Post by Triple H on Apr 1, 2006 4:41:31 GMT 10
Triple H
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Paul Levesque
Statistics
Ring name(s) Terra Ryzin
Jean Paul Levesque
Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Triple H
Height 6 ft 4 (193 cm)
Weight 265 lb (120 kg)
Born July 27, 1969
Nashua, New Hampshire
Died
Resides
Billed from Greenwich, Connecticut
Trained by Killer Kowalski
Debut March 1992
Retired
Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969 in Nashua, New Hampshire) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley (usually abbreviated to "Triple H" or "HHH"), currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its RAW brand. He is a 10-time World Champion: 4-time WWE Champion, 1-time Undisputed Champion and 5-time World Heavyweight Champion.
Triple H was originally packaged as the WWF heel Hunter Hearst Helmsley, a spoiled rich kid from Greenwich, Connecticut whose name invoked both the family of publisher William Randolph Hearst and "The Queen of Mean," Leona Helmsley. Along with fellow Clique member Shawn Michaels and Chyna, he was a member of one of the most popular stables in wrestling history, D-Generation X in 1997. Around the same time, he reduced his alias to Triple H. This was the beginning of his rise to become one of the most successful professional wrestlers ever.
During Triple H's WWE career, he has held a number of titles, including the WWE Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, the European Championship, and the WWF Tag Team Championship. He is only the second of five wrestlers to have held all four of those titles, the first being Shawn Michaels. This type of achievement is sometimes referred to as being a Grand Slam Champion. He also won the 1997 King of the Ring tournament and the 2002 Royal Rumble match.
Contents [hide]
1 Wrestling career
1.1 D-Generation X
1.2 World Champion
1.3 "The Game"
1.4 Return to Wrestling
1.4.1 Evolution
1.5 Return of "The Game"
2 Controversy
3 Wrestling facts
3.1 Finishing and signature moves
3.2 Managers
3.3 Nicknames
4 Championships and accomplishments
5 Championship succession
6 Television, films and books
7 Personal life
8 Trivia
9 External links
[edit]
Wrestling career
Hunter Hearst HelmsleyTriple H was trained to wrestle by legendary wrestling heel Killer Kowalski. In 1994 he joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW), wrestling there as a heel under the ring names Terra Ryzin and Jean-Paul Levesque. Under the latter name he also teamed with Lord Steven Regal. He left in 1995 for WCW's rival organization, the WWF (now WWE).
In continuity to his gimmick in WCW, Triple H started off his WWE career as the Connecticut Blue-Blood, Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Later on he enlisted Mr. Perfect as his manager. He was not a very popular wrestler, and his most notable accomplishment was being squashed by The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania XII. Helmsley was best known backstage as one of the members of the Clique, a group of wrestlers including Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman and Scott Hall who worked exclusively together and were known for influencing Vince McMahon and the WWF Creative team. Because of his connections with the Clique, he was in line to win the 1996 King of the Ring, but was eventually suspended and buried after the MSG incident where the Clique broke kayfabe after a Shawn Michaels/Diesel match to say goodbye to the departing Nash and Hall.
Despite the punishment, Triple H did have several successes following the MSG Incident. He won his first Intercontinental Championship on October 21, 1996, defeating Marc Mero, and held the belt for nearly four months before losing it to a young Rocky Maivia the February 13, 1997 edition of RAW. After losing the belt, he feuded with Goldust, defeating him at WrestleMania 13. During their feud, Chyna debuted as his bodyguard, assaulting Goldust's wife and valet Marlena.
[edit]
D-Generation X
Triple H and ChynaTriple H's push resumed in 1997, where he won the King of the Ring tournament. Later that year, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Chyna, and Rick Rude formed D-Generation X. D-X became known for pushing the envelope, as Shawn and Helmsley made risque promos, developing the catchphrase "Suck It" along with a "crotch chop" hand motion, and sarcastically deriding Bret Hart and Canada. After WrestleMania XIV, Shawn Michaels was forced into retirement due to a back injury, and Triple H took over the leadership position in DX. He introduced the returning X-Pac the night after Wrestlemania and joined forces with the New Age Outlaws (The Tag-Team of "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn and "Road Dogg" Jesse James).
Triple H led the "DX Army" throughout 1998; this was the first time he had performed as a face in the WWF and he quickly became one of its most popular wrestlers. It was during this time that Triple H began feuding with the leader of the Nation of Domination and rising WWF heel The Rock. This rivalry eventually led to a feud over the Intercontinental Championship. Triple H defeated The Rock in a ladder match at SummerSlam 1998 to capture the title. He would not hold the Intercontinental title long, being sidelined with a knee injury he suffered in the ladder match. When The Rock won the World Championship at the Survivor Series in 1998, the rivalry between the two continued, but became more of a gang war as DX fought Mr. McMahon's Corporation stable, of which Rock was the crown jewel.
[edit]
World Champion
Triple H received a shot at the WWF Championship on the January 25, 1999 edition of RAW in an "I Quit" match against The Rock, but was forced to quit or see his aide Chyna chokeslammed by Kane. Chyna attacked Triple H after the match and join The Corporation. At WrestleMania XV Triple H wrestled as a face for the last time in several months when he beat Kane with the aid of Chyna, who was thought to have rejoined DX. Later on he betrayed his long-time friend and fellow DX member X-Pac by helping heel Shane McMahon retain the European Championship, thus turning heel and taking Chyna with him. This decision earned him the hatred of many fans, and helped push Triple H further in the direction of the WWE Championship. Triple H joined the Corporation, however this placed him in the same boat as The Rock, a long-time Corporate member. Unable to get along, The Rock took Triple H's place as a face and quickly became one of the hottest superstars in WWE history.
Along with turning heel, Triple H got rid of his old "DX" look and took on the look he has to this day, which included the taping of his fists, new shorter wrestling trunks, a larger and more muscular physique, and facial hair. Triple H was changing his image and his personality as he fought to get a World title shot. During mid-1999, Triple H was "groomed" for the WWF Championship. Eventually, with the death of the "Corporate Ministry" (the group which was created out of a merger of the Corporation and the Undertaker's Ministry), Triple H found himself closer to the WWF Championship. After numerous failed attempts, at SummerSlam 1999 Triple H, along with Mankind would challenge then-WWE Champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. In a match which featured Governor Jesse "The Body" Ventura as the special guest referee, Triple H lost to Mankind who became WWF Champion for the third time.
The following night on RAW, Triple H threatened to break Jim Ross's arm if Mankind refused to give him a title shot that night. Mankind gave Triple H a shot and that night Triple H won his first WWF Championship. He then "interviewed" Jim Ross to see "what Ross thought of him." JR's reply was that he thought Triple H was a "no-good, drunken S.O.B." Triple H replied by beating JR to the ground. From then onwards, Triple H would feud with the biggest WWE superstars to date: The Rock, Mick Foley, Steve Austin, Vince McMahon, The Undertaker, Kurt Angle and many, many more. He would earn the hatred of fans around the world due to his dirty, under-handed tactics, including the use of his trademark sledgehammer and scheming nature such as forcing Mick Foley out of the WWF. He would also dub himself "The Game", implying that he was at the top of the wrestling world, as well as "The Cerebral Assassin", implying that he was simply smarter than the other wrestlers (as well as more talented). Triple H has claimed that "The Game" tag was initially going to go to Owen Hart.
[edit]
"The Game"
Triple H started out 2000 as WWF champion. His feud with Vince McMahon failed to set the world on fire and even outraged fans after McMahon won the title from Triple H during an episode of Smackdown!. However, the short-lived feud started the Hunter Hearst Helmsley-Stephanie McMahon storyline that would carry the WWF throughout the next couple of years, when Triple H married Stephanie McMahon in a storyline that had him sabotaging the wedding of McMahon and Test.
Some fans had considered Triple H a transitional champion until The Rock regained the title. His feud with Mick Foley changed that line of thinking, with Triple H winning a Street Fight at the Royal Rumble and a Hell in a Cell match at No Way Out that sent Foley into retirement; both matches were perhaps two of the greatest matches in his career. By the time Triple H shockingly pinned The Rock at WrestleMania 2000 (becoming the first heel to walk out of WrestleMania as champion), he was one of the hottest characters in the WWF, being able to generate enormous heat for his entrance and promos.
Although he had become one of the most hated wrestlers in the WWF, this was not always the case. In 2000, Kurt Angle was making advances towards his storyline wife, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley and because of Triple H's anger towards Angle, the fans took his side and cheered for him to destroy Angle. After Triple H disposed of Angle, he continued to be cheered during his feud with Chris Benoit. In November 2000, however, HHH turned heel again when he was revealed to be the man behind "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's accident one year prior. In 2001, Triple H feuded with Austin and The Undertaker and would later team with Austin to capture the WWF Tag Team Titles.
The most difficult moment of Triple H's career occurred during the May 21, 2001 broadcast of RAW when he suffered a legitimate and career-threatening injury. A misstep caused him to suffer a tear in his left quadriceps muscle. Despite his inability to place any weight on his leg, Triple H was able to complete the match, something that his fans and fellow wrestlers saw as an admirable display of dedication to the business. He even allowed one of his opponents in the match, Chris Jericho, to put him in his standard finishing maneuver, the "Walls of Jericho", a move that places considerable stress on the quadriceps. The tear required an operation, which was performed by famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, in Birmingham. The rigorous rehabilitation process kept him out of action for over seven months.
[edit]
Return to Wrestling
Triple H returned to RAW on January 7, 2002 at Madison Square Garden, receiving a tremendous ovation. He then won that year's Royal Rumble and thus receiving a WWE Undisputed title match in the main event at Wrestlemania X-8. After trouble with wife Stephanie ensued, Helmsley demanded a divorce and she aligned herself with then champion, Chris Jericho. In the weeks leading to Wrestlemania X8, Jericho and Stephanie would try to take out Triple H's quad unsuccessfully. Helmsley would go on to win the WWE Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania X8 over Jericho.
After holding the title for a month, he dropped the title to Hulk Hogan at Backlash thanks to interference from the Undertaker. Triple H then became exclusive to the SmackDown! roster due to the WWE Draft Lottery where he eventually feuded with Taker over the title. Triple H was unsuccessful.
About three months later, he would defect to RAW after being persuaded by old friend Shawn Michaels. On July 22, 2002, Triple H became a heel once again by turning on his long time friend Shawn Michaels by pedigreeing him in the middle of the ring during a DX reunion. The following week it was found out that someone smashed Michael's face brutally into a car window; it was revealed to be Helmsley who did it to prove that Michaels was 'weak'. These events led to the beginning of a long, heated rivalry between the former partners and an eventual Street Fight at Summerslam '02 in which Michaels won, but afterwards Triple H injured him with a sledgehammer.
Prior to September 2, 2002, WWE recognized only one Champion for both RAW and SmackDown! However, after that year's SummerSlam, champion Brock Lesnar signed a (storyline) deal to become exclusive to SmackDown!, leaving RAW without a champion. RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff would then award the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H in the form of the old WCW Championship belt. Triple H held the belt for most of the next year.
[edit]
Evolution
Evolution. Members (left to right) Randy Orton, Ric Flair, Triple H and Batista.In January 2003, Triple H formed Evolution with Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista. Its purpose was to include the greatest wrestlers of the past (Flair), present (HHH), and future (Orton and Batista). Evolution was the most dominant force on RAW and helped to keep "The Game" on top.
Triple H kicked Orton out of the group after Orton won the World Heavyweight Championship from Chris Benoit at SummerSlam 2004. He then feuded with Orton, winning the title back a month later. Triple H then feuded with Batista, who had won the 2005 Royal Rumble; Batista took the title at WrestleMania 21 and won several rematches (notably at Backlash 2005 and Vengeance 2005). Following his run with Batista, Triple H took some time off from wrestling, learning about the corporate side of WWE in preparation for a future executive position.
[edit]
Return of "The Game"
Triple H returned to RAW on October 3, 2005 as part of WWE Homecoming. He teamed up with his good friend and idol, Ric Flair (who had turned face during Triple H's absence), against Chris Masters and Carlito. Triple H's team won, but he turned on Flair after the match, beating him to a bloody pulp with a sledgehammer. He explained he believed that Flair was now a "shell" of what he once was and had to put an end to Flair's career "for his own good". At Taboo Tuesday 2005, Flair defeated Triple H in a bloody steel cage match. At Survivor Series 2005, Triple H defeated Flair in a Last Man Standing Match after performing the pedigree 3 times and finishing Flair off with a sledgehammer.
Triple H next feuded with the Big Show. Triple H and The Big Show faced each other at New Year's Revolution. Triple H won that match via a pedigree.
Triple H entered 1st in the 2006 Royal Rumble, and was eliminated 28th by the eventual winner, Rey Mysterio.
On February 6, 2006, Triple H was entered into the eight-man Road to WrestleMania Tournament, to determine the number one contender for a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 22. Triple H defeated Ric Flair in the first round, and went to a double countout against The Big Show in round two. Both men advanced to the finals to face Rob Van Dam. On the February 20, 2006 RAW, Triple H defeated Van Dam and Big Show to win the tournament, earning a title shot against John Cena at WrestleMania 22.
[edit]
Controversy
Levesque is considered a very controversial figure in wrestling. Many fans have criticized him for using backstage politics to hog screen time, retain titles, elevate his friends, and hold down talented workers. The Clique, including Levesque and his real-life friends Shawn Michaels, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Sean Waltman, were allegedly known for this type of behavior in the mid-late 1990s.
This criticism intensified after he became the real-life son-in-law of WWE promoter Vince McMahon. McMahon himself once said on Off the Record that his "son Shane, daughter Stephanie and son-in-law Triple H" would run the company once he was gone.
Former D-Generation X members Billy Gunn and Road Dogg have claimed in interviews to have personally witnessed this sort of behavior.
Levesque has acknowledged the accusations, but vehemently denies them, on the grounds that "everything goes through Vince" and that he couldn't do such things even if he wanted to.
[edit]
Wrestling facts
[edit]
Finishing and signature moves
Pedigree (Double underhook facebuster)
Indian deathlock
Spinebuster
Jumping high knee
DDT
Running neckbreaker
Facebreaker knee smash (Back body drop counter)
Figure four leglock
Signature weapon: Sledgehammer
[edit]
Managers
Chyna
Rick Rude
Ric Flair
Curt Hennig
Mr. Hughes
Vince McMahon
Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley
Shawn Michaels
Sable
[edit]
Nicknames
The Cerebral Assassin
The Game
The King of Kings
[edit]
Championships and accomplishments
Triple H with the World Heavyweight ChampionshipIndependent Wrestling Federation
1-time IWF Heavyweight Champion
1-time IWF Tag Team Champion with Perry Saturn
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI ranked him # 139 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003. Is ranked 4th in 2005 PWI top 500
He also won several PWI Awards. He won Most Hated Wrestler in 2003, 2004, & 2005. He was involved in the Match of the Year in 2004 (vs. Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels) and the Feud of the Year in 2000 (vs. Kurt Angle) and in 2004 (vs. Chris Benoit).
World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment
5-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion
5-time World Heavyweight Champion
5-time WWF Intercontinental Champion
2-time WWF European Champion
1-time WWF World Tag Team Champion (with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin)
2002 Royal Rumble winner
1997 King of the Ring winner
Second Grand Slam Champion
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
He is a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (inducted in 2005)
2000 Wrestler of the Year
2000 Feud of the Year (vs Mick Foley)
2002 Most Overrated Wrestler
2003 Most Overrated Wrestler
2004 Feud of the Year (vs Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels)
2004 Most Overrated Wrestler
2005 Feud of the Year (vs Batista)
[edit]
Championship succession
WWF World Heavyweight Championship
Won from:
Mankind First Lost to:
Vince McMahon
Won from:
Vacant Second Lost to:
The Big Show
Won from:
The Big Show Third Lost to:
The Rock
Won from:
The Rock Fourth Lost to:
The Rock
WWF Undisputed Championship
Preceded by:
Chris Jericho First Followed by:
Hollywood Hulk Hogan
World Heavyweight Championship
Won from:
Awarded First Lost to:
Shawn Michaels
Won from:
Shawn Michaels Second Lost to:
Bill Goldberg
Won from:
Bill Goldberg Third Lost to:
Chris Benoit
Won from:
Randy Orton Fourth Lost to:
Vacant*
* Championship was made vacant after a controversial match on the November 29, 2004 edition of RAW.
Won from:
Vacant Fifth Lost to:
Batista
WWF Intercontinental Championship
Won from:
Marc Mero First Lost to:
The Rock
Won from:
The Rock Second Lost to:
Vacated
Won from:
Chris Jericho Third Lost to:
Jeff Hardy
Won from:
Jeff Hardy Fourth Lost to:
Kane
Won from:
Kane Fifth Lost to:
Merged with World Heavyweight Championship
WWF World Tag Team Championship
Preceded by:
The Undertaker and Kane First, with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin Followed by:
Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho
WWF European Championship
Won from:
Shawn Michaels First Lost to:
Owen Hart
Won from:
Owen Hart Second Lost to:
D'Lo Brown
Royal Rumble Winners
Preceded by:
Stone Cold Steve Austin First
(2002) Followed by:
Brock Lesnar
King of the Ring
Preceded by:
Stone Cold Steve Austin First
(1997) Followed by:
Ken Shamrock
[edit]
Television, films and books
Levesque has appeared as Triple H on MADtv and Saturday Night Live. Levesque played a role in the movie Blade: Trinity, as a vampire enforcer named Jarko Grimwood. Some speculate that Triple H will be the next performer to jump ship to Hollywood in the footsteps of The Rock and Hulk Hogan. Triple H has disputed this in interviews, however, saying that he will always be a professional wrestler first, and (if offered more acting roles) actor second.
He is scheduled to star in the WWE-produced movie entitled Jornada del Muerte.
Levesque is rumored to be in consideration as a replacement for Arnold Schwarzenegger in a possible revival of the Conan the Barbarian movie franchise.
In late 2004, Triple H released a book entitled Making the Game: Triple H's Approach to a Better Body. Mostly devoted to bodybuilding advice, the book also includes some autobiographical information, memoirs, and opinions.
Levesque was featured in the August 14, 2005 episode of MTV's Punk'd. He was led to believe that he had ruined a wedding by hitting the bride in the face with a door and damaging her nose.
[edit]
Personal life
Prior to his relationship with Stephanie McMahon, Levesque had previously been in a relationship with Chyna that mirrored their in-ring partnership. Following his first WWF championship run, Triple H was put into a program with Stephanie McMahon that culminated in Triple H 'marrying' McMahon. During the program, in which Triple H and spoiled-brat Stephanie were the most over heels in the WWF, Levesque and McMahon became personally involved in real life. On October 25, 2003, long after the couple had divorced in the storylines, the couple married for real. His father was his best man at his wedding to Stephanie.
Now Stephanie McMahon's husband, many speculate that once father-in-law Vince McMahon retires, Levesque and Stephanie (alongside Shane McMahon) will assume creative control of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. Stephanie McMahon is currently in charge of writing the SmackDown! program, while Triple H is often consulted by the McMahons about storylines.
Levesque is the brother-in-law of Shane McMahon and Marissa Mazzola. He also has one nephew, Declan James McMahon, who is the son of Shane and Marissa. Levesque has another nephew or a niece from Shane and Marissa due on April 3, 2006, the day after Wrestlemania 22.
On January 8, 2006, WWE.com announced that Triple H and Stephanie are expecting their first child, a boy, due in late July 2006. [1]
[edit]
Trivia
When Triple H uses a sledgehammer as a weapon, it is in fact a real sledgehammer, and not a prop as is widely believed. Triple H covers the head of the sledgehammer with his hand just before it strikes his opponent. On one occasion when Triple H did use a fake sledgehammer he accidentally injured his opponent, The Undertaker.
While wrestling as "Terra Ryzin" in World Championship Wrestling, Levesque was given only five minutes to create his new character, that of "the French guy" (WCW officials realized that his surname was French). Levesque created the character of "Jean-Paul Levesque", and was asked to speak "with a French accent" as he could not speak French).
He is a longtime Motörhead fan. His theme song was recorded by the band, as was Evolution's theme song.
Motörhead has performed his entrance theme live at both Wrestlemania 17 and Wrestlemania 21.
It is said that his now signature mustache is a tribute to both Motörhead singer Lemmy Kilmister and wrestling legend Harley Race.
He claims that his bloody street fight with Foley at the 2000 Royal Rumble "made Triple H the superstar that he is today."
