him a true top star on the main roster if not for Vince McMahon having full power.
