Interviews With Triple H
Triple H Interview
Over the past three years, it's become evident that Triple H has few peers in terms of pure excellence in the world of sports-entertainment. Yet, through all the glory (headlining pay-per-view, winning multiple World Wrestling Federation Championships) as well as the misfortune (the devastating quadriceps injury he suffered this past May), he's managed to maintain the refreshing candor that makes him one of the most interesting interviews in the business.
We asked Triple H his thoughts and views on many topics: his injury and comeback, his place in the Federation and in the history of sports-entertainment, and how he is perceived among fans and critics. Sometimes blunt, often funny and always insightful, Triple H opened up and revealed a clear view of the man behind "the Game."
WWF: You were in the middle of the best run of your career when your quad ruptured. Not that there's ever a good time for a thing like that, but could there have been a worse time for you to get injured?
HHH: There's never a good time for that to happen. When would be a good time? You don't want it to happen before you get a good run, you don't want it to happen after or during--there's no good time. Was I right in the middle of something major? Sure. But then again, I've been pushing myself and my body extremely hard for quite a few years. The guys in the WWF--or in any sport--are like sports cars. The engine is designed for performance; you can push the red line on the engine, but only for so long. I'd been red-lining for a long time. I guess it was just a matter of time before something made me stop for a while, and I guess that was it.
WWF: Has this changed your outlook on things, like raising doubts about yourself that hadn't been there before, or making you savor what you now have even more?
HHH: I think it's made me savor what I have; it won't necessarily raise doubts. Will I be concerned about my left when I first get back in there? Of course--I'd be an idiot not to me. But I have one gear in the ring, and that's 100 percent. I don't have a 50 percent gear. Either I'm going to go or I'm not, and either it's going to hold or it won't. I don't really have a whole lot of control over that. All I can do is train as hard as I can, and make my leg as healthy as possible and come back. Whether it holds is not up to me. Does it change my outlook? I think it makes me more appreciative of what I have. It gives me a fresh perspective. Sometimes you get so wrapped up in things that you forget to step back and smell the roses. This certainly has given me a wake-up call. Luckily, it's something that I can come back from and will have to opportunity to do so.
WWF: It took you a long time to prove yourself as one of the elite performers in the business. Do you feel the same challenge now in coming back? Is this going back to square one in some aspects?
HHH: It's certainly not square one. Once you make a name for yourself in this industry, you have that name. But it's square one in terms of proving to the world that I can be what I once was. People have expectations of what your performance will be and what you can do in the ring. You start over after an injury. It's not different than when Austin came back from his neck surgery. The spotlight's on you, and when you're under a microscope, everybody's looking for any sign or weakness that can be used to cut you down. That's just the reality of it. I will become at least what I was, if not better than before, simply because I won't have it any other way. If anything, this has made me refocus my efforts. It's like the old cliché about when you get the silver spoon struck down your throat and you start choking on it. I think that's where I was. This allows me to refocus all my energy and re-evaluate how badly I want and need to be in that position. It's made me work that much harder. I'm not sitting on my @$# waiting for my comeback to happen. I'm making it happen. I will be the best again, because I won't have it any other way.
WWF: Your comeback is still weeks away at the time of this interview. As you've rehabbed, have you played it through in your mind? How much are you looking forward to hearing your music hit and stepping through that curtain again?
HHH: I can't wait. Being in the World Wrestling Federation and getting that rush from the crowd--when you're a performance athlete, you live for the rush. It's like being an entertainer--you live to perform. That's what we are in the WWF: performers. We live to perform. To not have that for a long time is like being a junkie without his high. That's your high--the crown and that rush. You hear your music, the crowd, and you go through the match and do your thing, that's your high. There's no greater feeling in the world. When that's taken away from you , you're starving to get it back. You get hungrier by the day to get it back.
WWF: It's been over two years since you first won the WWF title and had the official elevation to elite status. How would you describe that ride, the last couple of years before the injury? Is it the culmination of everything you've done before, in the last nine or ten years?
HHH: I always felt that I had the ability and the talent that if given the opportunity, I could run with it and be on top, that I could carry the ball. There's a lot of great boxers in the world who are never given title fights. You have to be given that opportunity. You have be put in that spot. To be put in that spot, to work as hard as you can and be given that spot is what it's all about.
WWF: Along with everyone from Stone Cold Steve Austin to The Rock, you've really benefited from the evolution of the business from gimmicks and cartoon guys to what it is now in its current form. What role do you think you played in that evolution?
HHH: I was one of the last guys in the business--not the last, but one of the last--to come in with a gimmick. You couldn't be a regular guy. You have to be a firefighter, a cop or something; you couldn't be a wrestler. So I did that. Along the way, a lot of us were saying that the business had changed because of this. We were telling Vince McMahon that things needed to be more serious. I remember having a conversation with Vince, in which I said, "We market the show too much towards kids." Kids will watch no matter what. Every kid in America knows how Michael Jordan is. He doesn't wear clown pants. He's not a guy that dresses up like a cop or anything else. He's just the best basketball player on the planet. What we do is very exciting. I don't think we gave people enough credit for watching, admiring and enjoying what we do on it's own merits. We had a lot of discussions where everyone felt [the gimmicks] needed to go. Vince felt they needed to go. And that was the start of the "WWF Attitude." Some people look back on the attitude thing and say that Stone Cold Steve Austin was the inception of "WWF Attitude." That's partly true; he was there when it happened. But DX was also the inception of that attitude. I changed my character to the reality base of where we were, and started being cutting-edge, young and hip. And Austin turned from the Ringmaster to Stone Cold. And that all happened at the same time the restraints were taken off us a little bit. And obviously, that's what the business needed.
WWF: In a way, it was almost back to what it was in the old days, because the guys then were just wrestlers. Buddy Rogers didn't have a gimmick; he was just Buddy Rogers. And aside from guys like Gorgeous George, most of them had no gimmick.
HHH: I agree. And I also believe that it changed in the sense that guys became more serious. With all due respect to to everybody from that time period--from the Hogan era to what followed after--you didn't have to be very good at the craft or art of wrestling to be at the top of your came. Guys like the Ultimate Warrior--and he couldn't lace a boot--are bottom guys now as far as in-ring ability. But they had a character and charisma, and that's what everything was based on then. Now it's based a lot more on in-rind performance. Fans are smarter. They don't just want to see hype; they don't just want to see a guy out there yelling and screaming. They want to see the hype; they want to see all the yelling; they want to see all that stuff. But when it comes down to it, they really want to see a kick-@$# match. Fans want to see two guys going at it, who'll take them on an incredible ride. I think that's what we do now. We have some of the greatest workers in this business all in one place right now. All doing the same thing--striving to have the greatest matches they can.
WWF: Is it a generational thing? The guys you and I both grew up watching in the late '70's, like the Magnificent Muraco, Greg Valentine, guys like that, weren't cartoons, they weren't gimmicks, they just put on amazing matches.
HHH: There was a point when the professional wrestling camp took off in the '80's. I think its explosive popularity was due to people who weren't necessarily fans of wrestling; it was just a fad and something to watch. I think a lot of people got turned on by that initially, but they were held by the matches. For example, if you grew up then and watched WrestleMania III, you were held by a match like Steamboat vs. Savage or Snuka vs. Muraco. Those are things you remember in the long run, not Hogan ripping off his t-shirt. You watched because it was fun, but in the long run you really appreciated the great matches more. I know that during that time, I was never a Hogan fan. I don't mean any disrespect to him--I have a lot of respect for what he did--however, as a kid and a fan, I saw Hogan as a poseur. He wasn't really a wrestler, he was a guy they put at the top of the company because he sold t-shirts. You knew what he was gonna do before he did it. And I never wanted to be like that.
WWF: You often hear how the guys today are more serious. The locker room is filled with guys who are dedicated to this sport. They single you out as someone who just lives, eats, and breathes everything about this business. It's your entire being. How long can you sustain that?
HHH: I don't know. I know I work very hard at what I do, but it's only hard work if you don't enjoy it. Right now to me, this is fun. Even the behind-the-scenes stuff and things that other people don't want to do, I enjoy doing. It's fun to me. It's like a hobby that I get to do every day. I get to go out there and perform. But I also get to mentally create and be a part of that, too. There's just something about it, that's fun. Will I burn out on that? I don't know. I look at [former Federation Superstars] Pat Patterson and Jack Lanza, who are agents for us now. I think they're as happy as we are. They live vicariously through us. Guys like Lanza, Patterson, and Jerry Briscoe are still as excited about the business today as they were 20 years ago when they were wrestling. There's just something about this business that if it's really burned into you, you don't lose your passion for it.
WWF: You grew up watching wrestling on TV and in-person when your dad took you to the Boston Garden. You've said that Ric Flair has had a big influence on you. Who are some of the other guys who have influenced you? Even then, did you find yourself gravitating towards the heels?
HHH: I always enjoyed the heels better, especially in those days, because I believed that the heels, are the guys who make a match interesting. I'd watch a heel--a good heel--work with a baby face. The next week or the next month they'd be working programs with different people. That heel would probably have a great match with another baby face, but that baby face, depending on the guy he's working with, might not necessarily have a great match. It became evident to me that a lot of times, the heels were the guys to watch because they were the guys who had great matches with everybody. My admiration for Flair is for his character and promos. He was just priceless. Much of my admiration for him stems from his ability to have great matches with everyone--from Bruiser Brody to Dusty Rhodes to Harley Race to Kerry Von Erich. Flair had great matches with everybody. Guys like that, I watched. I admired Arn Anderson, Magnificent Muraco, Tully Blanchard, Cowboy Bob Orton, Greg Valentine, and different guys. I enjoyed Jake Roberts, especially when he was a heel. And I think I enjoyed the seriousness of the business during that time. I think that seriousness is what pulled at people. There's always going to be matches that aren't as serious, and those are important to the card. The intense matches are the ones you always remember, but they can't all be that way.
WWF: You can't have a two-hour card with all intense stuff.
HHH: You've got to lighten it up in spots and fill things around it. But the big money is in the seriousness. People want to see two guys go out there, have an incredible match and rip each other apart.
WWF: That really describes your work. How you rose through the ranks because you've done the lighter stuff and the theatrical stuff, but when you got down to it, it was all serious and intense.
HHH: I look back and there's definite sections within my character. When I was the aristocrat, I had good matches that a lot of people wouldn't necessarily think of as good matches. Of course, I grew over the years. I had good matches with Mick Foley, as Mankind. Then when Chyna came in and DX [was formed], it was a chance for me to come out of the aristocrat character and be myself. When we reformed DX with X-Pac and the New Age Outlaws, it was what we needed in the business at the time--a bunch of smart-@$#es. We needed that, somebody pushing the envelope. And that's what we did. We attacked WCW and did some radical things. And we were very good at it. We drew a lot of money with it.
WWF: The sketches were incredible.
HHH: Yeah, but what I really always wanted to do was be the worker. I had a blast doing it and wouldn't change any of it. But when the time came for me to make the move, and the opportunity arose, I grabbed it. I knew that I wanted to do with it, that I had the ability to do it. I think a lot of people questions my ability. It wasn't a slam-dunk; there were a lot of questions on whether I could carry the ball. Even after I got it, there were a lot of questions: "He's not the guy. He's not this. He's not that." I had to prove everybody wrong. One of the hardest things to do is change people's mind, and that's what I had to do. I had to go out there every night and be at the top of my game, because I had to change everybody's mind about what I was and what I could do. Some of the things I'd done in my career set me up for that question. I'd made mistakes and been in positions where it looked like I was a lackey, but those were things that drew me to where I was at the time.
WWF: But you had to be that way, in order to eventually be the World Wrestling Federation Champion.
HHH: Not only that, but when I look back on it, I'm glad everything happened the way it did. If they had given me the opportunity two years earlier, then I probably wouldn't have been ready. I probably would have dropped the ball. They can't give it to you too fast, because if you fail, it's harder to recover. I look back to guys like Tommy Rich. [The NWA] made Tommy Rich a world champion, and that was it. They gave him the world, and he couldn't handle it. So, I look at my career and that everything happened for a reason. I wouldn't' change a minute of it.
Triple H Interview 2
For a Professional wrestler, entrance music is everything. The right song captures the combatant at their best, the spirit of their character and the essence of their attack melded musically as they enter the ring. The right song becomes synonymous with their style, from the historic Road Warriors and their use of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man", to Hulk Hogan's "Real American" in the heat of the Russian Cold War. In the ranks of today's grapplers, the shattering of glass ignites the crowd in frenzied anticipation of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's instrumental entrance, a blaring alarm lights a Rage Against the Machine-inspired path for "Y2J" Chris Jericho, The Undertaker rides a motorcycle down the ramp to Limp Bizkit's "Rollin", and Rob Zombie's "Never Gonna Stop" was recently adopted by Edge. As thrilling as they all are, they pale in comparison to the entrance music of one of the World Wrestling Federation's biggest stars, Triple H. He's called The Game, and his music of the same name was slammed to life by metal legends Motorhead.
"I sing about pain and death and unrequited love," says Motorhead front man Lemmy Kilmister of his quarter-century-plus of lyrics, and while the imagery may seem a bit extreme for one of the WWF's marquee names, the intensity of The Game's personality couldn't have a more fitting match. Recently returning to the ring after an injury that saw him sidelined for six months (I know it was 8, but the article says 6), Triple H has re-emerged as one of the most imposing physical presences in the ring, and one of the sport's most dominating characters. He's a hands-down favorite to win the World Wrestling Federation championship at this month's WrestleMania Pay-Per-View event, and Motorhead's "The Game" will be the hell-raising soundtrack.
A year since Triple H unveiled his new theme music, the superstar joined Motorhead - Lemmy, guitarist Phil Campbell and drummer Mickey Dee - in the studio to lay down vocals for new release Hammered, expected in stores April 9. With the unprecedented success of "The Game" - which helped muscle WWF: The Music, Vol. 5 to a gold sales in America - Triple H hopes to help Motorhead attain a level of commercial success long overdue in America. Lemmy just hopes the curse of Motorhead doesn't take it's toll on The Game. Only moments after the two layed down some of the most sinister sound bytes of the band's history, Metal Edge sat down for an inside look at the partnership that is turning The World Wrestling Federation on end...
**I am the blackened nightmare, I bring a light so bright to illuminate the path to take, I show the way all hearts break, and I will see the old world's back be broken, as we descend into the awful, howling night!**
Lemmy Kilmister: Fun for the whole family, isn't it? There's sort of a post-nuclear ambience! That's a spoken word-performance art piece that opens the album, and triple H speaks it with me...
Metal Edge: How did the whole connection with Triple H happen?
LK: Apparently the WWF already had the song, and they were looking for someone to record it. Triple H was a fan of ours, and he said that we were the guys that he wanted...After we recorded his song, they flew us down to the Houston Astrodome to play it at WrestleMania [last year], and that was a crowd of like 68,000. The funny thing is, after we played his intro he got beat! Motorhead luck again! We were the first metal band to go on The Tonight Show, and we were probably the only band who's sales ever went down after being on it!
ME: Did you have an idea of what was going to be happening when you came to the studio today?
LK: He had no fucking idea!
Triple H: I didn't have a fucking clue! [laughing] No, I had a general idea - we had talked about it a little bit before hand and I knew he had written a really cool vocal piece that he wanted me to do with him...I was just thrilled to do anything, I just wanted an excuse to come into the studio and see him record some shit!
ME: So you didn't think you'd be singing?
Triple H: I hoped to hell not! Not if they wanted to sell!
LM: Who knows, you could be a great singer! I can't fucking sing, I learned to sing fucking doing it!
Triple H: I sing in the car, that's about it. I've been singing Motorhead songs for years...
LK: In the shower...
Triple H: No, mostly in the car - I try not to think about Lemmy when I'm in the shower!
LK: That would be counter-productive!
Triple H: Yeah, when I'm naked, you're not on my mind!
LK: I'm really glad about that! [laughing]. Believe me, I don't think I could fight you off...
ME: I don't know, I think you might find it in you! I think I'd have a lot of fight in me, considering the option!
Triple H: You might find what in you? [laughing]
ME: You recently returned from an injury, and it seems The Game is even bigger now...
Triple H: The song they did for me was so cool, and their image and mine are such a great mix, that as I came back we knew we were going to keep them in the mix. That makes it more exciting for me, more exciting for the fans, and more exciting for them, because they've got their new album coming out in the spring. Lemmy might do a few run-ins, box a few people with a bass guitar...You never know when you'll see Motorhead. I think Motorhead's sound is so cool, it's so bad-ass, and it's so our image, that it's great to have them working with us.
LK: Because we're the only band that makes you feel like you're wrestling when you listen to us!
ME: Was it a struggle to get the WWF to let you work with Motorhead?
Triple H: No, because I kept telling them the sound I wanted for the song, and the kind of sound that I wanted was pretty much describing Motorhead. One of our show's producers said to me, "So, what you're trying to tell me is, you want something that pretty much sounds like Motorhead?" "Yeah, exactly like Motorhead!" Then he said, "Why don't we just have Motorhead do it?" I didn't even know that was an option, so he made some phone calls, and a week later he told me that they were on board. I was just thrilled to death because I've been listening to them for years and they're one of my favorite bands. So to be able to have them do the music for me, and just to be around them, was great. One of the biggest thrills of my career was to be standing in the Houston Astrodome and have them playing a song that was just for me in front of 68,000 people. It couldn't have been any cooler for me...
LK: It could have been louder, though!
ME: If you look at the bands that have been involved with wrestling so far, it's a much younger demographic that they're targeting - Saliva, Disturbed, Limp Bizkit...
LK: What do you mean, there aren't any young kids at our shows? It's wholesome, family entertainment!
Triple H: It's such a carnival-like atmosphere at Motorhead shows!
ME: That's right, I remember the teddy bear booths at the last Motorhead show I went to!
Triple H: Yeah, teddy bears with razor blades and shit! [laughing]
LK: Motorhead teddy bears - I never thought of that! With little razors and fish hooks!
Triple H: You mention those bands, and it is a different demographic, but name one of them that wasn't growing up listening to Motorhead and influenced by them - Why should I get the imitators when I can get the original? I've got the man...
ME: I want to see a battle royal of all the bands...
Triple H: Lemmy will whip Rob Zombie's ass! [laughing]
LK: Can I borrow your hammer? [laughing]
Triple H: That's the deal to me - I think there are a lot of kids out there that are going to listen to Motorhead for the first time and realize that it's bad-ass shit.
ME: Chris Jericho has his Fozzy band, The Rock has been known to sing a song or two, are you next? Is this just the beginning?
Triple H:
LK: You'd have no problems with Pro-Tools!
Triple H: No, I have no musical career aspirations, but then again, I don't think that The Rock should, either! Actually, Jericho's not bad, he's actually got a decent voice...
LK: You always hate your own voice, though - The first time you hear just your voice singing, it's fucking horrifying! There are very few things that are worse than that for humiliation!
Triple H: But once you make a few nickels off it, you realize you're pretty good!
ME: What was your impression of what you had to record today?
Triple H: Literally, the first time I heard it I had chills it was so bad-ass. Then I got chills again when I actually did it with him.
ME: Chris Jericho is like family here at Metal Edge - Now that you're back, do we have to worry about you trying to take his championship belts away from him?
Triple H: I'll grab one of 'em...I'll probably take all of 'em! I beat his ass all the time! [laughing]
ME: Well, since you brought it up...What happened to your leg when you got hurt?
Triple H: Well...I was in a match with Jericho, that bastard, and when I went to hit him, I planted my left leg and heard a loud pop and felt a burn, and completely detached a muscle in my left thigh. We kept wrestling, we went another six or seven minutes, then I went straight to the hospital...
ME: Were you able to stand up again when it happened?
Triple H: I stood up, then Jericho put me in [his finishing move] The Walls of Jericho. I knew I had torn my quad and was fucked, but I was the one who told him to put it on me, because that's what was next. So he did it, I gutted through it, and then I got helped out of the ring, because at that point I couldn't put any weight on it. I had an MRI done that night, the next day I went to Birmingham, AL, and the day after that I had my surgery done by Dr. Jim Andrews. I've been there for more than six months since then doing rehab.
ME: Was he able to put the move on you without applying the normal amount of pressure?
Triple H: No - Believe me, it was brutal! It literally lasted about 20 seconds, but it felt like it lasted about an hour. It probably made it worse, but at that point I figured I was fucked anyway, so it couldn't get much worse!
LK: It could have been both legs!
Triple H: Yeah, that's true! So I've been rehabbing for six months, and it actually worked out really cool timing-wise with Motorhead.
LK: I bet you weren't thinking that in the hospital!
Triple H: No, at the time I wasn't thinking that! "God damn, this hurts, but Lemmy's got an album coming out in spring!"
LK: Actually, this is kind of fortunate!
Triple H: Exactly!
ME: Is it tough stepping back into the ring after that?
Triple H: I actually got back into the ring for the first time yesterday, just to hit the ropes a little bit, and it was pretty tough. It was a little nerve-wracking at first, but I'll get through it, and once I get it in my head that I'm strong again, I'll be good to go. I'm just gonna come back and start kicking ass, and I don't care who's ass it is!
LK: Just not mine, please...
He's Tan, He's Mad, He's Back: Triple h
Hunter Hearst Helmsley (Triple H) otherwise known as "The Game," entered professional wrestling by joining Killer Kowalski's wrestling school in Massachusetts. There, he learned the ropes and would eventually begin journeying through independent federations in hopes that one of the big two, The World Wrestling Federation or World Championship Wrestling, would notice his talents. In 1994, WCW signed Helmsley, and he first wrestled under the name Terra Ryzing. As that gimmick didn't work, he was then turned into a Blueblood with Lord Steven Regal, and renamed Jean-Paul Levesque. He would mainly work as a tag partner for Regal, forming a very snobby team that began to attract a loyal following.
In 1995, Helmsley had a decision to make. The WWF talent scouts saw some potential, and offered him a deal to possibly become a singles wrestler, but at less money than he'd make in WCW. He took a gamble that would forever change his career, opting for the singles career in the WWF, rather than just being a tag partner in WCW, with no potential as a singles wrestler with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff in charge.
Changing his name to Triple H, Helmsley was now set to slowly climb the WWF ladder. Wrestling fans soon loved to hate him. After several WWF Titles and fans growing in the millions Helmsley was on top of the world.
Triple H would then meet the queen of female wrestlers, Chyna. Helmsley convinced the WWF to let her in as his valet/bodyguard and the pair soon became a couple. But the relationship and Chyna's career in wrestling would turn sour when Helmsley began a romance with Stephanie McMahon, the daughter of WWF president Vince McMahon. Triple H was a full fledged heel (Writers note: a "heel" is a wrestler who the fans love to hate.)
Despite all his success Helmsley's lucrative livelihood nearly came to an end last year when he injured his leg so badly that it seemed likely his career would be over. But the determined showman proved the experts wrong and after surgery and months of rehab Triple H is back and more popular then ever.
How's the rehab coming along? Everybody thought you were finished with wrestling after you had severely injured your leg.
I'm back. I'm 100 percent now.
So no health problems since your comeback?
Nobody is 100 percent after an injury. You're never like you used to be. Sure, I think about it at times. But I'm past the point where I think about it every time I do something. Which is something I did when I first came back. Now I just go in the ring and everything is fine.
Are you comfortable being back in the ring? Did you work all the rust out?
It took me a little bit of time to feel like myself again. I've been in the ring for a couple of months now, and I feel pretty much like I'm back to normal. It took me a month or two to get past all the rust. Plus, my body moves a little differently than it did before. The muscles are connected a little differently, therefore I have to move differently. So I had to get used to that. It took me a while to get back into the swing of things. Sure. But I'm there now. I feel comfortable in the ring and I feel comfortable being on the road. I feel like I'm back 100 percent.
You've held the WWF Championship title four times. But does a title really mean anything when the matches are predetermined?
When a company like the WWF takes you and puts you in the position to win the championship title for an extended period of time, it's because they feel it's your time. It's your run. It's the absolute ultimate in our business. What it means is that this business is saying to you that you're the top guy. You're the guy who's going to be headlining all the events, and we're looking at you as the guy who's going to sell out the arena. You're the guy who's going to sell the Pay-Per-View events. Whether the fans love you or hate you, the fact is people want to see you in that ring. It's the WWF's way of saying, "You're the guy."
In other words, you make Vince McMahon more money than anybody else, hence you are the champion.
Right. Being the WWF Champion is like an actor winning an Oscar. Yeah, it's all scripted and planned out, but so are movies. But the best actor gets an Oscar. It's the same type of thing in the WWF.
Any interest in fighting for real? Like the Ultimate Fighting matches you see on Pay-Per-View, for instance?
Personally, I don't find that entertaining. I'm an entertainer. I go to the ring to entertain people. I take people on an emotional roller coaster ride during my 45-minute match. That's what I do. I don't consider myself a fighter. I don't consider what I do a tough-guy business.
It looks pretty tough to me. I wouldn't want to get body slammed any time soon.
Don't get me wrong. What we do is very tough. Ken Shamrock was a former UFC fighting champion. He told me what we do is a lot harder than what he used to do. What he did was train and fight once every six months or so. What I do is every day. It's a grind. The physicality of it is very real. But at the same time, we're entertainers at heart. That's what we do.
I take it we're not going to see you in any real Pay-Per-View extreme fights anytime soon?
No. If somebody wants to do it strictly for entertainment, that's different. But I wouldn't do it for real.
How do you feel about the growing trend of teens who put on their own version of wrestling matches in their backyards?
I'm down on that. What kids need to understand is that we're trained professionals. We're like stuntmen, in a way. We're specifically trained on how to do this. And even though we're trained to do it, there are still risks involved. We had guys paralyzed and even die. There are very serious injuries that can occur doing what we do. I mean, I know every kid likes to wrestle with his buddies, and he does what he sees on TV and he pretends. To me, that's fine. But when you go out there and you're actually trying to emulate what we do and you start using chairs and things like that and create a product like we put out, you're running a serious risk of injury. They just shouldn't do that.
Many have accused wrestlers of taking steroids to achieve otherwise impossible muscle mass. Have you ever taken steroids?
I don't condone its use. But I understand its place. I don't have a problem with people who take steroids. It's a great medicine for people who need it, and it has a place in the world just like any other medication. If a doctor feels that's what you need to improve your health or life and puts you on it, then that's great. However, if you take it without a prescription, then it's just a drug like any other drug, and you shouldn't take it. It should only be given by a doctor.
Joanie Laurer, formerly known to WWF fans as Chyna, has been talking to the press about your relationship with her and the ugly breakup. Does it bother you that she's been so public about it?
No. If that's what she wants to do, that's her business. We had a relationship and things didn't work out. That's life. As far as I'm concerned, it's in my past. What's past is past. I don't bring it up in interviews unless I'm asked about it. But if she wants to talk about it to the press, that's her decision. It doesn't bother me.
It's no big secret that you're currently involved with Vince McMahon's daughter Stephanie. How's that relationship going?
Very well.
How difficult is it dating the boss' daughter?
It was a little weird at first. But my business and my personal life are two separate things. Stephanie and I keep the two worlds separate. It's been that way since the beginning, and we're going to keep it that way.
Tell me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't a Pay-Per-View match between Stephanie McMahon and Chyna be a guaranteed home run?
(Laughs) I doubt that will ever happen!
Have you ever checked out www.tripleH.com?
No, I never have.
It's a textile Web site. Do you have any interest in getting the site for yourself?
Nah, not really. We actually have our own WWF Web sites. That's good enough for me.
What's the worst thing anyone's ever said to you outside of the ring?
I don't think you could print it. For such a long time in this business, I was the ultimate bad guy. I was the guy everybody just loved to hate. If I say so myself, I was very good at getting under people's skin and making them hate me. That's just what I did. When you antagonize people to hate you, you have to expect to be hated back. So I dealt with that a lot, both privately and professionally. In once sense, you hate to have too much negativity surround you, but it also meant I was doing my job well.
One would assume you're afraid of nothing. Would that assumption be correct?
Anybody who says that they're not afraid of something is lying to you. Everybody is afraid of something.
What's your fear?
My biggest fear is what happened to me this past year, when I got injured. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to continue my career. And after the injury, I had fears about my leg not holding up after my comeback. Everybody has fears that they go through daily. However, there's nothing in my mind at this minute where I can give you an example of something I don't do because I'm afraid of it. I think you just have to live your life and face your fears.
Steve Austin?
One of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
The Rock?
Magnificent entertainer.
Hulk Hogan?
The Babe Ruth of wrestling.
Booker T?
Unpolished stone.
Terry Taylor once said in an interview that if he could pick the last person who he could wrestle to end his career, it would be you, because you are what the WWF is all about. He goes on to say that you embody the spirit of what is the WWF. Would you grant him his wish?
I've never heard that quote, but I appreciate you telling me, that because I respect Terry greatly. He's a great friend of mine and I think he's one of the great minds of our business. An untapped mind, sometimes. If Terry ever decides to have his last match and wants to have it with me, it would be my honor to have it with him. I owe Terry a lot. He taught me the psychology behind this business.
Finally, if you could kick someone's ass outside of the ring, whose ass would you want to kick?
Mike Tyson.
Do you think he's insane?
I think he's misunderstood. I'm not saying he hasn't done a lot of things wrong, but I think that when you're in the position that he's in, that everything you do is extremely scrutinized. I just think he's a very misunderstood person.
What would you do if he bit your ear off?
I'd bite his off.
Off the Record with Triple H
Triple H appeared on TSN's Off the Record show this evening. It was a great interview where Triple H talked about the MSG incident, Shawn Michaels being sent home last year and more. Here is a quick recap:
- Michael Landsberg introduces Triple H to the show and welcomes him back from before. He was one of the first guests ever.
- They immediately start talking about the quad injury and Michael asks Triple H if he's surprised he's even here. Triple H says he's a little bit surprised but at first, he didn't think the tear was as bad as it was. They couldn't tell because of the swelling but after the first few days, they realized it was very serious. But luckily, he had good people working with him and he's back.
- Landsberg talks about how the match didn't even stop when Triple H got injured. Triple H comments that he knew immediately, it felt like lighting hit his thigh. He knew he was badly hurt but the show just goes on. He said it never crossed his mind to stop. They show the clips of Jericho giving him the Walls of Jericho and Triple H comments that at one point, Jericho asks him if he's hurt and what to do and Triple H responded by saying to just keep going. He said after that move, he still had to get back in the ring and do another spot but he was just hoping for the match to end.
- Landsberg says that Triple H is a student of the game, he studies tapes and knows that the guys before him just never quit. Triple H agrees but says that if it was someone else in his place, they probably would have gone on as well. They just have a great passion for what they do.
- Michael asks him if he did in fact stop, whether people would talk in the locker room and question how tough Triple H is. Trips responds by saying that it depends on the injury and he cites an example with Bob Holly about how he wrestled with a broken arm. He says that if Holly stopped the match, no one would have said "oh Holly is a wimp".
- They talk about the 1996 MSG incident where Hall, Nash, Shawn Michaels and Triple H all met for a group hug after the event. Triple H admits that he got punished for doing that but Shawn had previously asked Vince if he could do it and Vince said yes. But it got out of hand because Vince thought they were just gonna stand apart and point at each other. When they came back to the backstage area, he could sense there was heat but the fallout was felt a few days later. Shawn was the champion and untouchable so all the heat fell on Triple H. Triple H says that it wouldn't have mattered if Shawn got punished as well.
- They talk about last year when Shawn Michaels came to the WWF in no shape to work and the company sent him home. Triple H says that Michaels came because of Triple H's word, he talked to people and smoothed things over - basically it was his idea to bring Shawn back. But the company made a decision not to use him and he had to side with the company especially after seeing Shawn. Although not wanting to get into specifics, Triple H stated that anyone who saw Shawn would have had a tough time not siding with the company - it was that bad.
- Michael talks about Triple H and Stephanie dating and asks how it started and how he broke the news to Vince. Triple H stated that it just started after all the time they spent together. They were similar and shared a passion for the business. Triple H goes on to say that Vince was watching them and he may have known even before them.
- Landsberg asks if backstage they act like boyfriend/girlfriend. Triple H says no, around business they try to act professionally and business-like.
- Landsberg asks if he was ever worried about what the other wrestlers thought, in light of the fact that they are both creative writers for the company. Triple H says yes at first he was but it was Vince who convinced him otherwise. He also says that the Undertaker also convinced him otherwise, saying no one has a right to challenge his work ethic or question that he earned to get to where he is.
- Landsberg questions what will happen if things don't work out, it will be a conflict of interest and his reputation could be shot. Triple H says that yeah, it will be difficult but he will deal with it when and if it happens. He's already beat up Vince once and he'll do it again. Landsberg asks him what if it did happen, what would he do and Triple H says it would just depend on the circumstances.
- They show a clip of Joanie Laurer (Chyna) on Off the Record and how she blames Triple H for their relationship. Triple H says sure, if she wants to blame someone blame him. He says that their relationship was going down for a while before that because this business is tough on relationships because you're around each other 24/7. Triple H says that Joanie doesn't realize that things just weren't working out from before but he wishes her the best of luck in the future. If she has anger, he understands it but no one forced her to do anything.
- Landsberg talks about how his private life is basically being showcased on public TV. Wouldn't it be easier to find someone who wasn't in the business and the whole world wouldn't see it evolve? Triple H says that when you are so passionate for this business, how do you find someone who understands the business, understands your passions and isn't with you just because of who you are. It's difficult to find someone who shares the same passion for something as you.
- Viewer questions are up next. The first one asks who Triple H's favorite person to work with. Triple H says this is a tough question and in fact, he talked to Ric Flair about this same thing the other day. Triple H says that everyone has a different style, but he loved working with Mick Foley because of the hardcore direction, the Rock because of the showmanship, Undertaker because it was classic old school style and Steve Austin because it was down and dirty fighting. Everyone has their own style.
- They talk about Ric Flair and how Triple H studies his tapes. Triple H admits to this saying that Flair was one of the greatest ever and his ring presence was just phenomenal. Triple H says that no one influenced him anymore than did Flair and that his in-ring work is unmatched.
- Another reader question asks who would win in a real life ultimate brawl in the WWF. Triple H says it's hard to stay because every wrestler has a different style of fighting. Triple H says maybe Kurt Angle, but could he take Big Show down and beat him up. They talk about how Undertaker would love to take Show down and beat him up and Triple H says that he probably could. He names a few more like Bradshaw and Farrooq who are legitimately tough.
- Another question asks if he's upset that the Hogan-Rock match is the headliner at WrestleMania. Triple H says no he's not upset but he's disappointed that his match with Jericho hasn't had a better build to it. This is Hogan's return to the WWF match (and he compares Michael Jordan's return to basketball) and says that even though it may be the headliner, it doesn't necessarily mean it's the best match or the best wrestler.
- Next question asks what safety net the WWF has for bookers to push themselves. Triple H says that Vince McMahon is the safety net. He says that despite what you hear elsewhere, Vince McMahon has final say. He has control and acts as a filter. To make money in wrestling, you can't do it yourself. You need someone just as over to work with and it's beneficial for him to have as many guys at the top to work with as possible.
- They talk about Chris Jericho and how close he is to the top. Triple H says that it's difficult to say but he believes that Chris is just a step below the top tier. He doesn't know but there's just a piece of the puzzle missing but he believes Jericho will get it. It doesn't happen all at once but when it happens, it will happen fast.
- They talk about guys just underneath Jericho who could move up a level. Triple H mentions Test and Edge who could move up a tier in the roster. But there is always one guy who no one expects who could move up immediately.
- Landsberg talks about his original character, the blue-blood snob Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Triple H says that back then, everyone came in with a gimmick - a firefighter, a garbage man, etc. But he's happy he got out of that role, even though it took a while, because it was so limiting in what he could do.
- Michael thanks Triple H for doing the interview and says that he was amazing.
Chat with Triple H
Milwaukee, WI: What do you like the most about Wrestling in the WWF?
Triple H: Just the thrill of being in front of arenas packed with fans, and going out and performing. There's nothing like that -- being in front of a live crowd. For me it's living a dream.
Los Angeles, CA: Triple H - Hats off to you. You are one of the best in the business today. My questions are: 1). Does the WWF give you complete creative control over your character? 2). Do you get along with guys like Stone Cold off camera? Thanks...RF
Triple H: Thank you for the compliment!
No, nobody in the WWF has full creative control. We all have input, but the final say is Vince's.
As far as getting along, behind the scenes we're like a big family -- a bunch of brothers. Sometimes brothers fight, and sometimes you get along.
Hattiesburg, MS: What is your personal favorite Wrestlemania moment of all time?
Triple H: It's hard to say, because there are so many. But just for epicness, the 93,000 fans in the Pontiac Silverdome when Hulk Hogan slammed Andre the Giant.
Colorado Springs: Do you have some sort of "normal" life away from the ring? Wife, children?
Triple H: Normal is all relative. I do not have a wife, and I do not have children, but I'd consider myself normal.
Kansas City, Missouri: You are in such great shape. What is your workout philosophy? And do the other wrestlers follow a similar viewpoint toward their bodies and staying tough?
Triple H: Each guy follows his own individual workout plan and routine. It's up to each of them to train and stay in shape. As far as I go, I train 5 days a week. I was into bodybuilding since the age of 14. When I don't work out, it bothers me. I probably train about an hour and a half a day.
Dale City, VA: Do you ever look back on old tapes of when you wrestled?
Triple H: Sometimes. But if I watch old tapes I watch old wrestlers I consider to be great. I watch my matches and learn from my mistakes, and try to keep on improving.
Gaithersburg, MD: What is the hardest part about being a WWF Superstar?
Triple H: The schedule, the travel, the constant demands of your time and your personal life. You are what people think you are on TV. I'm not complaining, but sometimes when you're tired it can be an issue. I love what I do, though.
united kingdom: To Triple h How many more wrestlemania's do you see yourself appearing in ? From Lisa Holub East of England
Triple H: It depends on my health. If physically I can stay in shape and do what I do to the best of my ability, I'll compete. But I don't want to be the wrestler who hangs out longer than he should. I want to go out on top and be happy with my accomplishments.
Washington, D.C.: Who was your toughest opponent you faced at Wrestlemania?
Triple H: To date, probably the Rock. He and I have had some huge battles, and we've been rivals for about 4 years. It's always a struggle between he and I.
Huntingtown: How much can you bench?
Triple H: I don't really train for strength, but I'd guess somewhere in the 400 pound range.
bakersfield,california: What steps did you take to begin your quest to making it to the wwf?? and was it hard?
Triple H: First off I looked at myself realistically to figure out whether I was big enough. Then I had to put everything into making it. Then I found a school where I could train. I studied tapes, wrestled as often as I could, made trips and wrestled for practically nothing, and solicited agents. You've gotta go after it if you want it.
Carbondale, IL: First off I have to say you are by far my favorite wrestler. Now, my question is, when do you think we're gonna see the next Triple H championship reign?
Triple H: If I have anything to say about it, sooner rather than later. It depends on what's right for the business. When the time is right, I'll be the champion again.
Huntsville, AL: What has caused the WWF to shift from younger target audience to an older target audience?
Triple H: I think that in television, there's a key demographic for business, and that's what we go after. WE made our product more acceptable to the mainstream.
Rochester, New York: My son and I have watched you for years and we noticed that you have changed greatly in size. What type of body enhancing drugs do you take? What is your age and how long do you plan to wrestle?
Triple H: I don't take drugs. I've been training since the age of 14. When I got into wrestling I was 280 pounds (I'm 6'4"). I wanted to be faster, so I dieted myself down to 235. But at that weight, I felt I was too thin and getting injured too often, so I bulked up again. I'm about 250-260 now.
Delran, NJ: Hey Game! Being arguably the best wrestler in the business, will you continue to be the evil heel for the rest of your career, or is there a chance that we could see you as a good guy in the near future?
Triple H: The one thing you never say in the WWF is never say never. I prefer to be a heel. I prefer to be hated. But you have to go with what people want. Anything can happen.
Rye, NY: Aside from the Al Snow anatomy show you have mentioned in the past, what's your most embarassing moment both in the ring and while cutting a promo?
Triple H: One time I was wrestling Henry Godwin when he was the Pig Farmer. He had a bucket of slop. Everything that could have gone wrong did, and at the end the crowd and the ref were laughing...and so were we.
Bergholz Ohio: When will the WWF ever become as mainstream as NFL or NBA? It seems no sport broadcasters or reporters take the WWF seriously enough to even post results and that includes USA Today. They can report on hamster-powered cars though.
Triple H: That's the thing that bothers me -- we're kind of in the neutral lost zone. The sports world doesn't want to touch us because they say we're fixed. Entertainment doesn't touch us because we're athletes. In Canada, we're reported on all the time. I wish they'd do that in the U.S. If we're the #1 show on cable and have business with live events and pay-per-view, then I think people would like to read about it in the paper.
Fort Washington, MD: What's the new book Wrestlemania: The Official Insider's Story about?
Triple H: It's pretty much what it says. It chronicles the 17 years of Wrestlemania, telling the behind-the-scenes stories. What it took to take it from Vince McMahon's vision to being one of the most popular, the most watched forms of entertainment in the world and become a household word. It's a lot of great stories about what took place with the celebrities and the wrestlers. It comes with a DVD that shows great video footage you couldn't see anywhere else. If you're a wrestling fan, it's a must-have.
Jacksonville, FL: I really enjoyed the Wrestlemania book. Especially the dvd insert. My question is, what is it like, personally, to be in the main event at Wrestlemania?
Triple H: It's hard to explain the feeling you get of the fulfillment of a dream. There's accolades in our business, and they may sound hokey, but when you become the WWF Champion, they have the faith you can carry the highest award. To carry the belt to the industry and know what the weight of Wrestlemania depends on you and your opponent is a lot of pressure. But it's the greatest feeling in the world. It's a great feeling of success. It's like playing in the Superbowl, and not only winning, but making a 90 yard touchdown run in the last 30 seconds in a tie game.
Comment from Triple H: Thanks to all the fans out there. Many people think that because I'm so evil on TV I'm like that all the time. We all put our bodies and lives on the line to entertain you. Please keep hating me.
Comment from Host: That was the last question for Triple H. Thanks to everyone who joined in!