Triple H Is Not a Leech

Fellow B/R writer Justin LaBar posted an article on Triple H and whether or not his marriage to Stephanie McMahon has gotten him to where he is today.

I was actually commenting on his article and it was getting pretty lengthy.  So I thought I would just rebut him in an article of my own.  This is an impromptu creature vs. creature if you will.

While I agree that Triple H's marriage to Stephanie gives him a whole lot of leverage, I don't agree that without her he wouldn't be as successful.

Triple H is a 12-time World Champion and a five-time Intercontinental Champion.  All five IC reigns came before he married Stephanie.  Seven of his 12 World Title reigns came before he was married in 2003. 

It is well known that Triple H was a member of the infamous "Kliq" a group of wrestlers that included Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Sean Waltman. 

During their run together in the WWE, Shawn Michaels was WWE Champion and a huge star.  Diesel (Kevin Nash) was on the rise and would eventually become WWE Champion. Scott Hall, known as Razor Ramon, was a popular star and a successful Intercontinental Champion while Sean Waltman (1-2-3 Kid, XPac) was a fan favorite.

Out of the group at that time Triple H (then known as Hunter Hearst Helmsley) was the unknown.  He was on the rise but still not as popular as his friends.

Then came "The Madison Square Garden Incident."  The "Kilq" were breaking up as Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were heading to WCW.  In an unprecedented move Nash, Hall, Michaels and Triple H broker character and hugged in the middle of the ring.  A moved that pissed off Vince McMahon.

Triple H took the fall for this incident as Hall and Nash were gone and Shawn Michaels was the champ so he wasn't/couldn't be punished. 

This is why you saw Helmsley competing in "slop matches" and jobbing.  He was taught a lesson and had to work his way back to the top.

Prior to incident at the Garden, Triple H was slated to get a huge push and become the 1996 King of The Ring.  We all know who did win King of The Ring that year (Steve Austin). 

Stephanie McMahon came into the picture after "The Kliq", after DX, after five IC title reigns, and seven World Title reigns. So a fairer question to ask is did Triple H's success come as a result of him being a member of "The Kliq"?

I think that every wrestler who is a top star or who wants to be a top star politics backstage and Triple H is no different.     

In my opinion he would have been a top star in the WWE whether he married the boss's daughter or not. 

The fact that he did marry her doesn't take away from the fact that he is going to go down in history as one of the best ever. 

Most people in life who are "on top" got there because of a "recommendation" or "push" by someone. 

You can't hate the player...so you certainly can't hate "The Game."

Please make sure you read Justin LaBar's article for his points of view.  Thanks Justin for the inspiration to rebut.  Happy Holidays to all!!