First, maybe squashed was too strong a word to use with Edge, but he promptly showed up on SD!, got a title match, won, won again and that was that. It was a micro-feud, HHH did nothing to put Edge over in anyway and that was it until Edge returned @ S Series. It was an improper feud, quick and forgetable. It was made apparent Edge wasn't in HHH's league and to me that's somewhat of a burn, maybe not so much a squash.
To say Cena was made by Triple H is asinine. He helped cement Cena's status, but HOW DID HE MAKE HIM?? Seriously. When Cena showed up on Raw the ratings were at the highest they had been since 2002, which means he outdrew HHH, which means HE WAS THE TOP DRAW in the company BEFORE he EVER feuded with HHH. So, being the top draw and going into the main event at WM as CHAMP against the top heel means he wasn't MADE until he beat the top heel? How does that show HHH MADE John Cena?? How can someone be MADE when they ARE ALREADY THE TOP DRAW AND CHAMP before they even feud with the top heel? He was MADE a YEAR before and carried his steam to a top drawing match @WM that got HHH a nice payday. There was absolutely nothing Hunter could do to make Cena an even bigger star. Dude, if you think Hunter made Cena, your wrong. There's a huge difference between CEMENTING AND MAKING. Hogan was already MADE but Andre CEMENTED him. Rocky was ALREADY MADE in 99 but Austin CEMENTED him. Bret Hart MADE Austin. Rock, and Foley MADE HHH, Austin CEMENTED him. Cena was ALREADY MADE, Trips, at best, CEMENTED HIM. You can't honestly say he MADE him. That's just blatantly wrong. Savvy?
About RVD, Kane, and Booker getting squashed, they did. I never said he should have lost those feuds, but each guy was HOT and the E was desperate to fill the void left by Austin and Rock for a new top face yet they were each given a ONE MONTH program and were pinned cleanly and promptly sent down to the midcard. In Booker's case he flat out refused the job. That's a straight burial. RVD would need four years before he got his spot back, Kane would be put through terrible angles and a terrible heel turn to get some longevity out of his gimmick and Booker wanted nothing to do with whatever show HHH was on and it eventually led to another squashing after his first title run that led to him leaving the company. Those are squashes and burials, especially considering he'd run a two month program with Scott Stiener eventhough they got booed out the building @ RR 03.
Ummm...his series with Taker (which he would have been the one to break Taker's streak had he not had off screen issues reportedly) and his feud with Hogan all stick in my mind.
Again you are confusing "making" and "cementing". All the legends he pinned, his Taker and Hogan feuds and Rated RKO all helped make Randy Orton, Triple H had no bearing on ANY of that. Then Randy made the huge leap when he started feuding with Cena in 07, once it was kayfabed that he put Cena out, he was legit. Triple H came in and cemented it. He hasn't flat out ever put Randy over strong.
And here is the point I originally tried to make, Foley was a much bigger star than Triple H was at that point in his career as compared to how much a bigger star HHH is than Orton is and yet Foley, the way bigger star put HHH over strong, making him in the process. Hunter has done this. For Batista. He has put Randy over, but never strong. And you can argue Randy's character is somewhat chickenshit but he his also heavily booked on a cold, calculating,vicious sociopath that likes to hurt his enemies. A simple, clean win for Randy from HHH could do more for him than this entire 6 month feud could do, especially since HHH has looked stronger and lost the title to Orton in a weak manner. All I was originally saying was HHH has the power to "make" anyone with his rub and he can certainly cement them as he has with Cena and Orton, and he should. He has come a long way from the politicing, burying, asshole he was heavily reputed to be in 2003-2004 but I think at this point in his career he should do what Foley and the others did for him. I mean The Rock was still the Rock and Stone Cold was still Stone Cold after they put HHH strong. He has done everything there is to do and there is nothing that can marginally increase his star, so why not? I'm not advocating he job continuously or to any jabrone, but if there is someone that is legit established, then why not lend your star to them and give them a good strong rub. Tahat's all I was originally stating.
