June 23, 1996, Milwaukee. King of the Ring. It was the beginning of the sports-entertainment phenomenon known as "Austin 3:16." Stone Cold Steve Austin, after years of busting his ass in the business, was finally given the opportunity to speak his mind--which effectively began his journey to the top of the World Wrestling Federation.
Had it not been for Triple H, the era of "Austin 3:16" might have never been born.
How? Let me start to explain by throwing another date at you:
May 19, 1996, Madison Square Garden. The infamous final night of the "Kliq" in the Federation.
On the live HEAT prior to Fully Loaded, Jim Ross conducted a candid interview with Triple H where the No. 1 contender discussed, among other things, how Federation officials punished him and held him back for taking part in the events that happened inside the Garden that night.
Sitting in my office at Titan Tower the morning after Fully Loaded, Lucas told me that he had received a lot of e-mail from fans asking what specifically Hunter was talking about. Although it happened a little over three years ago, I think sometimes we (the Federation) assume fans remember such events. However, in that time, the business as a whole has exploded into the mainstream and millions of new fans have come to enjoy it--many of whom don't realize what kind of bearing that night had on Hunter.
So, from someone who was in the Garden and witnessed what happened, it's time to revisit the circumstances that changed the course of Triple H's career--and allowed Austin the opportunity to shine.
To make a long story short, the "Kliq" (yes, they spelled it with a K) was made up of Shawn Michaels, X-Pac (then known as 1-2-3 Kid), Triple H, Scott Hall (Razor Ramon) and Kevin Nash (Diesel)--all of whom were close friends behind the scenes. Behind the camera, many superstars in this business are friends and the Kliq was perhaps the most well known. However, sometime during March of '96, Nash and Hall both signed contracts to go to WCW--a move that would break up the Kliq.
Nash and Hall finished out the remainder of their contracts with the Federation--with their final night being the May 19 live event from Madison Square Garden. Ironically, Triple H competed against Hall, while Shawn took on Nash in a steel cage in the main event.
Everything was going smoothly--until the end of the show.
Now, before I get into what happened, it's important that fans understand just where Hunter was at that point in his career. He was quickly rising up through the ranks, and many said it was only a matter of time before he would be in position to claim the Intercontinental Title. At the same time, the King of the Ring was just around the corner, and Triple H was also the odds-on favorite to win. Simply put, Hunter's career was about to skyrocket.
Now, back to the Garden. After some Sweet Chin Music in the main event, Michaels pinned Diesel for the 1-2-3. After a little celebrating by HBK, the masses were about to exit the arena when Shawn went over and literally planted a kiss on his friend. A la Snow White, Diesel immediately awakened from his unconsciousness and proceeded to celebrate with Michaels. At this point, both Scott Hall and Triple H also entered the cage and joined in on the festivities.
In case you were wondering, Sean Waltman (X-Pac) was not in attendance. He was in his home state taking care of some personal problems.
As the Kliq enjoyed its final goodbye amongst the cheering fans (who, by the way, all knew this was Nash and Hall's final night in the Federation), tempers boiled over backstage. Some of the Federation superstars and employees considered the Kliq's actions a slap in the face of tradition. Others felt they were wrong for "exposing" part of the business and should all be punished.
The problem was, they couldn't. Hall and Nash were gone and Michaels was the crown jewel of the company. So, that left Triple H as the scapegoat to a Federation front office that was out to make a point that such actions wouldn't be tolerated.
In the months that followed, Triple H's career became a living hell. In my opinion, he WAS held back by Federation officials in a number of ways. If there was anyone that needed to look good or be "put over," Hunter would be the one to do it. Losses became the norm, and that skyrocketing career was now grounded. Triple H could forget about any shot at the Intercontinental Title or the 1996 King of the Ring. However, it should be noted that throughout this punishment, Hunter signed a new multi-year contract with the Federation. That's how much he loved the business and the Federation.
Enter Stone Cold Steve Austin. The 1996 King of the Ring belonged to the Rattlesnake, as he demolished Jake "The Snake" Roberts in the finals to claim the title.
Now, imagine if those events involving the Kliq at Madison Square Garden had never taken place. Hunter wouldn't have been punished, and a King of the Ring crown wouldn't have been out of the question. Maybe, if things had gone a little differently, Hunter might have been crowned in Milwaukee, not Stone Cold. There wouldn't have been any speeches about "Bible thumping" or "Austin 3:16." The Texan surely would have eventually made it to the top on his own, but it was the King of the Ring that launched him into stardom. If Hunter had been the one in that position, who knows what the face of the Federation would look like today.
Three years later, the Stone Cold phenomenon shows no signs of slowing down, and Triple H escaped the wrath of Federation officials long ago. In fact, Hunter has become one of the top superstars in the industry and is certainly ready to attain not only that "next level," but the grandest prize in the Federation. On Aug. 22 at SummerSlam, Triple H will challenge Stone Cold for the championship with referee Jesse "The Body" Ventura calling the action. As Hunter stated in that interview with JR on HEAT, it's all about him now. This is his time. He's waited a long time to get to this point, and has been through a lot of crap. In my opinion, Hunter deserves his chance at greatness. The incident with the Kliq is long past, but like the superstar stated, it still eats away at him today. He's not only out to defeat Stone Cold at SummerSlam, but stick it in the face of the Federation officials that held him down.
Does Stone Cold owe Triple H for allowing the era of "Austin 3:16" to be born? You be the judge. But rest assured, it's a mistake Hunter will never make again!