Triple H: Difference between revisions

 

 

 

As usual, [[wikipedia:Triple H|That Other Wiki]] has a nice, long article on his career.

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** Well, a few of those people are [[Real Life]] friends of [[Triple H]], and [[Vince McMahon]] is his [[Real Life]] father-in-law. However, if rumors of his backstage politics are to be believed, [[Triple H]] probably has just as many enemies in [[Real Life]], [[Up to Eleven|possibly even more]]

* [[The Artifact]]: The "[[Triple H]]" came from his original gimmick, a snooty blueblood by the name of Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Likewise, the name of his finishing move, the Pedigree. He's also still billed as from Greenwich, CT despite that not sounding very tough (though he now actually lives there.)

* [[Ascended Fanboy]]: He started out as a huge fan of the 80s-era [[National Wrestling Alliance|NWA]], then became a [[WCW]] jobber, and then moved to the WWF, where he became one of the top stars. Now he's the COO of the company in kayfabe (although he's a "Senior Advisor" to [[Vince McMahon]], helping run shows, and heading up Talent Development in real life).

*** Some say [[Triple H]]'s 'stache/chop combo is just as much an homage to Harley Race (whom [[Triple H]] owes much more of his style to than Flair). [[Triple H]] even repeated an [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ehhpuO7Cw angle with] [[Goldberg]] that [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pfkam4NOjY Race and Flair did in the early 80s] (note the very, very familiar moustache/chop combo).

** Eh, [[Dwayne Johnson]] did the same stuff, [[Gag Penis]] is a pretty simple bit, and it fits his [[Delinquents|character]] pretty damn well.

** Though the Rock had more material. [[Triple H]]'s comedy is roughly 80% penis-related.

* [[Bash Brothers]]: With [[Shawn Michaels]].

* [[Berserk Button]]: Learn from Paul Heyman and don't talk about his children, [[Papa Wolf| he's protective of them]].

* [[Black Comedy Rape]]: When he kidnapped, drugged and married Stephanie in Vegas. She also [[Rape Is Love|fell in love]] with him after that. Of course, it's entirely possible he was lying to mess with Vince's head.

* [[Blond Guys Are Evil]]: He plays this trope pretty damn straight. When he's heel, his hair is cleaner and pulled into a ponytail, making him look much more blond; when he's face, his hair is loose and unkempt, making his hair look darker.

** And during his heel runs in the early 2000s, he actually did dye his hair a much lighter golden blond than is his natural color.

* [[Blood Brothers]]: [[The Kliq]], but especially [[Shawn Michaels]]. [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge|God help you]] if you mess with [[Shawn Michaels]] and [[Triple H]] is around to witness it.

* [[Call Back]]: The walkout isn't the first time that the WWE locker room threaten to boycott him.

** Also, the 2012 confrontation between the [[He's Back|returning]] [[The Undertaker|Undertaker]] and [[Triple H]] was a direct call-back to their 2011 confrontation with the roles reversed. The first time, everybody knew through the vignettes that the Undertaker was coming to RAW on 2 21 11, and before he could say much of anything ([[The Quiet One|Not that he's much of a talker, anyways...]]) [[Triple H]]'s music hit. In 2012, Trips - who had already been announced for RAW - was poised to fire John Laurinaitis and then Undertaker's music hit in exactly the same fashion. Also, both times, the two offered challenges by using their trademark gestures.

* [[Cool Old Guy]]: He's in his forties now. [[John Morrison]] and [[The Miz]] once sarcastically hinted that he looked old enough to be ''fifty''.

* [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]]: His heel character typically comes off as this. As a heel HHH cuts his hair to a shorter length (though it's still quite long) and keeps it pulled back in a ponytail, shaves, wears suits and frequently manipulates the system through politics, dirty tricks and outright bribery. Contrast this to his face persona who wears leather jackets, t-shirts and jeans, lets his hair grow wild and sports a beard.

** Many fans accuse him of being this in [[Real Life]] ever since he married the boss' daughter.

** Has inverted it in his new on-screen role as Chief Operating Officer. Wears suits, is a good guy. Maybe.

* [[Dark Is Not Evil]]: As a face he wears dark trunks with [[Creepy Cool Crosses]] and [[Dem Bones]] on them, wields a hammer, and does the right thing... eventually.

* [[Demoted to Extra]]: This occurred to him in 1996. He was a part of the infamous kayfabe-breaking Madison Square Garden "curtain call" (where [[Kevin Nash]], [[Scott Hall]], Trips, and [[Shawn Michaels]] hugged each other in the middle of the ring following a match); since Hall and Nash were heading off to [[WCW]], and Michaels was one of the top guys in the company at the time, Trips [[The Scapegoat|had to take the fall]]. His main event push was delayed for quite a while as punishment.

** Interesting side note: it's believed that [[Triple H]] was planned to win the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, and after the "curtain call", [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] was booked to win the tournament as part of Trips' punishment, and it's that victory over [[Jake Roberts|Jake "the Snake" Roberts]] that gave us the [[Catch Phrase|Austin]] [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|3:16]] phenomenon.

* [[Depraved Bisexual]]/[[Anything That Moves]]: In the original DX, this was a pretty important part of his character. He also kissed [[Shawn Michaels]] a bunch of times and gave this immortal response when asked if he spoke Spanish like [[Chyna]]:

* [[Determinator]]: In 2001, running forward to hit [[Chris Jericho]] with a forearm to the back of the head, [[Triple H]] ''ripped the quadricep muscle right off his kneecap'' in one of the most cringe-inducing sports injuries ever caught on film. You can actually see the muscle come loose under the skin of his thigh and he immediately falls out of the ring in agony. Somehow he managed to get back up and finish his role in the match.

** And did it ''again'' in 2007 in a tag-team match with [[Shawn Michaels]] against [[Edge]] and [[Randy Orton]]. Tore his other quad and managed to finish the match, even Pedigreeing Edge through the announcer's table.

** Doubles as a [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]] with [http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/WWE-s-Triple-H-rallies-fathers-mentors-in-1083418.php things like this]. It's clear he's crazy about his girls; just listen to any of his interviews about them.

* [[Discontinuity Nod]]: He and [[Shawn Michaels]] took shots at the infamous Katie Vick angle in a 2007 [[D Generation X]] promo.

** Bizarrely inverted with WWE Studios, with [[Triple H]] being the first (and only to date) wrestler to be billed under his real name as opposed to his in-ring pseudonym.

** This was particularly highlighted in a recent in-ring segment when [[CM Punk]], another wrestler who prefers not to be referred to by his given name, said, as a means of emphasizing how serious he was, that it was [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zglAkGTqBog "Phil Brooks [Punk] talking to Paul Levesque."]

* [[The Dragon]]: To [[Vince McMahon]] after Vince's [[Face Heel Turn]] at Wrestlemania 16. Was also [[Co-Dragons]] with [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] to Vince in 2001, until [[Triple H]] got injured. He seems to be becoming this in [[Real Life]] as well, as Vince recently made him his Senior Advisor.

** [[Triple H]] was also [[The Dragon]] to [[Shawn Michaels]] in the early days of [[D Generation X]], until HBK got injured and HHH [[Dragon Ascendant|became the new leader]].

* [[Drop the Hammer]]: His [[Weapon of Choice]] / [[Companion Cube]] is a sledgehammer.

* [[Epic Fail]]: His insistence that his WWE Undisputed Championship match against [[Chris Jericho]] going after the far more anticipated [[Hulk Hogan]] vs [[The Rock]] match at Wrestlemania X8. Interest was so low that people, absolutely drained by the preceding "dream match", actually started leaving during the match. After winning the Championship, he lost it immediately to the now revitalized Hogan at the next Pay Per View. It took years for him to admit he was in the wrong.

* [[Even Evil Has Standards| Even The Game Has Standards]]:

** [[Wouldn't Hurt a Child| No attack on children]], he's strict on that.

* [[Evil Mentor]]: In Evolution, he was one to [[Randy Orton]] (echoing their [[Real Life]] relationship) and [[Batista]]. On the flipside, he had his own in [[Ric Flair]].

** His Conan the Barbarian, "[[Red Baron|King of Kings]]" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO7x1MgBb4A entrance at Wrestlemania 22] is made of this trope.

** His [[Wrestlemania]] 27 and 28 entrances feature this trope in full force, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EUB84BqIAEthe 27 one] in particular. Being accompanied by a [[Faceless Goons|masked army]], striding out of a [[Dark Fantasy]] village left [[Rape, Pillage and Burn|in ruins]], wearing a [[Black Cloak]] and [[Cool Crown|skull-faced crown]], all while [[Metallica]] is [[Theme Music Power-Up|blaring in the background]]? This may take home the award for most metal entrance ever.

* [[Fake Nationality]]: His father is French-Canadian, but his character in WWE is obviously a [[White Anglo Saxon Protestant]] American.

** Not to mention "Triple Haitch", courtesy of [[William Regal]].

** And "The Nose of Noses" or "The Human Water Sprinkler".

** [[Wrestlecrap|Crappers]] have taken to calling his several World Heavyweight Championship reigns between 2002 and 2005 the "Reign Of Terror."

*** Which is sometimes called the "Reign of Terra,'' as a nod to his first character, Terra Ryzing.

** Trips.

* [[Fleeting Demographic Rule]]: What his [[Wrestlemania]] 27 feud with [[The Undertaker]] was. They last fought each other at WrestleMania 17.

* [[Foe Yay]]: Has it with [[The Undertaker]], most notably, as well as [[Shawn Michaels]] when they were feuding from '02-'05 and boatloads of it with [[Randy Orton]] in their 2009 feud.

* [[Gag Nose]]: One of the first things people use in a [[Triple H]] parody is a gigantic fake nose, hell, a [[Fan Nickname]] of his is "The Nose of Noses".

** He lampshaded it in his Hall of Fame induction for [[Shawn Michaels]]:

* [[Game-Breaking Injury]]: [[Incredibly Lame Pun|Jokes aside,]] The Game tearing his quad left him out of action for eight months in 2001. Would he be considered lucky that he missed the Invasion angle?

* [[Garbage Wrestler]]: While his [[Wrestling Psychology]] is solid, his style is that of a brawler, and he just loves to hit people with sledgehammers.

* [[Genre Savvy]]: All the time. Especially the time he gave an entire lesson/LampshadeHanging to Shelton Benjamin on how to properly cut a promo and how the heel has to wait until the face has their back to the ramp before they jump him.

* [[Green-Eyed Monster]]

* [[Happily Married]]: To [[Stephanie McMahon]].

* [[Heel Face Revolving Door]]

* [[He's Back]]: He came back after about eight months on the shelf on 2/21/11, the same night [[The Undertaker]] made his return.

* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: He and [[Shawn Michaels]] are among the most famous heterosexual life partners in wrestling history. According to [[Stephanie McMahon|Hunter's actual wife]], Shawn is Hunter's "road wife".

** He also hijacked Test's (kayfabe) wedding to [[Stephanie McMahon]] (and subsequent push).

* [[Hot Dad]]

* [[Iconic Characters|Iconic Wrestler]]: Has absolutely reached it, though it's kind of a sore subject [[Executive Meddling|how he got there]].

** [[Tempting Fate]]: And after his Hell In A Cell rematch the following year, he was so badly beaten both 'Taker and [[Shawn Michaels]] had to carry him out of the arena together.

* [[Intergenerational Friendship]]: With his idol, [[Ric Flair]].

** The episode he guest-starred in on [[The Drew Carey Show]] had [[Triple H]], going under the ring name "the Disciplinarian", becoming a sponsor of Buzz Beer and after over-indulging in Vegas, he ends up telling kids to never drink as the beer was the one thing that could kick his ass.

* [[It's Personal]]: Usually a hallmark of a really, really good Triple H feud. Notable examples are his 2002-2004 feud with [[Shawn Michaels]], his 2007 feud with [[Randy Orton]], and his 2011 feud with [[CM Punk]].

* [[Jerkass]]: When he's a heel. To demonstrate how much of a Jerkass he can be, in 1999 the man turned [[Vince McMahon]], the [[Big Bad]] and [[Moral Event Horizon|the same man who was the mastermind behind a satanic cult whom he had kidnap his own daughter as part of a plan to get the WWE title off of]] [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] earlier that same year, [[Heel Face Turn|into a FACE]], and it even resulted in an [[Enemy Mine]] situation when Austin would help Vince, his hated [[Arch Enemy]], win the WWE Championship from [[Triple H]]. And that's just one example.

* [[The Kliq]]

* [[Large Ham]]: Hilarious. Give the man a live microphone and 20 minutes of free airtime, and you're guaranteed to be entertained.

* [[Man of Wealth and Taste]]: Connecticut Blueblood and Evolution Variants.

* [[Mean Character, Nice Actor]]: Despite being one of the most controversial figures in professional wrestling, both on camera and behind the scenes, [[Triple H]] is actually friendly with the fans and is a noted [[The Mentor|mentor]] to many wrestlers, including [[Batista]] and [[Randy Orton]].

** He was blamed for the infamous Katie Vick angle; that was created by Kevin Dunn, with approval by [[Vince McMahon]].

*** On the other hand, he probably could have gotten the storyline killed or at least retooled if he really wanted to. But given Vince's [[Yes-Man|historical reluctance, if not outright refusal, to take "no" for an answer]]...

** Frankly, because of his pull backstage and his reputation of burying other wrestlers, it's almost standard operating procedure to blame him for anything. He was accused of forcing Chris Masters to continue his dreadful Master Lock Challenge long after it overstayed its welcome, and frequently takes the blame any time a wrestler seems to be stuck in a bad gimmick because he's "holding them back" because he's "threatened by them."

** In a possible case of [[Reality Subtext]], this bled over into the 'walkout' story-line that took up a big chunk of late 2011, with Trips (as the kayfabe Chief Operating Officer) taking the fall for a lot of things that were frankly out of his control.

* [[Noble Demon]]: As much as he talks about what a dangerous guy he is, he's not that different from any other face.

* [[No Fourth Wall]]: All the damn time.

* [[Odd Friendship]]: [[The Kliq]]. While Michaels, Hall, Nash, and Waltman were established wrestlers at a near-equal level, [[Triple H]] was a newbie who didn't party. Now, things have changed, and it's still hard to believe that the massively successful HHH and one of the best wrestlers ever in [[Shawn Michaels]] are friends with the troubled X-Pac and [[Scott Hall]], whose jump to [[WCW]] was a major turning point in their careers.

* [[Oh Crap]]: His epic reaction shot to [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68gwIbZ6jQ8&feature=related being informed] he'd be facing not Mankind, but ''Cactus Jack'' in the 2000 Royal Rumble. CMOA for [[Mick Foley]], but Hunter's reaction just makes it.

* [[Old Shame]]: The Katie Vick angle, and his brief WCW stint as "Terra Ryzing".

** Then there was the time that [[Ultimate Warrior]] no-sold the Pedigree and pinned him a minute later. Even worse? That was at Wrestlemania XII, about two months before the [[Demoted to Extra|Curtain Call]]. He called it the worst moment in his career for a reason, though that statement could've been a [[Take That]] at the Warrior.

* [[Parental Substitute]]: Him and [[Vince McMahon]] are quite close, and according to the nastier rumors floating out there, closer than Vince and Shane.

** All but confirmed by his [[Kayfabe]]-tweaking [[Tear Jerker|"I love you, Pops"]] to Vince upon "relieving [Vince] of his duties".

* [[Popularity Power]]

* [[Power Stable]]: [[D Generation X]], [[The Corporation]], and Evolution.

** And [[The Kliq]]. Never forget the Kliq. Who are they? A band of extremely influential wrestlers who banded together, responsible for [[D Generation X]] and a little group called the [[New World Order]].

** His current role as Chief Operating Officer seems to have him shaping up as one of these, giving certain heels their comeuppance, including letting [[Zack Ryder]] squash [[Michael Cole]] on live television, bringing back [[Jim Ross]], and letting [[John Morrison]] get his hands on R-Truth.

* [[Red Baron]]: [[The Ace|The Game]], [[Magnificent Bastard|The Cerebral Assassin]], [[The Emperor|The King of Kings]].

* [[The Mentor]]: To [[Batista]] and [[Randy Orton]], both in [[Power Stable|Evolution]] and in [[Real Life]].

* [[The Rival]]: The Rock, [[Mick Foley]], [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]], [[Shawn Michaels]], and most, recently, Sheamus.

* [[Underwear of Power]]: He started wearing this when he was pushed to main event status.

** He had actually worn one in WCW, but switched to the long trunks in his "Blueblood" persona.

* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: [[Shawn Michaels]]. Anyone else mocks Shawn's receding hairline and new religion, they're headed for a beatdown.

** A perfect example is his [http://atlanta.sbnation.com/pro-wrestling/2011/4/2/2087732/wwe-hall-of-fame-induction-ceremony-2011-triple-h-shawn-michaels Hall of Fame induction speech] for Shawn. Height, fashion sense, receding hairline, all are legit targets - and then you get down to the end, where he talks about how close he and Shawn are.

* [[Weapon of Choice]]: The [[Drop the Hammer|sledgehammer]].

* [[We Used to Be Friends]]: With Kevin Nash in kayfabe.

* [[What Could Have Been]]: See [[Demoted to Extra]] above. One can only imagine what could have happened if HHH ''had'' won the '96 King of the Ring instead of Austin - no Attitude Era, no competition against [[WCW]] and the nWo...

** Had he not been injured in 2001, [[Triple H]] would have turned face and challenge a heel Austin for the WWF Championship throughout the summer. Which would mean that the InVasion angle would at least have been interesting to watch.

** His [[Crowning Moment of Funny]] response to the hypothetical question of "what if the [[Montreal Screwjob]] had happened to Shawn instead of Bret?"

* [[Author Existence Failure|Wrestler Appearance Failure]]: [[Triple H]]'s quad injury in 2001 forced him out of action until 2002 ... which allowed him to escape the universally-despised InVasion storyline.

* [[Worthy Opponent]]: [[Shawn Michaels]] stands out more than anyone else. Even after reforming DX, the two would still come to blows but still walk out as friends.

* [[Wrestling Psychology]]: Even his detractors will (usually) admit he's got quite the grip on this and can really use the crowd to build his matches.

* [[Xanatos Gambit]]: Sometimes skirts into [[Xanatos Roulette]] territory.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:The Nineties]]

[[Category:Professional Wrestling]]

[[Category:Wrestling]]