Heroes and Villains: The Internet vs. Triple H

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Triple H is starring (okay, is appearing) in a new movie. Some of you may have heard this. The movie is Blade III. You might have heard that as well. He’s doing a ton of publicity for it, including some interviews. I’d guess that more than a few of you have read some of those transcripts. If not, or if you have read them and forgotten what they said, here’s a summary of the Penthouse interview, courtesy of Dave Meltzer (minus a few of his editorial comments):

The story implies he isn’t well liked, and he said it’s because it goes with being the top guy. “There’s always gonna be people that don’t have the ability, but think they do, and think they should have your spot. The fact is, if they had the ability, they would be there.” He ripped on wrestlers who read “dirt sheets” (good to see he’s still living in 1983) or read the internet saying that “If you don’t know whether you had a good match or not, if you don’t know whether your interview was good or not, that’s the reason you’re not a top guy. Because you suck bad enough that you can’t figure it out on your own.”

And later today Triple H will appear on Off the Record, a Canadian show which I’ve never seen, given that I’m not Canadian. I do know that a lot of wrestlers have appeared on it over the years, and that the host is pretty knowledgeable about pro wrestling. Some of the material covered in the interview has made its way online already; here are a few pertinent details, courtesy of Lords of Pain:

– HHH starts off by claiming that he is a top writer with influence on Raw. He goes on to say that anything he decides always goes through Vince McMahon, and McMahon will always do what is best for the business. This is HHH’s response when asked if he does what is best for himself or WWE.

– HHH readily accepts that he will not be the top draw on Raw forever, but still says he is a big star and always will be in the wrestling industry.

– He comments that is very easy to lose perspective in this business and wouldn’t mind being told that by anyone, Vince McMahon included. The Game points out that he doesn’t mind what segment he is in, whether it be the opening of a show or the main-event.

– When asked whether he likes the fans, HHH says the fans do not know him and they do not work with him day in, day out. He also says that he doesn’t use his backstage influence to damage people in the company or use it for the benefit of himself.

This seems like another good opening for another rousing round of Triple H basing, no? That would be an easy column to write, but I don’t think I can break any new ground there. Or I could write and angry defense of Triple H, castigating the “dirt sheets” and internet geeks for daring to question the man. That would be easy too, but it’s been done. And to tell you the truth, I don’t actually adhere to either of those perspectives. You can’t reduce a man (or woman) down to “good” or “bad,” or even “power-mad” or “misunderstood” based on what we see on television and read in newsletters and on the internet. Still, I’d bet that Triple H is not exclusively saint or sinner–he’s a real, living human being whose actions and personalities reflect a complex web of influences and circumstances. Looking at him as “the guy who won’t drop the belt” or “the wrestler who slept his way to the top” isn’t fair to him. It’s also not fair to us; such gross oversimplifications help paint internet fans as childish ingrates. I don’t doubt for a second that Triple H has his share of flaws, but so do Chris Benoit and Ric Flair. Or you and me. We should give Triple H the same sort of treatment we would want from others if we were in a similar situation. We should try to look at Triple H as a man, not as a symbol of everything that disappoints us in the WWE.

Unfortunately, I don’t know Triple H. I don’t know enough about him to do justice to him as a real person. What I can talk about is his relationship with the fans who attend live events, watch television shows, buy DVDs and PPVs, and, at least in our cases, go to the internet to share our love of wrestling with our fellow fans.

BEHIND BLUE (OR IS THAT BROWN?) EYES (WHICH, REGARDLESS OF THEIR COLOR, ARE LOCATED BEHIND A HEAVY CRO MAGNON BROW)

Triple H has never exactly been a fan favorite. He was a non-entity in WCW. In his early days in the WWF, he played a corny, outdated aristocratic type of heel (and, to his credit, he never half-assed it even when given this less-than-thrilling gimmick). He was overshadowed by Shawn Michaels during the first stage of Degeneration X. The closest he ever came to being a favorite among casual fans was probably during the second phase of DX, when he served as the stable’s leader. Even during this time, however, Triple H was more of a member of an ensemble than a dominant personality with a bunch of second bananas. DX never would have worked without the New Age Outlaws (particularly the Road Dogg’s shtick) or X-Pac (whose energy infused the whole group).

The next phase of Triple H’s career came when he was elevated to main event status in late 1999. After a rocky start, both casual fans (whose existence was not yet subject to debate) and internet fans warmed to Triple H thanks to his heat-generating alliance with the McMahons (particularly Stephanie) and a series of excellent matches, beginning with his street fight against Cactus Jack. After enjoying his work throughout 2000, I personally began to sour on Triple H when he was revealed as the mastermind behind the Austin hit-and-run. Their feud had its moments (the Three Stages of Hell match was probably the best of 2001, which is no small accomplishment), but something about the returning Austin being immediately rushed into a feud with Triple H didn’t sit right with me. I think the feud would have been stronger if the two had been kept apart, letting fans’ anticipation for their eventual (and inevitable) meeting build. Although Triple H was still having good matches in late 2000/early 2001, the feud with Austin planted a seed of discontent that eventually grew into a fair-to-middling-sized tree of discontent for me and many other ‘net fans.

After a relatively uneventful 2001, Triple H’s quad injury took him out of action right on the eve of the WCW/ECW I invasion. After that angle, alternately viewed as a disappointment or an abomination by internet pundits*, all fans were eager to see Triple H return to restore some interest to a product generally regarded as losing steam. Triple H’s feud with Chris Jericho, however, probably was the moment that most turned the IWC against him. Jericho had a career year in 2001, winning the short-lived Undisputed Title in December and having what many regarded as the feud of the year with the Rock. However, 2002 found him treated as an afterthought, even though he was the federation’s champion. Many considered his feud with Triple H to be the worst insult of all, however. Rather than focusing on the match, the feud played up the conflict between Triple H and his estranged wife, Stephanie McMahon (who had allied with the heel Jericho). The result was a relatively heatless match at Wrestlemania in which Triple H won the title in anticlimactic fashion.**

It was all downhill from there. With the departure of both the Rock and Austin, Triple H was the presumptive top face. This, however, was stymied by the bizarre (and, in hindsight, unfortunate) emergence of Hulk Hogan as the company’s top face. Add to this the fact that there simply were no good heels for Triple H to face–the re-formed nWo lacked a legitimate threat after Kevin Nash followed in Triple H’s footsteps by injuring his quad, Chris Jericho was totally emasculated by the WM match and subsequent Hell in a Cell match, and the biker-era Undertaker was simply boring as hell as a heel.*** Faced with this situation, the WWF took what I believe to be the most logical step in turning Triple H heel. There were simply more potential babyface challengers than potential heel ones.

Of course, this led to possibly the most controversial era (at least among ‘net fans) of Triple H’s career–The Era of Lame Face Challengers. RVD, Kane, and Booker T all laid down for Triple H in late 2002/early 2003.**** Triple H’s matches were mediocre at best during this period (with the exception of his work with Shawn Michaels), and his dominance lent an air of stagnation to the Raw product. This was an era in which many a ‘net columnist wrote off Raw entirely (much like 2004 has been a year in which many ‘net columnists have written off Smackdown entirely). In retrospect, I’m a little less quick to condemn this era. As I see it, the WWE had two choices: (a) have Triple H as the dominant force on Raw, or (b) pick a babyface to push to the moon, and use as a foil to Triple H (much as Triple H had been the Rock’s primary foil in 1999/2000).

Looking over that assemblage of potential monster faces, I think the WWE did the right thing. RVD’s charm would have worn thin (as has happened in reality). Kane isn’t a top face, no matter how you look at it. Booker T keeps talking about retirement. Scott Steiner is Scott Steiner. HBK at the time was supposedly a part-timer. The only real option would have been bringing in a new face to Raw, either from Smackdown or outside the company. But Goldberg wanted too much money and control (and, in the end, probably shouldn’t have been hired in 2003 either). Edge might have been a candidate, but he got hurt. Lesnar was busy holding Smackdown together. In the end, I don’t think the WWE really lost that much by pushing Triple H so hard, especially compared to what they gained. Triple H’s dominance provides an axis for Raw, a steadying and organizing force which Smackdown sorely lacks.

Anyway, since 2002, it’s pretty much been the same story with the IWC’s relation to Triple H. He slept his way to the top. He demands too much time for his matches. He sabotages the pushes of those who might challenge his dominance. He’s boring. Everything on Raw revolves around him and his cronies. He doesn’t put over anybody besides his friends. He’s gotten too big for his britches. He’s jealous of the Rock. He has too much power. He has a death grip on the World Title. His hair is too nice. His moveset is limited. All his “mind games” somehow involve a sledge hammer.

* I honestly believe this storyline looks better in hindsight–go to the tapes if you don’t believe me. Though it kind of dragged in the middle, the June/July and November bookends were pretty strong. And in the middle of it we had the Jericho-Rock feud, which wouldn’t have been nearly so good without the Invasion to give it context. There was also the Austin-Angle feud, which produced one of my favorite wrestling moments ever during the Summerslam match (namely Angle desperately trying to pull himself to his feet by grabbing on to Austin’s trunks).

** It wasn’t dead quiet during their match, but there was way less heat than one would expect for a title match at Wrestlemania. Part of this stemmed from the match going on after the emotionally exhausting Rock-Hogan match. For me, the outcome of the Triple H-Jericho match was such a foregone conclusion that I just couldn’t get excited by what was going on in the ring. I should really watch that match again, though.

*** This, of course, begs the question of why Triple H did not face a heel Kurt Angle. I have no good explanation for that, I’m afraid, other than maybe the fear that this pairing had been overexposed in the past few years; the two wrestled at No Way Out in February of 2002.

**** Yeah, I know, I’m probably trying your patience with all these footnotes….The point here is that, in all fairness, the WWE probably brought Scott Steiner in with the expectation of having him as a legit strong contender against Triple H. We all know how that turned out. The really inexcusable thing was pushing Kevin Nash as a threat to Triple H, which was just ridiculous and really marked the nadir of my interest in Raw. Not that I’m virulently anti-Nash, but it was probably the lamest feud in a series of lame feuds for Triple H.

TRYING TO UNDERSTAND TRIPLE H

To these critics I say: what’s wrong with having nice-looking long hair? Is it Triple H’s fault that you’re all cursed to have greasy, stringy, thinning, or just plain unmanageable hair? Or, worse yet, to be bald? Maybe it’s time to look in the mirror and ask yourself: why do I hate Triple H’s hair? Is it because I envy him? Do I wish I had a head of luxurious, long blonde hair like David Goforth–I mean, Triple H?*

Okay, back to the topic at hand. No matter what else you might say about Triple H, there’s no denying that he’s worked as hard as anyone in the business. He’s had some lucky breaks, no doubt–marrying the boss’s daughter is probably as good a break as one could hope to get–but that doesn’t change the fact that Triple H has a hell of a work ethic. He’s not blessed with any outstanding athleticism–he’s tall and has an appropriate frame for bodybuilding, but that’s about it. He’s not agile like Rey Misterio or strong like Kane. Unlike Ric Flair or Ricky Steamboat, he doesn’t have the ability to go out and wrestle 60 minutes every night like it’s nothing (he can work a long match, but there’s more downtime than with Flair or Steamboat, who admittedly are freaks of nature).

Yet Triple H consistently puts on entertaining matches, simply because he works so hard. He’s honed his craft so that he’s a master of timing and selling. In the midst of our blind rage against him for crimes against wrestling, both real and imagined, we’ve forgotten that Triple H is has mastered the performative aspects of the business. That doesn’t mean that he can carry anyone to a 3 star match–his record against Steiner proves otherwise. My point is this: it takes a special kind of person to become that good of a worker without having the physical gifts or athletic backgrounds other wrestlers were blessed with. Triple H could have been another Diamond Dallas Page–occasionally good, but only when sticking to a detailed script. Triple H can (and does) have good matches without the need for such meticulous booking (as far as I know, at least). DDP and Triple H share their committed work ethic, but Triple H’s instincts are undeniably better.

Furthermore, Triple H is undeniably a committed student of the game. He’s reportedly obsessive in his devotion to the likes of Ric Flair and Harley Race. His respect and admiration for Flair, in fact, probably led to Flair’s prominent position in the WWE today. Even though his arsenal of moves is limited, he manages to put together entertaining (and occasionally great) matches (though the quality of his opponent is increasingly the factor which determines just how good his matches will actually be). Yet, despite this love for the tradition and history of pro wrestling, Triple H does not try to slavishly recreate the past of wrestling. He uses wrestling’s history as inspiration, not as a pattern for imitation.

Despite this hard work and devotion to wrestling, however, Triple H is without a doubt the most hated of all active wrestlers among internet fans. Though he and other wrestlers might try to dismiss these fans’ opinions as unusual or biased, I can’t help but think that he’s somewhat unnerved by this burning hatred expressed against him. Who more than the internet fan is likely to recognize his high knee as a tribute to Harley Race? Who more than the internet fan is likely to appreciate the nuances of his selling in a major match? Who more than the internet fan is likely to remember and celebrate his best matches, promos, and angles? And, most importantly, who more than the internet fan is likely to share his passion for the business he so loves?**

That, I believe, is the sticking point for Triple H. In the end, he’s like an especially exemplary version of one of us. Aside from his body (which, while very much in the McMahon mold of What Wrestlers Should Look Like, is hardly so outstanding that it would ensure a push–or even a job–on its own merits), he didn’t have much going for him other than love of wrestling. That love pushed him to train harder, to prepare more, and to perfect more minutely the details that separate a great wrestler from a good one. He’s like an extremely abnormally motivated internet fan. If he had failed in his dream to become a pro wrestler, he would be one of us. He might even be writing at Inside Pulse, giving his tips for building muscle alongside his opinions of why Randy Orton should or should not be pushed as the top face.

But it’s unlikely that, even in his mid-to-late 30s, that Triple H would have so totally abandoned his dream that he would be content to write internet columns or post on message boards. That, I think, is another reason why he holds us in such contempt. Not only are we the audience best qualified to recognize the quality of his matches, but we’re each also like a more slovenly, slothful, and (in all likelihood) untalented version of him.*** When Triple H looks at us, he sees what he might have been (and, to some extent, what he probably still is, somewhere deep inside) and hates it.****

* My hair is actually a bit darker than Triple H’s, and has a weird sort of red undertone to it (an effect heightened by my bright red goatee). Now you know how to make your David Goforth create-a-wrestler on the new Smackdown game. Or you could use the description to paint a portrait in oil–it’s really up to you how you use this information.

** Yeah, other wrestlers undoubtedly are better judges of talent than any of us–but re-read those comments from Penthouse and Off the Record. Triple H doesn’t exactly seem to hold other wrestlers’ opinions in especially high regard, either.

*** My apologies to any future Triple H who might be reading this column right now–obviously this doesn’t apply to you. And if you do make it to the top, remember your old friend Goforth, will you?

**** Now, lest this sound too much like self-flagellation, let me say that I think Triple H has probably missed out on a lot of great things while climbing to the level he has. He may or may not have lost the love of his life in the person of Chyna (though I tend to think that Stephanie McMahon would be a preferable mate, and not just in terms of looks, either). He probably never gets to read or go to the movies like we all (presumably) do. I doubt he ever sleeps late. I bet it’s been a long damned time since he had a slice of pizza or a regular, non-light beer. In fact, I bet I know a lot more about beer than Triple H (and though Iâ??m certainly no expert, I certainly would miss the taste of good beer, were I ever deprived of it). If he and Stephanie ever have children, I doubt Triple H will get to spend as much time with them as I plan to spend with my (as yet un-conceived) children. Triple H has probably had to waste more time driving to shows or standing in line at the airport than I ever will. And, perhaps most importantly, I doubt that every move I make will ever be held up to the microscope and subsequently criticized. I would never, ever trade positions with Triple H. I couldn’t stand the pressure or the lack of free time.

BUT WHAT MAKES HIM TICK?

So, if Triple H is not wrestling for us fans, who is he wrestling for? Some possibilities….

Other wrestlers. I don’t know. He hardly seems to be a popular presence backstage. I get the idea that he doesn’t think of himself as “one of the boys.”

His in-laws. Why not? I don’t think that Triple H was a big fan of the WWF growing up–all evidence points to a greater admiration for the Mid-Atlantic product of the early-to-mid ’80s. But Vince McMahon clearly seems to think the world of him, and Triple H probably has a great deal of loyalty to the McMahons.

His idols and role models. Flair’s always there, ready to give Triple H advice. Other legends frequently check in at TV tapings and house shows. Maybe Triple H is just trying to live up to their legacies.

His love of wrestling. Or maybe Triple H so loves the pseudo-sport of pro wrestling that he figures it’s his duty, given his position, to continue to wrestle in order to see that it survives and thrives.

Himself. Could be that Triple H is a Nietzschean superman, who’s transcended conventional morality and created his own standards of excellence. Or not.

Us. Maybe he’s lying. Maybe he still does care what the fans think. Retired wrestlers (or wrestlers who refuse to retire even after they should) often speak of being addicted to performing in front of crowds, no matter how small. Why should Triple H be immune?

WHO IS AT FAULT HERE?

If it isn’t already clear, I view the whole conflict between the IWC and Triple H as something of a tragedy. We should be glad that Triple H was able to meet his dream and entertain us for so long. He should appreciate having a knowledgeable and passionate audience capable of appreciating his work. Why is this not so?

You could say that internet fans are too critical, or too quick to believe the worst about the people who entertain us (which is equally true for internet-savvy fans of any other medium, from movies to comic books). You could say that Triple H is too thin-skinned, too quick to bristle at comments that other wrestlers might let pass without comment. You could say the culture of professional wrestling still sees us fans as “marks to be exploited” rather than “paying customers to be appreciated,” an outdated relic of the old carnie mentality. You could say that the WWE is especially bad in this regard, as Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and others seem to have developed a company line that internet fans just don’t hold valid opinions.

I would tend to blame all these factors. However, there’s only one among them that I’m in any position to influence: the hyper-critical nature of ‘net fans. This is not to say that I have anywhere near the influence to change the character of the internet’s coverage of pro wrestling; I clearly do not. But change begins one person at a time. I don’t believe in being positive simply for the sake of being positive; there’s nothing worthwhile in trying to force a sentiment which you don’t actually hold. However, we can try to be constructive or realistic in our criticism. We can emphasize the good with the bad. We can try to understand why some things in wrestling aren’t as good as we might like. We can try to make ourselves understand why some people might enjoy things that we don’t like ourselves. And, most importantly, we can try to separate the person from the act. There’s nothing to be gained from personal attacks on different wrestlers, writers, or anyone else associated with pro wrestling. We don’t know these people in any meaningful sense; we don’t know if they’re good or bad folks at heart. By no means am I advocating that the internet give up its right to criticize; I’m just saying that we should criticize in ways that are less likely to drive a wedge between us and those who sacrifice so much to entertain us (whether they realize it or not).

I’d like to end this week by considering a man who was in a similar position to Triple H–actually, he was in a worse position. Not only did he lack any athletic background or natural talent, but he also lacked the genetics which gave Triple H the kind of look which Vince McMahon likes. So, not only did this man have to work hard and study every aspect of the industry, but he also had to sacrifice his body and his health in order to get any opportunity to succeed. I’m referring here to Mick Foley, of course. In many ways, Mick Foley is the anti-Triple H; he comes from the same background as us, AND we still appreciate him. He even looks more like us.*

But even Mick Foley has gotten annoyed at internet fans on occasion. Though his criticisms are more like the good natured teasing of an older brother (whereas Triple H’s are more like those of a playground bully), they do reflect some serious concerns. I couldn’t believe the online reaction to Foley’s goofy “you probably don’t date much” line in his Greatest Hits and Misses DVD. Foley clearly hasn’t lost sight of his true nature–he knows that, if he hadn’t gotten some lucky breaks, he would be a hardcore fan just like us. That mild little insult was directed at himself as much as us. Maybe it’s time that we internet fans tried to grow a thicker skin. The last thing we want to do is drive a wedge between ourselves and the Mick Foleys of the wrestling world.**

* My hair looks more like Triple H’s hair, though. And I wear Bubba Ray’s old glasses, minus the electrical tape.

** Don’t forget Chris Jericho’s freakout of a couple of years back. He used to be real friendly with us ‘net types, then one day he went nuts and raked us over the coals because we didn’t appreciate a match he had with RVD enough. I’m not saying he was justified–but this is a guy who the internet had given nothing but love, for the most part. There’s no way of knowing how our comments might be interpreted by the people we’re criticizing.

SIGNING OFF

Hyatte and Dan were in yesterday, and Andy the day before. Read them all. Then read our award winning (okay, not really–uh, I mean not yet) coverage of that TNA pay-per-view I didn’t watch. And say hello to our new headlines reporter Kurtis Osterlund, who is pretty much all over the news section (so no link). I presume that Eric will be up by the time you read this. Gordi and the other David (the one whose last name is “Ditch”) will be in tomorrow. You ‘Nucks have fun watching Triple H tomorrow night. As for my fellow non-Canadians–go read a book or something. I’ve got a few recommendations of my own, if you don’t trust Hyatte’s for some reason(though I should say that I’m much more of a snob, in many ways, than Hyatte–not a Stephen King fan, for instance).

Next week I’ll discuss the new Smackdown game. I just didn’t play it enough this week to do it justice. And I hope to have the ROH review up sometime before I go home to SC for Christmas. Until then…seriously, go read a book.