For The Record 2.22.09: Triple H's Credibility as Boss
Posted by Kristopher Rodriguez on 02.22.2009
Vince McMahon will not rule WWE forever. There will someday be a changing of the guard. And when the keys are passed on to Stephanie and Shane, Triple H will hold a special place in WWE as their most indispensable executive.
Triple H will someday be the second or third most powerful person in WWE. Who knows, in some regards he might even emerge as THE most powerful person in the McMahon empire. Triple H knows the business inside and out and is a consummate professional. He is likely learning the ropes from Vince McMahon himself and probably has as good a grasp of WWE's big picture as Shane.
Because of Triple H's accolades and character, he will be able to demand excellence from main eventers, mid-carders, and curtain-jerkers alike. He'll be able to do so not only because he's the appointed authority of talent, but because he's walked the walk. Let's look at three specific reasons why he'll have credibility with the "boys."
First, Triple H puts over several wrestlers and has even become borderline selfless since marrying Stephanie. Sure, some fans complain that Triple H hardly loses. I would argue that he loses too often. I actually think his winning percentage should be higher. Just think, since marrying into the family, Triple H is 0-4 in Wrestlemania world title matches. Three of those loses were to the benefit of the WWE rookie class of 2002 (Batista, John Cena, and Randy Orton). And remember, he not only put those guys over at Wrestlemania, he also gave them important victories at other major events. He also gave a longstanding veteran, Jeff Hardy, a career-defining rub at Armageddon 2007. Triple H also helped to make Edge's return even more dramatic at last year's Survivor Series by taking the fall instead of Vladimir Koslov. Not only that, Triple H has also been the last person eliminated in the past two Royal Rumbles, making the victories for Cena and Orton even more significant.
Therefore Triple H will be able to say, without even batting an eye, that one of the duties of a main eventer is to help build for the future by giving up-and-coming stars the rubs they need. Nobody will be able to go up to Triple H and give The Game the premadonna treatment. If Triple H can put wrestlers over, anybody can.
The second major reason why Triple H will be a credible boss to his workers is that The Game has gone to war on countless occasions for his company. Allow me to elaborate. Triple H on two occasions has suffered massive leg injuries during his matches. His most notable and memorable injury occurred in 2001 during a tag team contest that saw the Cerebral Assassin and Stone Cold Steve Austin take on Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit. Triple H, whether heroically or foolishly, finished the match. To us the laymen, it seems foolish to finish a contest with a torn quadriceps muscle. But as a common code among wrestlers, it is noble to finish a match while injured. It took guts on Triple H's part. He withstood unspeakable pain, but out of respect for the business he weathered the storm and earned his stripes. Triple H has also been involved in punishing Hell in a Cell matches, Iron Man Matches, Elimination Chambers, and Gauntlets. Therefore, nothing that Triple H requests his wrestlers to do will be out of bounds. Triple H will not be walking into talent and production meetings as a pencil pusher. He'll be a wrestling legend that got his Ph.D from the wrestling school of hard knocks.
But the third, and most important reason why Triple H will be a credible boss is because his accomplishments weren't ascribed, but achieved. Don't punch your computer monitor. Let me explain. Before marrying Stephanie McMahon, Triple H had already won the WWE Championship from Mankind in 1999. WWE already saw something special in him while Triple H still had Chyna as a manager. After that night, Triple became a permanent main eventer and would have been whether he wed Stephanie or not. But since he married the promoter's daughter, the charge of nepotism has been strong and legitimate. Regardless of whether he has been favored or not, the fact remains that he's an extremely gifted performer. Nepotism would not take away from the fact that he is also very charismatic. Another noteworthy point to consider about his presence as a main eventer…
Triple H did not join WWE as a top guy. He came to WWE with a, quite frankly, stupid gimmick. He forged a ridiculous accent and his voice would remain awkward and somewhat high until 1998. He sported some truly ugly attire as the Connecticut Blueblood and was only a slightly above average worker. But Triple H gained an edge to him. He eventually grew into his role as a part of DX. His voice became deeper, and his accent disappeared. His matches were more crisp and intense. He even bulked up, and though getting bigger now connotates steroid use, there's no denying that his push was heightened when he developed a new look. He made all the necessary improvements to become a main event player, and nobody gave him a free pass to superstardom.
That is very different than Shane and Stephanie McMahon's experiences. Sure they went to college and got degrees. But even without higher education, they were going to inherit their father's company. And even if they were to perform poorly as WWE executives, they would still inherit the WWE. World Wrestling Entertainment is a part of the McMahon monarchy. It was going to go to Steph and Shane all along; they will someday own wrestling's largest company whether they are spoiled brats or not. So when you've got the McMahon kids of privilege barking orders at besieged and pressured professional wrestlers, resentment is inevitable. How on earth could the young McMahons relate to the wrestlers? They have never lived a year in the life of a wrestler with all the insecurities that come with the job. They have generally worked on the white collar side of the business. Triple H, on the other hand, knows what it is to struggle. He knows what it's like to start from the bottom and work his way up. He could be a mentor to many wrestlers. Because of his unique journey and the battle scars he bears, what Triple H says will mean the world to the next generation of WWE Superstars.
Finally, Triple H has made more money for WWE than all of the other McMahons not named Vince put together. Sure, Shane makes WWE some money in Global Media. And yes, Stephanie's ideas might be good for business. But it's Triple H and his peers that sweat, bleed, tear, and sell tickets. Linda, Shane, and Stephanie have not gone through what Triple H has withstood. And that is why when the cards are down and Vince McMahon is no longer a part of WWE, Triple H will come closest to enjoying the respect that Vince McMahon has earned. Out of the whole McMahon clan, including the extended family, Triple H is the second hardest working guy in WWE. He was a key member and top heel of the Attitude Era. He played in a major role in keeping WWE's doors open and shutting down WCW. Triple H has given his whole self to WWE just like Vince McMahon. They didn't get to enjoy the ride like Linda, Shane, and Stephanie.
For all the above reasons, Triple H will be the second most credible boss in WWE history following Vince McMahon.
Phenomenal column. I totally agree with you. Triple H can totally relate to wrestlers given all he's gone through
Posted By: Fred Richani (Registered) on February 22, 2009 at 12:14 AM
After reading this article, it is hard to fault the energy and devotion of HHH, and when Vince retires, I truly hope HH can keep me entertained, and millions and millions of others as well. I hope a new generation of HBKs, Rocks, and Austins can come on board and build the WWE into must see tv for the marks like me who truly love to pop along with a live crowd while watching at home.
Just keep me entertained, HHH, that's all I ask!
Posted By: Alan (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 12:15 AM
VERY good article. You are dead-on. The only time I didn't like HHH was 2002-2003, when he was too big and slow, but that doesn't change the fact that he has worked extremely hard to become THE cornerstone of WWE talent. Ten years after he won his first WWE title and then had the most amazing main event run I've ever seen from Jan 2000 until he got hurt in May 2001, he's still going strong, putting on good matches and occasionally great ones. I hope HHH is a part of WWE's future, even after he retires from being an active wrestler.
Posted By: MDK (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 12:57 AM
Hey, cool article. Although I've never been a huge fan of Triple H, and used to dread his 20 minute tirades at the start of every RAW during the attitude era, your column gave me a new perspective on the guy. Keep up the good work!
Posted By: anonymoose (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 01:21 AM
Very good article.
Posted By: Guest#3239 (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 01:39 AM
Well writen and fair, for once, on a guy who rarely gets the treatment. People forget that he won 6 of those world title before geting married to Stephanie, and most likely 4 of them before even starting a relationship with her.
Posted By: AdamS (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 01:45 AM
This isn't very balanced, although I don't disagree directly with anything you are saying.
Triple H has very often, in my opinion, been in spots he shouldn't have because of who he is.
You say it was more important for Cena and Orton to win the rumble by beating triple H last, I disagree. I think H was elevating himself by putting himself in that position. Batista or Taker could have easily replaced him respectively in 08 and 09 rumbles.
I also think WM20 would have been better if HHH had been kept out of the main event.
Again right now, H is pushing himself into a spot for WM25 that he really doesn't warrant.
Posted By: YouCan'tSeeMe (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 01:51 AM
Ive always been a HHH mark, When he wants to turn it on there are maybe two guys better then him Flair and HBK. Sure there are the guys with better workrate but so often that comes with 0 charisma. But man not even I realized he took the dive so often for other stars. Him and the Rock may have the worst Wrestlmania records. Then again neiher of them needed then to stay over.
Posted By: TD (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 01:57 AM
Errrr... WRONG!
its not HHH its Shane who gave the most
Shane has been in some gruelling matches. Has done crazy ASS spots (HHH never does crazy stuff) EVEN if he doesnt have to. He doesnt need the work. But he does it anyway.
HHH puts people over?!?! Tell that to Booker T. The man is a 12 time champion. 12 TIME CHAMPION he is gunning for Ric flairs record. And when he finally puts people over he does so in unconvincing fashion (aka Jeff hardy's fluke wins)
Shane always losses. He always puts people over.
I AM PISSED THAT HHH WOULD TRY TO STEAL SHANE'S EMPIRE ITS NOT JUST RIGHT
Posted By: Mre (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 02:03 AM
Good points in a great article! The only area Triple H might find a credibility gap is with the steroid issue. I can't see Gregory Helms or Brian Kendrick being very understanding when Triple H of all people is telling them they're not big enough to main event. Yeah, we all know Vince is on the juice, but his size never helped him get over like Triple H's has.
Posted By: Sam! (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 02:10 AM
Refreshing stuff and well argued. No doubt people will take offense at you not towing the HHHate line but a bit of objectivity is a welcome break in my eyes at least!
Posted By: Thank you (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 02:52 AM
I do agree with most of your article, but I have to disagree with the connotation at the end that Shane and Steph haven't earned the respect of WWE wrestlers for their work in front of the camera. Certainly Shane has put his body and health on the line for the company on countless occasions pulling off some great matches with some of the best going around and taking huge bumps in the process (the Kurt Angle King of the Ring match comes to mind most readily), while Steph has never backed away from taking a bump when required. Triple H would certainly have his fellow wrestlers respect, but Shane and Steph would have almost as much respect from those same wrestlers for all that they've been willing to do when they could’ve easily remained in their desk jobs safely behind the camera.
Posted By: JRC (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 03:28 AM
i sort of agree. the IWC did get a little carried away bleating nepotism, like when H was going over guys who weren't cut out, like Kane and Steiner.
still... Angle, Jericho, Booker T. booking that made no sense, angles that had no payoff, all to protect his spot. H, the only active wrestler, sitting in on private meetings with the top brass. veteran company men losing their jobs for saying H's run hadn't created any new stars.
some of this was real dirty. i agreed with you more when you wrote "Triple H's Tainted Legacy."
Posted By: 6d6 (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 03:52 AM
If you believe one word of this crap,I have some ocean front property in Minnesota I would like to sell you.
Paul Levesque is a cancer. Plain and simple.
Posted By: Nepotism World Odor (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 04:20 AM
true.
Posted By: j22 (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 04:24 AM
Greatest ever? He's up there. I'm glad someone did a column pointing out what makes him great instead of the typical bashing. While HHH may have done some things wrong his good far out ways his bad. And personally while everyone else was cheering Rock, Austin, and Foley I was screaming for Trips (I love the others put he was my fav).
Posted By: Hx3 (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 04:32 AM
While I can definitely agree with most of the points you made there are two things to think about in a situation where HHH would take over that could prove more detrimental to the league then if Shane or Stephanie took over.
We know HHH as in in-ring talent but we have no evidence of any out of ring talent. We've seen no evidence of the capabilities of HHH as a schmoozer (road agent), money-handler (cost control), writer/booker, or even as a diplomat (which would be necessary to run a big business successfully). While he may be able to keep the talent in shape it takes much more than that to run the whole business.
As for the second, and more important, problem; HHH is an active wrestler, if he decided to stay active while in charge we may see WWE fall into the same traps as the Von Erich owned WCCW or the many Lawler or Jarrett owned companies over the years. Even Ric Flair as NWA/WCW booker couldn't help but become champion whenever he was in charge of booking the shows. Lawler's 40 or more title reigns over the years turned off alot of fans; although he was a Memphis legend, people all over the World saw it for what it was, causing many a company to fold.
With a possible lack of business skills and an ego he's been well-known for HHH may not be the right choice for Vince's successor; Shane and Steph have proven to possess both corporate skills and a willingness to put the talent (and good of the company) over themselves.
Posted By: RDR (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 04:50 AM
always thought of HHH as the kinda guy that would use influence to get what he wants, but i guess thats just a general bias. after reading what u said, no doubt he's gonna be a pretty credible boss, altho u gotta admit shane and steph do good by themselves by at least trying to wrestle and willing to put themselves out there for the crowd.
Posted By: non (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 06:39 AM
anyone who has the gall to say that linda went along for the ride is a moron.
linda was with vince every step of the way in building wwe into a global powerhouse publicly traded company.
just because she does not enjoy making a fool of herself and taking "bumps" to please the rassling fans does not mean that she will not be the most important person in wwe once vince is no longer living.
shane, stephanie have dedicated their lives to wwe because it is their childrens' future even if they don't become rasslers or tv characters.
the money that wwe provides them in profit/stock dividends can be used to make sure their children have the best upbringing possible.
triple h will have a major role in wwe in the future behind the scenes but he is the outsider in the group. yes, he is stephanie's husband and the father of her children, but he will never truly be a MCMAHON.
Posted By: ted (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 07:23 AM
Must agree with the other comments above that this is a solid assessment of Trips' career thus far and his ability to be a part of the WWE after his active competition days are done.
The stats about losing at Wrestlemania are actually somewhat surprising, as I had not noticed that has actually been on the losing end so often lately, and it should be noted that he pretty much made both (for good or bad) Batista and Benoit legit main eventers, which some seem to forget for some reason.
Posted By: Live from the 305 (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 07:43 AM
I do agree, to some extent, but hope that whenever HHH is given the book that he ends his career as a regular performer and becomes a McMahon-esque special attraction wrestler
Posted By: mr_wishart (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 07:59 AM
HHH would make an awesome boss as he truely is a student of the game and understands the ins and out of what it takes to get the top better than any other person currently in the E.
Though I would have to question his selfishness... I mean sure he loses a lot of big matches but he is constantly in the WM world title matches infact WM17 was the last time he wasn't. I see HBK as his equal if not better yet how many World title runs and WM main events has Shawn had since his return in 2002? Not a LOT!
HHH despite being an incredible performer is still an insecure dickhead... and I felt over the years he has stunted a number of peoples careers including Booker T, RVD, Jericho and even Orton (that could change at mania).
Though once he has finally achieved what he wants to achieve in the biz as a performer (breaking Flairs title runs), I believe he could become an excellent guy to run the WWE especially from a creative stand point.
Posted By: Andrew Barbarash (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 08:16 AM
Great column mate
Posted By: Guest#8527 (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 08:17 AM
Awesome column man!!!
Posted By: Guest#8780 (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 09:12 AM
The one good thing I can say is that since Trips is a mark for Crockett-era NWA, maybe HE could bring back some classic-type booking and less "entertainment"
Posted By: James (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 12:44 PM
As with many performers who reach the top, opinions on HHH vary from beloved to hated, with pretty good reasons for all. I am more or less on the side of HHH, and recognize that he has been good for the industry as a whole. However, I also recognize that HHH has some times in which he appeared to be suffocating talent, such as his 2003 and 2007 runs. However, his 2003 run was perhaps overmaligned insofar as he had pretty much crap to work with, including an overrated Steiner who got booed in their Rumble and No Way Out matches, an over-the-hill Nash, whom HHH still got a 3 star HITC match out of, and a disinterested Goldberg.
Actually, my impression of HHH goes back to his days as an elite snob, when he was feuding with Henry Godwin. The Hog Pen match was about average in terms of workrate, but I was impressed that HHH bled from the back and still went into the hog pen after the match to sell the humiliation of the character.
My impressions of HHH as a backstage politician are pretty positive, and far better than that of Austin, whom had several instances of refusing to work with someone, despite moving towards an on-air fued (Jarrett in 99 being a notable example), having a feud disappear without a resolution (Booker T in early 2002), and in one instance leaving the company rather than putting someone over (Lesner in 2002).
And I won't even get into Hogan's historical refusal to job to anyone he doesn't deem at his level. At least HHH is much smoother than that.
Posted By: Michael L (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 01:04 PM
damn good article!! I know it seemed for a while there he was unstoppable but let me point out something...of the top five wrestlers in wwe ten years ago...who is still at work? HHH. Who is still putting over new talent? HHH. I like Austin and Rock and Foley but as for really being a top star and reliable main eventer for at least a decade? HHH. I will say this he may use clout to get his spot but he put over Hardy who fucked himself over afterwards. He made Batista...and as for WMXXV...He deserves to be there. Taker/Hbk...is what people want and the title doesn't matter there. There is no one other than Jericho(maybe Rey) who is ready to main event the show who isn't locked in. Morrison, MVP, and Swagger will get there but HHH is reliable and he even puts Koslov over.
Posted By: REALISTIC (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 02:41 PM
I believe that the author forgets that HHH owes his success to being a toady to Michaels. He never would've sniffed main event air if he wasn't Michaels little lapdog. Someone else would've ended up in DX and would be just as over. He's played the cronyism and nepotism game his entire career.
As for putting people over, he may lose, but he rarely makes his opponent look good.
Posted By: Iron Knee (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 03:11 PM
Congrats on your freshman soc. paper. B+
Posted By: Guest#0704 (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 03:53 PM
Great article Kris! It's refreshing to read about the respected side of HHH for once. No doubt that he has given his life to the company and the fans and that he does it because he loves it. He deserves better than what people think of him and you are spot on with everything you've said. Well done.
Posted By: HBKgirl (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 04:00 PM
I agree Only Dickie can run the whole Federation not Triple H
Posted By: HeyDickie (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 04:01 PM
Wow, Triple H getting some love from the IWC? Hell must have frozen over.
But really, great column, the only thing you did not point out, which would have tied very nicely into the column, was that in 1996, Triple H was scheduled to win the King of the Ring. But because of "The Kliq" breaking kayfabe at an MSG house show, Austin was then slotted into the KOTR victory spot (in the long-run, a much better decision, but I digress). Nash and Hall couldn't be punished because they were gone; HBK couldn't be punished because he was World Champion and the anointed leader of the "New Generation" (cringe...). So the Three H's got put into HogPen matches. And, incredibly, recovered to win the KOTR the following year and then, oh yeah, found DX with Michaels and Chyna.
But overall, good job.
Posted By: Crook (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 04:17 PM
Wow! In praising HHH's potential backstage leadership skills you forgot one thing: 90% of the guys who worked with him hate him. The Outlaws, Bret Hart, Carlito, Austin, Rock, Shelton and countless others who are too smart to have ever said anything. Also, HHH has indeed lost a few Mania matches in a row (how many heels win the main event anyway?) but he did win at 2000 (the first time a heel had ever won in the main event) and 19 (an utter burial). No one wrestler has oversaturated television more than this guy. He gets 30 min to an hour of tv on Smackdown so of course he seems like the wreslter of the decade. He did elevate Orton (and then tried to bury him) and Batista (great choice genius) but what about RVD, Booker and Jericho (arguably more talented than his Evo. comrades). Wrestling history just keeps being re-written by the WWE to concur with the opinions of Vince, Flair(another politician), and HHH
Posted By: Marty (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 04:44 PM
Hate to be a party pooper but HUNTARD has WON NOTHING ... wrestling is FAKE not a real CONTESTED SPORT .. which means his dick sucking HAS got him where he is now !!!!
Posted By: HHH Hater (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 05:37 PM
This guy managed to take wrestling from incredible heights with great momentum and bury it to an afterthought, and you are praising him?
The Rock and Austin pretty much launched WWE to unprecedented heights, grabbing an older audience along with the traditionally younger audience. A huge reason for this is the Rock routinely built new talent by working with them, and putting them over. So wrestling has a huge audience and now with a buyout of the competition, the WWE has talent to keep going for another decade or more, right?
Wrong, HHH effectively buried every single possible title contender. RVD, Goldberg, Booker T, you name it, HHH buried them. The Rock already did a ton of jobs to begin with, but HHH made sure to run the man completely out of the business, as well as shoving Austin out of the way too. So now with established stars being pushed away, and all the new stars buried, HHH gets to pick his buddies and of course there is no choice but to elevate SOMEBODY.
HHH killed wrestling. He'll be okay as a booker because he won't be able to kill every challenger to his ego, but as an active wrestler few will ever be able to match the damage from HHH. He's like a Hogan without the drawing power or survival instincts.
Posted By: Serp (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 06:25 PM
hey Rodriguez, you are a fucking moron if you think HHH is nothing more than a locker room cancer that has helped destroy wrestling as we know it. Serp covered just about everything i wanted to say. The fucker buries everyone whilst trying to piss on (his supposed friend) Flairs legacy. he is the main reason i stopped watching wwe (after the katie vick bullshit). Puts people over??? wtf? ask Jericho,RVD, Goldberg, Booker T, etc etc.
Posted By: Chilly McFreeze (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 08:35 PM
Great article, and judging by the comments so far it seems to have opened more than a few people's eyes. One thing I would add is that despite how it was described, Triple H does win—a lot.
Which is not to say that it's a bad thing. Triple H's many, many victories are the catalyst that enable his big losses to be... well, big. That's why it feels important when somebody beats Hunter, and that's how rubs are established. If Triple H jobbed constantly as some people like to think he should, a victory over Triple H would mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. Now, some people would argue that Triple H and or the McMahons should let somebody else be the nigh-untouchable Superstar that occasionally gives off the monster rub, but from a business standpoint no one else makes sense.
Triple H is the one on the inside track to be involved with WWE his whole life. He's the one guy they can be assured of who's not gonna wake up in the morning, decide he's sick of the WWE and jump to TNA, or start a rock band, or open a comic book shop. I'm not bashing the men and women who have made these kinds of decisions, I'm just making a point. If one man is going to be the almost unstoppable legend, it better be somebody who WWE can have faith in, or else they've just created the next Hulk Hogan, by which I mean someone who will jump ship and be the catalyst to cause a meteoric rise in viewership for some other company and perhaps nearly bankrupt WWE.
If you look at it from a business standpoint, WWE's backing of Triple H makes perfect sense.
Posted By: DXSSI (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 09:12 PM
HHH buried Jericho? Is that why he has had such a storied career?
RVD was given the ball later having both titles and immediately fumbled.
Booker T had his issues and was a fill in for a pathetic Steiner.
Goldberg? Really? He didn't give a damn about wrestling at that point.
People forget that the faces (austin, Rock, foley, and later angle) needed great heels like HHH from 1998-2002.
O, and austin has always been complimentary of HUNTOR in every interview I have ever read or heard. HHH in no way pushed austin, rock, or anyone other MAIN EVENT player in the WWE. (we all know judge Taker, prissy HBK, bully JBL, and others have asked for people to be 'BERRIED'.
and for the commenter above, you're right. He is NOT A MCMAHON. never will be, Vince knows "he's only here because he's F*n my daughter....
Posted By: to Serp (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 10:04 PM
Very good stuff..
Posted By: Ssss (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 10:55 PM
Triple H may not always do the right thing but cant always becuase of wome wrongs u take all his rights away.
Every1 started to hate him when he was awarded the title
BUT THEN it was the time f brand split & wwe/f was losing rock & austin
He use this storyline to push himself to ultimate hatre & an ultimate heel (c how lawler & jr sell his main match vs Booker)
At that time who can take the ball & run on raw????
tell me,
Kane? (very decent worker but not really the best choice)
RVD? (poor stick work & wwe gave him a run later & he blowed it big time!)
steiner? (wwe was wrong to even sign him at that time with that sorts of performance)
booker t? (maybe the call, but maybe wwe felt it was not the right time in giving to a former wcw guy just yet, rvd might be the same reason)
other than that he lose title to shawn (ok u might argue they r frds)
to goldberg
to a certain chris B
to randy orton & batista
he also lose the title to hogan of all ppl in 2002!
he had good feud with big show, flair etc
he in ring performances were never less tha 100%
he stood up for the company in trouble time when losing austin & rock, and also the doomed nwo stable
trips does really work hard
and thats all i wanna say
Posted By: IN (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 11:18 PM
Great article. And for those questioning his ability to handle financial situations and whatnot, WWE is a publicly traded company. The comparison to the Von Erichs is essentially irrelevant, because they are two COMPLETELY different entities. There are plenty of people who control WWE's financials other than vince, and as long as they're on wall street, that won't change.
Posted By: Guest#8365 (Guest) on February 23, 2009 at 02:09 AM
One point that I think is missing is the level of maturity that HHH now possesses. This is something that I don't believe he had during the heydays of "The Clique".
Up until maybe 10 years ago - the wrestlers were controlling too much of top booked angles. WCW - Flair and Dusty were in almost every top angle. WWF - Hogan was in every top angle. Then you had Hogan and Nash controlling WCW while "The Clique" was running much of WWE's top storylines.
But after WCW collapsed - you saw a shift start where wrestlers had input - but not control - over the storylines and their characters. This was the turning point for HHH - as his "power" shifted from the back room to the ring. WWE still needed top wrestlers - and between HHH and the Undertaker - they provided stability at the top of the card. The problem was the perception that because he was now with Stephanie that it was still HHH making the decisions. Maybe it was - but he wasn't the dominant person he was before. I think he realized that he didn't have to be dominant to still be at the top. And if that meant for him to chase the title, get involved in secondary stories, or put over another wrestler - he would do it. I think that level of maturity is actually what will make him a better leader down the road.
Posted By: BobbyC (Guest) on February 23, 2009 at 11:14 AM
While he may have put certain wrestlers over by giving them the win at WM, that doesn't take away from the fact that he's been in the main event at WM (or one of the two heavyweight title matches) every year for the past seven years, save for the year he was injured and HBK took his place. The fact is he can't stand to not be in the spotlight, and until he's gone, the WWE will never again reach it's full potential.
Posted By: Guest#8355 (Guest) on February 23, 2009 at 11:58 AM
"If you believe one word of this crap,I have some ocean front property in Minnesota I would like to sell you.
Paul Levesque is a cancer. Plain and simple.
Posted By: Nepotism World Odor (Guest) on February 22, 2009 at 04:20 AM"
********************************************************************** ********
You're right. I, for one, refuse to let facts get in the way of a good story. I'll just go by what I read on the Internet and get from cut-rate "insiders" with obvious agendas.
Posted By: Jason S (Guest) on February 23, 2009 at 01:04 PM
100% co-sign.
Posted By: Guest#9734 (Guest) on February 23, 2009 at 11:08 PM
Whether I agree with it or not it is nice to see a positive HHH article. And I would rather see a student of the business like HHH running the company, at least from an in ring product perspective as opposed to Stephanie who would rather create a variety entertainment show. Or Shane, the non wrestler that goes toe to toe with Orton, Kane and Big Show while other performers are lucky to last 5 minutes with them.
Posted By: K. Bett (Guest) on February 24, 2009 at 01:36 PM
Oh please. HHH has been the top guy for the past decade for only two reasons. First, the Rock decided to be a movie star. If Rock had stayed in WWE, there is no question that he would have been the main guy, and HHH would have been just one of the many heel rivals they put him in the ring with. Second, HHH married the boss' daughter. While he is a good wrestler, HHH is really only good when playing a heel. And heels are generally not the guys who remain at or near the top over long periods of time. Its the popular faces that put butts in the seats, not an unlikable ass like HHH. Had HHH not married Stephanie, he likely would have been just one of the several heels they used to help make their good guys more marketable. But because he is the son-in-law of the boss, he has remained close to the top of the heap consistently for a decade, whether its been good for business or not. Finally, what exactly makes you think he will be the best boss this side of Vince? Since he has held his booking power and influence, where has WWE gone? They just recycle the same tired stories and angles they used back when they were actually having success in the late 90's. HHH has done nothing as a booker or pusher of talent to help get WWE out of the lousy situation its been in ever since Stone Cold could no longer be the top guy because of injury and the Rock left for Hollywood. HHH is totally overrated, both as an in-ring talent and as part of the backstage creative team.
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Posted By: Freddy (Guest) on July 05, 2009 at 01:21 AM
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