How Triple H Made A Necklace and Bracelet WWE's Biggest Storyline

Sportskeeda Wrestling

Check out Sportskeeda's brand new game, BrainBuster! Can you become the undisputed quiz champion? Play now to find out - https://www.sportskeeda.com/wwe/brainbuster-wwe-player-guessing-game  In the world of WWE, championship titles are the ultimate symbol of success—except when Triple H is involved. Dive into the fascinating story of how "The Game" transformed a simple necklace and bracelet into the most coveted items in WWE, we are talking about CM Punk and Drew McIntyre, rivalry, a bracelet gifted by CM Punk and Ula Fala necklace of Roman Reigns has overshadowing even the most prestigious titles. Discover the genius storytelling, intense rivalries, and emotional moments that turned these accessories into symbols of power, loyalty, and legacy. If you thought championship belts were the end-all-be-all, this video will change your mind. Don't miss out on this unique chapter of WWE history!  You can also visit our site: https://www.sportskeeda.com/wwe  #romanreigns #cmpunk #tripleh #bloodline #drewmcintyre #wwe #wrestling #sportskeedawrestling

Transcript

00:00For as long as we've been WWE fans, wrestling fans, whatever you want to label yourself,

00:10if you're following pro wrestling, only a few things have remained the same.

00:15Going all the way back to 1963, the WWE Championship was the pinnacle of the company that is the

00:22most popular in the genre before becoming the grandest prize in the entire industry.

00:27Because of that, it normally means that the biggest, best, and maybe most interesting

00:32storylines are involved with that championship.

00:35In the 21st century, WWE introduced the second world championship for the first time so it

00:41could give more importance to both Raw and Smackdown as weekly televised conferences

00:47within the greater whole of WWE.

00:49Growing rosters and another television show to produce meant more costs, but it also meant

00:54a lot more money in the long run.

00:57Having a second world championship made sense because it gave fans reasons to tune into

01:01both shows and create more superstars who could make more money and pursue more prizes

01:07in big main events.

01:08All of that aside, it meant that the two hottest storylines in WWE could involve two big prizes.

01:15We had a brief period between late 2013 and the summer of 2016 where there was only one

01:22world championship, but WWE continued to follow the mode because it works.

01:28But WWE today is in a massively different position than they were even 8 years ago.

01:48So is how we consume content and media.

01:51For one, it's one of the hottest periods for WWE in recent memory, maybe even the last

01:55two decades or so, if not the hottest period in this century.

02:00For WWE, the credit usually goes to the creative team now led by Triple H, who has finally

02:05been given free reign to change things, dial it in, and deliver on the big notes to make

02:11it all matter.

02:13And a lot of the credit goes to Triple H and his creative team for finally being given

02:18full free reign to really dial in all of these stories on the three ring never ending circus

02:25that is WWE content.

02:27But it's really the work of every single person involved, most of whom you'll never

02:31see on camera, those creative writers, those producers, the video editors, the cameramen,

02:35and obviously the people front facing the superstars for making it all matter for us

02:39fans going crazy.

02:40Triple H specifically has a very old school, simple, straightforward way of telling stories

02:46in the modern era while adapting to the social media times and dropping all of those teasers

02:51and easter eggs to really make the pages in the book feel thick and compelling to keep

02:56you turning and reading the next page.

02:59You could argue that his style of storytelling could be more predictable, but predictable

03:04is not bad.

03:05Seriously, all of you people with short attention spans, stop claiming that's a bad part of

03:10it because guess what, when you see something coming and you want to see it happen, you

03:14watch to see it happen.

03:15Yeah, and it tends to be a little more satisfying too.

03:18We'll give you an example of that.

03:20When it comes to the biggest titles in the company, WWE has chosen to take the route

03:24of longer championship reigns that end on much bigger stages like a Summerslam or a

03:31Wrestlemania.

03:32So in a lot of cases, you head into B-tier premium live events knowing that certain champions

03:37are not really going to lose their titles, but the moment is being reserved maybe for

03:41a bigger show.

03:42If you're a diehard fan and you follow it week to week and you can smell that.

03:46But that actually works.

03:49You want the functionality.

03:50We don't need swerves for the sake of swerves.

03:53No shot at Mr. Strickland over an AEW.

03:56It's not just championship storylines that have improved, it's the overall storytelling

04:00and non-title feuds that have personal issues driving them, especially non-title feuds.

04:07The two biggest examples of this are the hottest stories in wrestling today that have some

04:12unique connections.

04:13We're talking about CM Punk's never-ending war with Drew McIntyre that's been going

04:18on since January of 2024, and the Bloodlines split with Roman Reigns.

04:24In the CM Punk-McIntyre story, a big part of it this summer has revolved around a bracelet.

04:30Yes, a bracelet, a friendship bracelet that Drew McIntyre took from a vulnerable, beaten

04:38down, assaulted CM Punk.

04:40That bracelet was given to him by a young fan, and it had the names of his wife AJ Lee

04:45and his beloved dog, Larry.

04:48It looks like it cost less than a dollar to make, but the fact that this meaningful bracelet,

04:53this very meaningful heirloom, a special connection between Punk, his family, and the fans who

04:59stood by him through his trials and tribulations, is now in the possession of a man who truly

05:05wants to end his entire career and kill this comeback story before it really gets going.

05:11It isn't so much about the cost of the bracelet, but what it represents, two of the most important

05:17members in CM Punk's family.

05:19Because of how personal the rivalry between Punk and McIntyre has become, Drew snatching

05:24it away from Punk was a shot at his entire family.

05:28Now you've made it even more personal.

05:32It's the story being told, and it continues to be told.

05:36It's the extension of the previous several months where both Drew and Punk have been

05:40physically, mentally, and verbally assaulting each other at every turn, on every channel,

05:46on every app, in every interview possible.

05:49And some are claiming it's too much, they've been doing it too long, well, you are just

05:54having no sense of just letting it settle in and burn for a long time.

06:00I'm looking at you Gen Z fans with your TikTok attention span, it tells you a story

06:06that has a current approach in WWE with storytelling that is long, drawn out, and matters, and

06:13this is the storytelling fans have wanted.

06:15So what do you want?

06:16Long meaningful storylines or something that pays off in two or three weeks that somehow

06:20was built to for months that doesn't play together?

06:23The focus needs to be on the rivalry of the superstars.

06:27Championships and briefcases, yes, I'm mad that Drew McIntyre's Money in the Bank

06:31briefcase was wasted, it's a technicality, it's a ends to a means for a storyline that's

06:37more important than a briefcase.

06:39But sometimes these objects serve as props that add fuel and personal connection, symbols

06:46of things that are more than what they actually are.

06:50And in the case of Roman Reigns and the Bloodline, the ultimate prize may not be the undisputed

06:55WWE championship that Roman Reigns held for years, but the precious Ula Fala necklace.

07:02We call it a necklace, but it's more of a garland.

07:05To understand its importance, it's a little bit of context we have to lay out here.

07:09In the Samoan culture, the Ula Fala neckpiece is traditionally worn by the high chief of

07:14tribes or the orators of the family.

07:17It's reserved for the most significant occasions.

07:20It's made of monocot, or a flowering plant called pandanus.

07:24Native to the Polynesian Islands and a few other parts of the world like South Asia and

07:28Southeast Asia, the seeds of this plant are dried and painted red.

07:32It sounds simple, but in the distant small islands of Samoa, this plant is important

07:38to the life of the natives that reside there.

07:42It is the kind of plant that serves as a one-stop shop.

07:45Things like clothes, mats, fabrics, even food and medicine come from this plant.

07:51But wait, what the heck does this have to do with pro wrestling?

07:55One of the OG Bloodline members, the Rock's grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, one

08:01of the greatest pro wrestlers of Polynesian descent, wore the Ula Fala.

08:06Even the late Umaga wore it.

08:09Even though most of the Anawahi family have only known the United States as their home,

08:14the neckpiece is one of those sacred parts of the Samoan culture that stood the test

08:19of time and connects them to the generations of the past, and the Anawahi family is one

08:25of the most distinctly famous pro wrestling families, maybe one of the most famous Samoan

08:30families in the world.

08:32Since the Bloodline took its form in 2020, Roman Reigns was presented with the Ula Fala

08:38by his father and uncle, the now late Sika and Afa Anawahi, the Wild Samoans, a WWE Hall

08:45of Fame tag team.

08:47At the time, it meant to fully cement Roman Reigns as the tribal chief, the head of the

08:52table, the man who would carry WWE into the next few years, and the leader of his family's

08:58tribe.

08:59Think about it, from WrestleMania 37 to WrestleMania 40, he made every single entrance wearing

09:04that Ula Fala.

09:05At WrestleMania 38 and WrestleMania 39, he had the neckpiece placed around his neck after

09:11winning the main events, another reminder of his status.

09:15A lot of time we took for granted in how important those red painted seeds around his

09:21neck really are, but after WrestleMania 40, all of that changed.

09:26With Roman Reigns being humbled at the hands of Cody Rhodes, losing the title, and now

09:31absent for action, Solo Sokoa had the entire Bloodline faction in his iron grip.

09:38He was once the enforcer at the hands of Roman Reigns, but he changed the entire structure

09:43of the famous faction.

09:45He kicked his brother Jimmy Uso out of the group, and recruited Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa,

09:50and the highly touted, highly impressive Samoan werewolf, Jacob Fatu.

09:55Hubris and trying to usurp his way into power, Solo Sokoa was always the next in line in

10:01the eyes of some to be the tribal chief.

10:05Even Roman Reigns declared Solo as his possible successor, but the idea behind it was that

10:10Roman Reigns would ride off into the sunset and crown Solo at the rightful time.

10:16Solo would then lead the next generation, blah blah blah, the previous guard, you see

10:20where it was supposed to go.

10:22But that's not how it went down, no no no, Solo saw power vacuum and clicked suck, yeah,

10:29he tried to steal the throne without earning it, and decided that it was time for him to

10:34simply take it, even at Roman Reigns' expense, while Roman wasn't there.

10:39The entire time, Solo Sokoa denounced Roman Reigns, and tried to force Paul Heyman to

10:45acknowledge him as the tribal chief, he's my wise man now, and when the wise man refused

10:50to do so, he was completely taken out in Madison Square Garden.

10:54Roman Reigns returned at Summerslam, and it wasn't about him going back for the Universal

10:58Championship, even though that was the scenario he came back to, no, he actually helped the

11:03man who beat him for it, Cody Rhodes, beat Solo Sokoa to retain the title.

11:08That Ula Fala neckpiece represents generations of greatness, connected through one bloodline,

11:15one culture, one tradition, one massive family, interwoven into the pro wrestling history

11:22itself.

11:23WWE is keeping this pot interesting and hot, yes, and stirring it quite often.

11:29There has been more than one occasion when Tama Tonga had the Ula Fala in his hand and

11:35looked at it with a lust of power, wow, this is like Lord of the Rings or something.

11:40Add in the fact that you have guys like Jacob Fattu and The Rock who's looming around

11:45all of this discussion, it's hard not to see how WWE has kept this story going for

11:50four years and counting, with different layers, new players, and of course, a lot of loose

11:55ends that are not yet tied up.

11:58And then if you factor in Cody Rhodes, you know, the guy who has the championship, a

12:02lot of people feel like it's just a matter of time before he faces Roman Reigns or maybe

12:06even The Rock, which was teased after WrestleMania, that's all looming over this.

12:10On Raw, that really isn't the case, we'd argue that Damian Priest exceeded the expectations

12:15with the World Heavyweight Championship, even if some are now saying he was a transitional

12:19champion, which isn't true, a lot of you guys use these phrases but don't know how

12:23to properly make the argument.

12:25But in the case of CM Punk and Drew McIntyre, that story has just been so much better, so

12:31much more compelling than anything that is happening in the top level right now of WWE,

12:36it's about him taking his rightful spot as the head of the table.

12:40If you want to make the step out of the Punk, McIntyre, and Bloodline storylines, just look

12:44at the entire thing with the Judgment Day, yes, Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley technically

12:49competed for the Women's Championship, but even more, it's about the personal issues

12:54involving Dirty Dominik, that whole love triangle, because they already had a history that went

12:59back years, and Liv Morgan injured Rhea Ripley because Rhea Ripley injured her, and taking

13:04the championship and all of her relationships and Dirty Dom from her was all a part of it,

13:09it was a big payoff, and now it unfolds into a whole nother storyline, or a whole nother

13:14chapter that we can see play out week to week, we're on board.

13:18Even Summerslam, the story is as hot as it's ever been and hardly has let up, and the Women's

13:23Championship benefits from it all in the practice.

13:26With the entire Damien Priest-Finn Balor story losing the world title as a prize, it's

13:31added bitterness between them, if they can't chase a championship, now they must destroy

13:36each other.

13:37Without a title, it's still one of the most interesting stories to follow.

13:41Also, let's not forget that Finn Balor is also a tag team champion, and that isn't

13:47a bad thing, this is more of a personal issue, not just men fighting over a strap.

13:52Obviously, we're not going to claim the garland or the bracelet will always be as

13:56important as titles, the WWE Championship has a long, multi-decade history and it's

14:05special, it can't be ignored, our point is to drive in the fact that the current modern

14:11landscape of these two stories are perfect examples of the evolution of modern WWE audiences

14:17and how quickly things can change, how quickly they can lose attention span and get fickle

14:21and just want to flip the table and change everything.

14:24The Ulefala would not have meant as much as it did for Roman Reigns if it was not connected

14:29with that Universal Championship reign of more than 1300 days, yes, the bracelet that

14:37CM Punk wore just a few months ago wouldn't mean as much between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre

14:44if it didn't have 17 WWE World Championships between the two men that have worn it.

14:51But in an era where attention is the biggest form of currency and if you can keep it in

14:56a rapidly declining era of attention spans, strong, long term storytelling has the ability

15:04to overshadow the most prestigious championships and yes, although those people that want to

15:10see the big payoff, even though we haven't gotten there yet, patience, patience my pretties,

15:16Triple H and WWE's creative team have everybody involved at a brilliant level using age old

15:22desire to see entertaining television while incorporating social media to keep these stories

15:28in the minds of fans well after the live TV show has gone off the air.

15:33If it doesn't encapsulate the difference between the old and new eras of WWE, then

15:38what does?

15:46What do you think?

15:47Let us know in the comments below and be sure to subscribe for more WWE 2K15 videos!

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