Hating Triple H is a popular sport. Actually, it has been for going on for nearly a decade. He is a favorite punching bag. He is a heat magnet.
He is a master politician. And I donât mean that in a negative way.
Look at his WWE career. He was, at best a mid-card performer when he debuted in that silly, bowing snob gimmick. He was de-pushed and punished following the â96 MSG Incident (I hate that overused term as much as the âCalgary Screwjobâ). After he served his sentence, he led DX in a war against WCW and became a major player in the launch of the attitude era.
By 1999, he was WWE champion and has held that title (including the World Heavyweight championship version) multiple times.
His detractors, and there are many, say that he got where he is today by working the system, marrying the bossâ daughter, and man*pulating like a master politician.
Thereâs that term againâ¦master politician.
Those who know the business fully realize that the cream does not always rise to the top. The best ring performers do not always get the main event push, nor do they always wear a championship belt. That is not to say that the wrestling/sports entertainment business is not about talent. It is. But it is also about marketability and the ability to politic.
Triple H has that skill and it has brought him great success.
Hardcore fans seem to blanch at the idea of anyone ascending to a higher level based on politics. That attitude is based on ignorance. Politicking is how you get anywhere in a major company and it is especially true in the wrestling business. Sidling up to the right people can make all the difference in the world.
This is a business that pushes the son of so-and-so and the wife/father/mother of such-and-such. Not based on talent necessarily, but sometimes on association and/or DNA. Thatâs how the system works.
In the mid-nineties, Trips associated with the infamous Clique. Smart move? Most definitely. He knew where his bread would be buttered. It gave him the inside track that he needed. And he backed it up with talent and charisma. When he streamlined his gimmick away from the blueblood snob, he got over with the fans.
Which brings me to my second point. Like it or not, Triple H is over with the casual wrestling fans. Hardcores may despise him, but your run-of-the-mill fan that just enjoys the show instead of picking nit love the guy. That is WWEâs bread and butter and a vast majority of wrestlingâs devotees. The fans who are not interested in backstage machinations, but what they see in the arena or on TV.
Finally, this whole conspiracy theory that Triple H only married Stephanie McMahon to advance his career is downright asinine. Does anyone honestly think that any or all members of the McMahon family wouldnât see through this ruse? Do you really believe that Triple H would enter a marriage based on being world champion, knowing full well that if he ever crossed and cheated on his wife, he was done for?
Gee, maybe he loves his wife. Ever think that? Pollyanna-like view, maybe, but it could be true.
Ok, maybe he wants to put himself over to the detriment of younger performers. Maybe he wonât sell. Maybe he uses his backstage influence to get himself and his friends main event pushes.
Is it right? Is it fair?
Those points are moot. Pro wrestling is not about what is right or fair. Itâs what puts asses in seats. Itâs whom you know. And if you can back it up with talent and heat, so much the better. Thatâs what Triple H does.
Love him or hate him.
