Thank You HHH(Appreciation Thread)

[Deleted]

At the end of the day regardless of all he's dealt with, he's one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and he's really, no pun, changed the game. Just iconic man.

[Mayonnaise]

Thank you for keeping me a fan. From your in ring career to NXT Black and Gold, you kept me around.

[Deleted]

And while he's far from perfect as a booker, the good stuff he did in NXT far outweighs the bad and I appreciate that he usually listened to the fans. Like when he kept putting Blue Pants out there even though he personally didn't get why she was so over.

[Deleted]

Mar 25, 2022 11:52:46 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

Mar 25, 2022 11:35:15 GMT -5 @sigmax said:

That 99/2000 run was legit him argueably being the best in the world at that moment and one of the greatest runs of any heel ever and is my favourite run of is.

Dood may have been an absoloutle politic god but in the ring he more often than not gave as much as he took and while he isn't on the level of Rock and Austin , IMO he is still extremely vital to their success because of how amazingly he fit as the primary heel.

I always wondered his career looks like if he never tore his quad. The time off was probably a blessing in disguise, but that injury forced him to slightly alter his style enough where he was still a terrific worker, but just wasn't *quite* the same. 

Yea he was never the same alot of things just kind of condenced themselves all at once there from the guad to him returning so roided up he could not even lower his arms and look liked he was stuck in a constant T-pose ,and then when he got off the gas he was noticably flabby with the post roid belly and then it was just this kind of slow decline being slower and getting older.

I mean he still could go but never ever was he reaching the heights of 2000/01 again.

[MrElijah]

Mar 25, 2022 12:04:19 GMT -5 @sigmax said:

Mar 25, 2022 11:52:46 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

I always wondered his career looks like if he never tore his quad. The time off was probably a blessing in disguise, but that injury forced him to slightly alter his style enough where he was still a terrific worker, but just wasn't *quite* the same. 

Yea he was never the same alot of things just kind of condenced themselves all at once there from the guad to him returning so roided up he could not even lower his arms and look liked he was stuck in a constant T-pose ,and then when he got off the gas he was noticably flabby with the post roid belly and then it was just this kind of slow decline being slower and getting older.

I mean he still could go but never ever was he reaching the heights of 2000/01 again.

2000/01 Hunter has a least 3, 5-Star Matches(IMHO) under his belt: Vs. Cactus(RR 2000), Vs. Rock(Backlash 2000) & The Iron Man match against the Rock.

[msc]

The bit that sums up HHH for me was in early 2000 during his feud with Mick Foley. The day Cactus Jack turned up.

For context, Mick Foley was pretty much banged up and near the end of the road, and people at school kept talking about how bad he looked.

On that show, all Mick did was take off his shirt and mask to reveal the Cactus Jack stuff. But what sold it was Triple H going from smug (he's beaten Foley), to confused (new opponent) to horror and fear at the reveal. He sold that like the Terminator had arrived to take his title and life.

Next school day, "OMG! DID YOU SEE CACTUS JACK IS BACK?" from the same people saying Mankind was broken down and rubbish a few days earlier.

HHH took a simple reveal and converted it into a hot angle where everyone's suspension of disbelief was gone. At his best, that's what he could do.

[Deleted]

Mar 25, 2022 12:09:25 GMT -5 MrElijah said:

Mar 25, 2022 12:04:19 GMT -5 @sigmax said:

Yea he was never the same alot of things just kind of condenced themselves all at once there from the guad to him returning so roided up he could not even lower his arms and look liked he was stuck in a constant T-pose ,and then when he got off the gas he was noticably flabby with the post roid belly and then it was just this kind of slow decline being slower and getting older.

I mean he still could go but never ever was he reaching the heights of 2000/01 again.

2000/01 Hunter has a least 3, 5-Star Matches(IMHO) under his belt: Vs. Cactus(RR 2000), Vs. Rock(Backlash 2000) & The Iron Man match against the Rock.

The Backlash match with Rock is the Attitude Era at its best.

[Ben Wyatt]

Mar 25, 2022 12:09:25 GMT -5 MrElijah said:

Mar 25, 2022 12:04:19 GMT -5 @sigmax said:

Yea he was never the same alot of things just kind of condenced themselves all at once there from the guad to him returning so roided up he could not even lower his arms and look liked he was stuck in a constant T-pose ,and then when he got off the gas he was noticably flabby with the post roid belly and then it was just this kind of slow decline being slower and getting older.

I mean he still could go but never ever was he reaching the heights of 2000/01 again.

2000/01 Hunter has a least 3, 5-Star Matches(IMHO) under his belt: Vs. Cactus(RR 2000), Vs. Rock(Backlash 2000) & The Iron Man match against the Rock.

I'd add the 3 stages of Hell vs Austin to that list. 

[Hypnosis]

I liked those "Have a Bad Day" skits:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT433I9l1z4

[Ben Wyatt]

Mar 25, 2022 12:17:17 GMT -5 msc said:

The bit that sums up HHH for me was in early 2000 during his feud with Mick Foley. The day Cactus Jack turned up.

For context, Mick Foley was pretty much banged up and near the end of the road, and people at school kept talking about how bad he looked.

On that show, all Mick did was take off his shirt and mask to reveal the Cactus Jack stuff. But what sold it was Triple H going from smug (he's beaten Foley), to confused (new opponent) to horror and fear at the reveal. He sold that like the Terminator had arrived to take his title and life.

Next school day, "OMG! DID YOU SEE CACTUS JACK IS BACK?" from the same people saying Mankind was broken down and rubbish a few days earlier.

HHH took a simple reveal and converted it into a hot angle where everyone's suspension of disbelief was gone. At his best, that's what he could do.

Yep. The way he sold Cactus was the difference between an absolute monster and Mick Foley in a different outfit. 

[Bo Rida]

Mar 25, 2022 11:38:01 GMT -5 Jindrak Mark said:

2000 is my favorite year ever in wrestling with him as the top heel and Rock as the top face. That Jan-Apr run is my favorite title reign ever. It only lasted a little over 100 days but every week something insane was happening and it was full of classic matches and moments and the match he lost the title in is arguably the greatest babyface wins/heel gets comeuppance moment ever.

Ironic that his classic NWA love helped to repopularise the long title reign. I can remember most of his reign like it was yesterday while recent year long reigns are nowhere near as memorable. Like others said he was amazing from late 99 to his quad injury.

Of course there was still a lot of good stuff outside of that, especially DX.

WWE 2000 and NXT about a year either side of the first arrival are my favourite periods in wrestling and he was a big part of both. No exaggeration to say I might not be watching wrestling today if not for him. Thanks HHH!

[Nr1Humanoid]

No comment on my own behalf, but Frasier to the man for the countless joys he has certainly brought his fanbase.

[Andee9001]

Back in 2009 he had a match with Cena vs Orton and Big Show. After the match as he was walking up the ramp he noticed a guy holding a sign saying he'd waited years to see him wrestle. He took off one of his elbow pads that had his logo on it and gave it too him. Guy was a few rows back so he had to really lean into the crowd to get it to him.

Always stood out to me as a real genuine thing to do. I won't act like he's perfect because there has been a lot said over the years but for better or worse he does seem like someone who has a genuine love of wrestling.

[Ozman]

Was a fan of his since his Terra Ryzing days in WCW from nearly thirty year ago. From the New Generation, to the Attitude Era, to Ruthless Aggression, HHH had a truly epic run.

[cornettesracket]

Mar 25, 2022 12:17:17 GMT -5 msc said:

The bit that sums up HHH for me was in early 2000 during his feud with Mick Foley. The day Cactus Jack turned up.

For context, Mick Foley was pretty much banged up and near the end of the road, and people at school kept talking about how bad he looked.

On that show, all Mick did was take off his shirt and mask to reveal the Cactus Jack stuff. But what sold it was Triple H going from smug (he's beaten Foley), to confused (new opponent) to horror and fear at the reveal. He sold that like the Terminator had arrived to take his title and life.

Next school day, "OMG! DID YOU SEE CACTUS JACK IS BACK?" from the same people saying Mankind was broken down and rubbish a few days earlier.

HHH took a simple reveal and converted it into a hot angle where everyone's suspension of disbelief was gone. At his best, that's what he could do.

And yes there are great promos and big moves in wrestling and they are needed but you always need the subtle little things where nobody says a word but the audience instantly gets it. I mean you didn’t have to know who cactus jack was beforehand, but because of how he reacted, you came away getting the picture that this guy was dangerous. 

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

Triple H sits in a weird hinterland.

He is so immensely overhyped by himself and WWE that he actually ends up underrated due to the backlash.

Even the description of him being 'the guy that worked with the guy' makes it sound like that's a bad thing when Austin, Rock and Foley would have had a lot less to do without a heel of his power to work against.

And he is still the holder of the record for the highest buyrate in history that didn't involve a part time star when he put over Batista at Mania 21, despite evidently not being a draw.

One of the greatest there has ever been - and the main issue in his legacy is that he really, really knew that

[Nosnorb]

When Triple H was good, he was great. His run from 1999-2001, his feud with Batista and his match with Bryan at 'mania will live on in a lot of peoples memories.

Thanks for the memories Trips.

[Jindrak Mark]

Mar 25, 2022 12:18:06 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

Mar 25, 2022 12:09:25 GMT -5 MrElijah said:

2000/01 Hunter has a least 3, 5-Star Matches(IMHO) under his belt: Vs. Cactus(RR 2000), Vs. Rock(Backlash 2000) & The Iron Man match against the Rock.

I'd add the 3 stages of Hell vs Austin to that list. 

I'd also add the last man standing with Jericho and the Raw tag match when he got injured.

His Jan 2000-May 2001 run is one of the all-time greatest. He had many great matches after the quad tear but before that he was on an absolute tear (no pun), capable of having great matches with all kinds of opponents anywhere on the card and making them look good.

I remember the Smackdown after he won the title from Big Show he faced Rikishi. Didn't look like an exciting match on paper as it was in that period after Rikishi debuted but before he had really gotten over with the dancing gimmick yet. The match was so good though that they're molten hot by the end and Rikishi overnight is one of the most popular stars in the company who a few weeks later at the RR will have the whole of MSG on their feet.

[Deleted]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov1Qx4A4nac

The 2 man power trip being cut short will always be one of my GAWD DAMN IT! I wanted more of that moments in wrestling.

"The rattlesnake , the game and the boss on one vile ugly nasty page" is such an amazing short to direct point description of that entire pairing.

It is amazing that in story HHH was such a low down piece of shit that it played a part in driving Austin so mad he teamed with him and appreciated that HHH would go so far as to have him run down.

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

There's a lot of not so nice things I could say but in the spirit of the thread, I'll say his late 1999 to 2001 run was one of the best by a heel in the history of American pro wrestling. Just absolutely on point in all facets of the game (heh).