Fantasy Warfare: "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers vs Triple H
Raw Magazine - August 2003

Being the most hated man in WWE is a very difficult thing to accomplish. Just as there are many men vying for the affections of the audience at any given time, there are just as many - if not more - vying for their distain.
Yes the original "Nature Boy," Buddy Rogers, and Triple H have both achieved that distinction. In their respective eras, they were/are among the most reviled, detested and generally disliked men by fans of anyone on the roster. For both, this is the role they sought more than anything else, preferring to court the disgust of the fans with their arrogant demeanor and unsportsmanlike behavior.
But in both cases, they were able to back up their attitudes with undeniable, rare talent. Perhaps that made them more easily hateable. When you're talking heels, it doesn't get any better than Buddy Rogers and Triple H. But what would happen if they locked horns?

Buddy Rogers

Strengths:
It must be understood that Rogers laid the blueprint that many current rulebreakers follow. He had the swagger, the phsychological edge and the mastery of rulebreaking tactics long before Superstars like Triple H ever laced up a pair of boots. He created a persona that wrestlers have been copying ever since. It's tough to beat that kind of aura.

Weaknesses:
Rogers' backbone has often been called into question. He was always more willing to take a shortcut or a cheapshot than fight it out like a man. Often, when a highly skilled scientific wrestler was able to break through his psychological defenses, it was discovered that there wasn't much beneath the surface in the way of real technical know-how.

Key Wins:
In 1950, Rogers beat Johnny Valentine in a tournament final to become the first NWA United States Champion, beginning an 11-year reign. Although Rogers was the first WWE Champion, he never won the title in the ring. Rather, his greatest victory would have to be his famous June 30, 1961 defeat of Pat O'Conner for the NWA World Championship at Chicago's old Comiskey Park. After nabbing the title, the arrogant Rogers grabbed the mic and proclaimed, "To a nicer guy, it couldn't happen!" He captured the WWE U.S. Tag Team title with Valentine in 1960 and in 1962 with Handsome Johnny Barend.

Key Defeats:
The "Nature Boy" suffered a crushing defeat on May 17, 1963 in the old Madison Square Garden, when Bruno Sammartino took his WWE Championship by submission in just 48 seconds. Also in 1979, Rogers - at the age of 58 - came out of retirement and suffered a loss at the hands of a young Ric Flair in a "Battle of the Nature Boys."

Finishing Move:
Buddy Rogers is credited with inventing the figure-four leglock, one of several key moves later adopted by Flair. The figure-four is one of the most tried-and-true submission holds in wrestling, inflicting pressure on multiple points in the knees, hips, thighs and shins. In recent years, it's effectiveness has been reduced due to successful scouting.

Strategy:
Above all else, Rogers must not build his attack around application of the figure-four leglock. The move has unfortunately lost a lot of it's effectiveness over the years, and more often than not is successfully countered by today's competitors. Instead, Rogers must use his conditioning to wear down the more muscle-bound Triple H, who isn't used to the kind of marathon matches that were the norm in Rogers' day.


Triple H

Strengths:
Triple H is a consumate psychological warrior. He often wins a match in the weeks leading up to it, intimidating his opponent to the point where even they don't think they can win. His power is awesome, as is his determination. The amazing ability of "The Game" to absorb punishment, and indeed use it to fuel himself, has almost no limit.

Weaknesses:
Since returning from his quadriceps injury at the beginning of 2002, some have wondered whether Triple H has lost a step in terms of mobility. His scientific wrestling ability has also taken a back seat in recent years, as he's focused more on brawling.

Key Wins:
At Royal Rumble 2000 and the following month at No Way Out 2000, Triple H beat Mick Foley in two matches that many feel put him in the elite level of sports-entertainment. He's also a seven-time World Champion, with wins over Foley in 1999, Big Show and The Rock in 2000, and Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels in 2002. In recent months, he's successfully defended his title on pay-per-views against the likes of Scott Steiner and Booker T.

Key Losses:
One of Triple H's rare pay-per-view defeats took place two years ago at Wrestlemania X-7, where he was soundly beaten by Undertaker, a man he's never defeated. He lost his first WWE Championship thanks to a stunning upset victory by Vince McMahon on one of the first episodes of Smackdown!, and has also lost world titles to The Rock, Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels.

Finishing Move:
The Pedigree remains one of the deadliest finishers in the sport. Since coming to WWE eight years ago, Triple H has relied on this manuever to assure his victories. A combination of the amatuer double-underhook and the DDT, it's a move that drives an opponent's head into the mat face-first. Few have ever sustained it's affect and not been pinned.

Strategy:
Triple H would have to muscle his way to victory. He can't afford to slow the match down, because that would be when he loses his advantage. While Rogers may be used to competing in longer matches, Triple H is used to competing at a faster pace. He must not let up the attack, using his size and mass to overwhelm the Nature Boy.

Final Analysis

In their respective eras, both Buddy Rogers and Triple H have been the top heel in WWE, While Rogers was able to get away with cowardly tactics on a regular basis, Triple H has found that in this day and age, you've got to fully back up your arrogance and never back down. Triple H has never been known to play the "chicken heel," and he has always gone full steam ahead. Nevertheless, Rogers' unique form of psychological warfare may have given even "The Cerebral Assassin" a hard time. "The Game" would be very unwise to take the original WWE Champion lightly.

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