Triple H
Years Pro: 10
PWI 500 Listings:
2002 - 10
WWE Undisputed
Feud of the Year: (winner 2000), 1st Runner-up (1999, 2000)
Offense (9.0): The way we see it, there are three dimensions to Triple H's character, which is unlike most wrestlers, who only have two, those of fan favorite and heel. You have Triple H the aggresive fan favorite, Triple H the aggresive heel, and Triple H the defensive heel. As the first RAW champ, he is now playing mostly defense. That's smart, but it cost him a point here.
Defense (9.5): His defensive skills have improved considerably since he was profiled in the September 1999 issue of The Wrestling Analyst. Wiggling out of backslides, reversing into cradles, and countering all sorts of finishers are now almost routine to Triple H. During his title defense against Ric Flair, he wrestled more like Flair than the "Nature Boy" himself.
Experience (10.0): Hulk Hogan has 24 years experience, and even Crash Holly has 14, but no one utilizes his experience better than Triple H. Perhaps no one, not even Ric Flair, has wrestled in such a diverse range of pay-per-view main events - from falls count anywhere to ladder to "Hell in a Cell" matches. He continues to learn and mature as a wrestler.
Conditioning (9.5): Triple H has always had a great physique, and he improved his upper body development remarkably while on hiatus due to a quadriceps injury. But is such a superbly taut body durable in wrestling? If Triple H isn't careful he could become injury-plauged, just like Scott Steiner did.
Science (8.5): Killer Kowalski is partly responsible for why Triple H is such a talented wrestler today, yet this legend shouldn't be confused with that of Karl Gotch or Dean Malenko. "The Game" has improved his skills primarily through on-the-job training in matches against Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, and Chris Benoit, among so many others. He will probably improve in this category.
Stamina (8.5): Triple H's stamina is about the same as it was three years ago, although it reached a new peak in 2000. That year, he kept pace with Mick Foley in a falls-count-anywhere and a "Hell in a Cell" match, in addition to marathon bouts with Jericho and Angle. Triple H seems to be losing a little of that muscle mass, which is a smart move that should help him alot.
Power (9.5): Although foes such as The Rock and the Undertaker have countered his power in the past, Triple H is able to strong-arm the WWF's class of 2000, which includes smaller wrestlers such as Angle, Benoit, and Jericho. But even Triple H must re-think strategy when he sees monsters like Brock Lesner and Batista in the pipeline.
Speed (8.0): Much of Triple H's early athletic success was in bodybuilding, not in sports that emphasize speed or balance, such as amateur wrestling. If he's to have a physical advantage over Smack-down champion Brock Lesner, who combines Triple H's power with Kurt Angle's agility, "The Game" might find that he needs to streamline his physique to gain back some quickness.
Ability to Absorb Punishment (9.0): Triple H rarely submits, although fatigue and loss of blood can make him vulnerable. That was obvious in Shawn Michaels' upset over Helmsley at SummerSlam 2002. Nevertheless, he's in the same league as The Rock and Steve Austin in terms of being able to tough it out in violent matches.
Quality of Opposition (9.5): Helmsley shouldn't expect the competition for his RAW title to be quite as tough as what he faced when he held the undisputed WWE World title a few months ago, but there will be a greater variety of challengers to keep him on guard. The level of competition on RAW is about the same as the old WWF, circa 1998.
Repertoire: Despite Triple H's reputation for always expanding his knowledge of the business, he hasn't added many moves to his repertoire since introducing the pedigree several years ago. Then again, the same can be said for Ric Flair, whose repertoire stopped expanding with the figure-four back in 1973. But, like Flair, Triple H is a master of ring timing - the when and how to execute the moves in his arsenal.
Strengths: Triple H is every bit as dedicated to WWE as any other superstar. This would have seemed like an odd statement in the mid-1990s, when he was more committed to the juvenile Kliq than his own career. His relationship with Stephanie McMahon reflects how he has "married" his personal and professional lives. Does Vince McMahon have to worry about Triple H walking out before a show? Probably not.
Weaknesses: Since Triple H's quadriceps seemed to pop out of his knee for no reason, what muscle, tendon, or ligament will be next? The chance of this happening again has increased now that Helmsley is past his 30th birthday. Because Ric Flair seems to be a role model for Triple H, perhaps Helmsley should follow the "Nature Boy's" lead and lose more of his bulk.
Defining Career Moment: Triple H compared rupturing his quad to being shot in the leg. Despite feeling that type of intense pain, he continued the match pitting him and Steve Austin against Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho while hopping on one leg, and even withstood the Walls of Jericho on the announcer's table. That incident on May 21, 2001, forced him to miss eight months of action. A similar injury immediatly caused Kevin Nash to scream and writhe in agony.
Future: Triple H already had five World titles to his credit before becoming the first champion of the RAW brand. The Rock is in Hollywood, Hulk Hogan is at home in Florida, and Steve Austin remains secluded in Texas. He's in a rivalry with former Kliq buddy Shawn Michaels. He has defeated Ric Flair. For now, Brock Lesner is at a safe distance on Smackdown. Triple H's career forecast couldn't be much brighter.
Size: 6'5", 269
2001 - 6
2000 - 1
1999 - 26
1998 - 24
1997 - 31
1996 - 79
1995 - 84
1994 - 225
WWE Raw
WWE World (4 times)
WWE World tag team
WWE Intercontinental (4 times)
WWE European (2 times)
International Wrestling Federation heavyweight
International Wrestling Federation tag team
Match of the Year: 1st Runner-up (2000, 2001)
Most Hated: 1st Runner-up (1999, 2000)
Wrestler of the Year: 1st Runner-up (2000)
The Numbers