AEW Star Explains Why Triple H Deserves To Be On Pro Wrestling 'Mount Rushmore'

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Maxwell Jacob Friedmann (MJF) is arguably the biggest heel in the pro wrestling industry to date thanks to his willingness to commit to the role even outside of the squared circle, but he is not beyond giving props to those who came before him–especially Triple H.

In October 2022, MJF went on the "Not Sam Wrestling" podcast hosted by Sam Roberts and commented that the current chief content officer of WWE belongs on the Mount Rushmore of the pro wrestling industry.

"Even if we're only talking about his (Triple H) wrestling career, I think he still winds [up] there. The Rock, Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Edge, Bryan Danielson, Randy Orton, Batista, Ric Flair, at one point... he made all of these people," MJF told Roberts.

"I know I am. And it's because he was so incredibly hated that when he went through the curtain and entered that ring."

Before he was in a position of power behind the scenes, Triple H was arguably the greatest heel during his time as an in-ring performer, especially in the late 90s to the early 2010s.

While pro wrestling fans have always been gravitating towards heel characters because of how relatable some of them are, it cannot be stated enough how important they also are in building the biggest stars in a generation.

Triple H, whose real name is Paul Levesque, was a go-to heel for WWE's scriptwriters since he has that aura of realism around him that can be easily marketed as that of a heel.

Whether it was him being the leader of the McMahon-Helmsley Faction, the other half of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's Two-Man Power Trip tag team, the face of Evolution, or during his mid-2010s run as the head of The Authority, Triple H's heel character propelled other faces to great heights.

As MJF noted, The Rock, Austin, Orton, Batista and Danielson (Daniel Bryan in WWE) all benefitted from being engaged in a feud with him.

In the 2000s, he was mainly responsible for the rise of both Orton and Batista after turning heel on them despite being part of the same Evolution faction because they were quickly becoming major threats to his hold on the main-event picture.

For more modern fans though, his storyline with Bryan as the one responsible for holding him back from the main event scene and eventual comeuppance at WrestleMania 30 was a big moment in WWE's history.

Everyone loved Bryan's work ethic in the ring and when he was not being given a fair shot at the WWE Championship because he was seen as a "B-plus player," fans rallied around him and propelled him to the top of the industry in a babyface run for the ages.

Triple H has more than earned his spot among the greats of the industry, and his work behind the scenes—which has been praised by many fans—will only further cement his resume in pro wrestling.