The New Two-Man Power Trip

[The Scarred One]

Following WrestleMania X7 in 2001, a new alliance formed between former rivals "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Triple H. This alliance, backed by Mr. McMahon and Stephanie McMahon, ran roughshod over the WWF roster. Austin would continually retain his WWF Championship, Triple H would become the Intercontinental Champion and both men would go on to become the WWF Tag Team Champions. The team would feud with the likes of the Brothers of Destruction and the Hardy Boyz. The alliance ended in May of that year when Triple H suffered a tear to his left quadriceps and was out injured for the rest of the year. But for a brief time, this alliance was the most powerful force in the WWF. This alliance was known as the Two-Man Power Trip.

Now it appears that a new incarnation of the Power Trip is in the works. Instead of Mr. McMahon, it appears that Triple H may be the mastermind behind this possible incarnation with Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens operating as the muscle.

The seeds were planted not long after the Royal Rumble when Samoa Joe finally made the transition from NXT to RAW to do the bidding of Triple H. The Samoan Submission Machine's first act for Triple H was to take out his former protege, Seth Rollins. In an interview with Michael Cole, Joe made it clear he was loyal to Triple H for giving him a chance to compete in the WWE. Triple H is the same man who helped Owens become the WWE Universal Champion by helping him defeat Rollins for the title. There have been hints of a partnership with a tag team match featuring Owens and Joe taking on Chris Jericho and Sami Zayn as well as Joe distracting Jericho during a Highlight Reel segment to allow Owens to lay a beatdown on his former friend.

So it wouldn't really be surprising if a partnership did occur with Owens once again becoming WWE Universal Champion and Joe becoming United States Champion or vice versa. At the same time, they could capture the RAW Tag Team Titles from whatever team would be holding them. All the while, they would be backed by Triple H and maybe even Stephanie McMahon.

With this, I could see it not working but thriving. The only reason why the previous Power Trip didn't last long was because of Triple H's injury. Who knows what might have been for the group had the injury not taken place. Perhaps it would've lead to a face turn for Triple H to take on a heel Austin. We'll never truly know. The same route might take place if Joe and Owens do ally with one another, leading to a feud somewhere down the road.

But what do you all think? Do you see a new Power Trip form with Joe and Owens and backed by Triple H in the cards? And if so, do you think it would be a success?

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

Simply put, no.

Two-man power trip were two main event superstars, at the same level, wrecking havoc everywhere.

Owens and Joe are to almost main event stars. Not superstars, not bonafied main eventers. Joe is something like an enforcer. He's not on the same level as Owens. You're not going to want to see Joe turning on Owens like some people wanted HHH to go after Austin's world title.

All of that doesn't mean that Owens/Joe won't work, but the parallel is wrong.

 

[johnbragg]

Owens-Joe-HHH alliance actually works a lot better, makes a LOT more sense than the Two-Man Power Trip ever did.

As DNA said, HHH and Austin were arguably the two biggest stars in the company. (Rock was making a movie, Foley was retiring/retired, Angle wasn't on that level yet, so Undertaker was their biggest opponent). In fact, sitting at home back then, I didn't buy the storyline of HHH giving a crap about the Intercontinental title and letting Austin have the World title, even if it were a temporary alliance. (I also didn't like the Austin heel turn--he'd been World champion plenty of times without Vince's help, he could surely do it again before long. I still think that's why the heel turn failed, and why I didn't think a Cena heel turn would work for the last ten years until recently.)

Owens and Joe, though, make a lot of sense as HHH lackeys, enforcers, proteges or whatever. Owens needs HHH to win world title gold--or at least can use the advantage that HHH and Joe give him. Samoa Joe is brand new to the WWE, so he's loyal to the guy who brought him in.

This is BETTER than the Two-MAn Power Trip.

 

[The Perfect Max]

I think the above poster is right. Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H were absolutely nailed-down main event stars in 2001. Austin more so at that point, but Triple H was above where Kevin Owens and certainly Samoa Joe are now.

I think the opportunity to do similar kinds of things are there for Joe and Owens. But equally I can see them both gunning for the Universal Championship at some point, and surely that alliance cannot last forever. Whatever the plan is with these two and Triple H, I'm not sure it's completely long-term, as much as it is designed to carry over this feud with Rollins and maybe draw in Finn Bálor too.

 

[johnbragg]

Whatever the plan is with these two and Triple H, I'm not sure it's completely long-term, as much as it is designed to carry over this feud with Rollins and maybe draw in Finn Bálor too.

Depends how long-term you mean by long-term. Nothing lasts forever, but Samoa Joe just made the main roster. He joined TNA in June 2005, and based on wikipedia, his first shot at the TNA world title was in July 2006 (4-way No 1 contenders match.) So it's not a stretch to have him methodically and brutally work his way up the list of contenders before going for the big belt and competing on OWens' turf.

 

[MWRedskins]

while i like Owens and Joe being allies, i dont think we should see them form a Two-Man Power Trip.....if Joe or Owens stays on RAW, i think one of them should be after the Universial title while the other is feuding with other top faces that arent fighting for the Universial title....if Finn Balor stays on RAW, i'd like to see a triple threat match happen as soon as the next RAW PPV where Joe or Balor win the title by pinning the other and holding the title. as for Owens, it sreems that he'll likely win the US title...so have him hold that, then move onto other main eventers who arent fighting for championships. i dont want to see them form a tag team, now allies are ok.

 

[Vanilla Midget]

The idea of two guys holding the tag titles while one holds the main event title and the other holds the midcard title could work again. We haven't seen it in 16 years. The thing that made the Two Man Power Trip interesting was that it was with two guys you never would have considered aligning.

Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens are two guys that for all we know are in cahoots. Joe has come out to help Owens, but is Owens really fully working for Triple H and Stephanie?

We know Joe is, we've seen it on camera. When is the last time we've seen Owens and Triple H together on TV? If I missed it, I apologize, but so far I don't think we have.

It's not far fetched for Joe or Owens to team up. It was for Austin and Triple H. They had just finished a blood feud with one another. They were on the same page after Mania 17 in April when they had just competed in a gruelling three stages of hell match that February.

Most of what made the two man power trip shocking was that these guys came together. A better version might be if we don't expect it. Let's say Roman turns heel at Mania (everyone wishes) and then gets the Universal title. Then let's say Roman teams up with Owens (who just won the US title from Jericho), then those two win the Raw tag team titles.

That would be a bigger example - you'd never picture Roman and Owens teaming and Roman is a bigger star (albeit not nearly on the wrestling level of Samoa Joe).

I say let Joe and Owens be there own thing. Owens is entertaining as hell and both are ring generals in their own right. Cramming all those belts on them might not work. Joe needs more time to get over with the casuals before he's pushed that hard, we don't want crowds rejecting him when he's so talented.

A new Two Man Power Trip style team with all the belts could work, but the Op might have the wrong guys. What about a new version of the Power Trip where one is a heel and the other is a face? Either way, they'd have to both be proven main event guys.

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

Austin and HHH was interesting because it was one of the biggest names ever and current top guy or at least someone who would get that spot(HHH cirka 2000 was around that spot). Owens and Joe? One was transitional Champion who had every win by either HHH or Jericho helping. Other just got in main roster.