WOW Magazine
by Steve Anderson
Early Years:
While WCW provided him with his first break so soon into his young career, the opportunity to wrestle under it's banner yielded little in the way of career progression for Triple H. His early WWF career would not be considered a stellar success as he was mired in the mid-card. The infamous "curtain call" at New Yorks City's Madison Square Garden in May 1996 removed any progress that he had made with the federation. On that night, he "broke kayfabe", and paid tribute in the ring to his departing friends, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.
Due(s) Paid:
Was the incident a punishment or a test? If it was a punishment, hten Triple H served his "sentence" without complaint or incident. If it was a test, then he obviously passed. Jobbing to Henry O. Godwin and Jake Roberts would discourage some wrestlers. But Triple H's character and determination emerged through this phase of his career. When the "sentence" was up, the WWF featured Triple H as a member of D-Generation X and eventually as the WWF world heavyweight champion.
The Result:
The former mid-carder can now boast four WWF world titles, along with reigns as the Intercontinental and European champion. He not only won over the WWF higher-ups who determined his creative destiny, but he convinccced fans that "The Game" designation is not just a gimmick. It defines hi whole career. Early on, he played that game in paying his dues. He eventually won that game on the way to WWF greatness.
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