Triple H Was Heavily Influenced By Shane Douglas
Jun 22, 2023 21:03:20 GMT -5
Dave the Dave, malloc, and 17 more like this
Post by mountaindew on Jun 22, 2023 21:03:20 GMT -5
In mid-1999, Triple H’s career took off like a rocket. He made some changes, such as growing facial hair, switcing to black trunks, gaining noticeably more muscle mass (and eventually had arguably the best physique in pro wrestling) and overall just had a more intense, aggressive demeanor. Wrestling fans debate about just how good Triple H really was from 1999 to 2001, but I think most would agree that he had improved tremendously from 1998.
In the history of the business, wrestlers have often been influenced by, and blatantly stolen from, other people in the industry. And after looking at what I’ll present here, I think you’ll agree that Triple H was no exception to this.
At the time, most fans had heard of ECW. But due to lack of availability, poor time slots, or just not knowing they got it, not many people actually watched it. (When it was on TNN, still relatively few fans watched.) “The Franchise” Shane Douglas was one of ECW’s top stars, but not many fans knew about his work there. It is my belief that Triple H’s character from 1999 through 2001 was heavily influenced by Shane, and most fans then had no idea.
Firstly, and most obviously, the monikers “The Game” and “The Franchise” were very similar in meaning. Shane used it to imply that the company was dependent on him, just like a basketball team’s best player carries the team. Triple H used it to imply that he lived the business more than anyone else, and that the WWF was now revolving around him. They’re both very comparable, if not practically the same thing. But I’m sure most of you that are familiar with Shane probably already realized that similarity. Let’s look further.
Appearance. While Shane’s style of facial hair varied over the years, one style he had was kind of an unusual beard. He had a goatee, sideburns, and hair on his jaw line, but his cheeks were clean shaven. Triple H grew a beard like this, too. Sometimes men who can’t grow hair that thick on their cheeks will have a beard like this. However, today Triple H has a full beard and that does not seem to be the case for him.
Shane was also often seen wearing leather beanies in ECW. And Triple H did often wear this, too. Now, Trips did start wearing that in 1998, so it may have been a coincidence, or maybe he was influenced by Shane back then, too. Hats like that were more popular in society at the time. I can’t be 100 percent on this, but considering how much he appeared to take from Shane, I’m leaning more towards him copying it.
Here's a photo. Shane does not have that kind of beard here, but you can see they do have a similar appearance.
Now, here’s something I don’t think most fans have noticed. When you look closely at Shane’s promos and Triple H’s promos, you’ll see a big similarity. Shane was mostly known for shooting and excessive cursing, which Triple H did not copy. But Shane had a distinct speech pattern while giving an interview. He would often say something, and then rephrase himself multiple times for more emphasis. Or he would make a statement, and then make multiple statements to further elaborate himself. I’ll provide two excerpts from Shane Douglas' promos, and you can compare it with a Triple H promo from 1999. If it's easier, feel free to just read one of Shane's promos.
“… The real, the authentic, the one and only Triple Threat is in the f***ing ring… Rob Van Dam, your belt doesn’t mean shit. Taz, you’re belt aint even f***in real. Sabu, you don’t even have a f***in belt, thanks to me, Bam Bam Bigelow, Chris Candido and Francine. Hey Taz, this Sunday night at November To Remember, I’m gonna humble your f***in ass and I will make you God damn tap. Why? Because we are the Triple Threat. Why? Because I am the Franchise. Why? Because I made this f***in organization. Why? Because you’re my bitch!”
-Shane Douglas, October 1998.
“Do I like Tommy Dreamer? Not especially. But I don’t have to like someone to stand side by side with them. Do I admire Tommy Dreamer? Hell no. But do I have to admire someone to be a tag team partner with them? No. Do I believe in Tommy Dreamer? Now that’s an entirely different story. I, for five years, have watched Tommy Dreamer climb the rungs of the ladder, just like I did fifteen years ago. I’ve seen Tommy Dreamer earn every stinking thing he’s gotten here in ECW, just like I did 10 years ago. I’ve seen Tommy Dreamer step into the limelight and take the responsibility on his shoulders, just like I did five years ago. … For five years I have dominated this sport. I have dominated Extreme Championship Wrestling by being the master manipulator. But I’ll give credit where credit is due, boys. You have been one step ahead of me at this mental game, for the time being. For the time being. You see, it aint about who’s ahead in the war. It’s who emerges at the tail end of that war the victors. And in my career I’ve been pretty God damn successful, stepping out at the end of the war, being successful and having my hand raised in the air.”
-Shane Douglas, 1999.
“Austin, you come out here, you call JR in the ring, you get these idiots to sing your little song…well I really don’t give a crap! Because as of last night, it’s no longer about you, and it’s no longer about Vince. It’s about one thing. It’s about me! Because Austin, man to man, I can beat you. For the last six months, I have watched you like a hawk, Austin. I have seen your every move. You have not taken a breath, you have not blinked an eye, without me seeing it. Austin, I know you like the back of my hand. I know your strengths, and I damn sure know each and every one of your weaknesses. At Summer Slam, Austin, no matter what the hype says, it’s not gonna be an out of body experience. To hell with Jesse “The Body” Ventura, because he’s not gonna be a factor. And as great as she is, “The Ninth Wonder Of The World” Chyna is not gonna be a factor. Because Austin, it’s gonna come down to you and me. It’s gonna come down to one on one. Face to face! Man to man! And Austin, I know you. You’re like me. You eat, sleep breath this business. But Austin, you might be a student of the game. But at Summer Slam, I’m gonna show you, and I’m gonna show the world, I AM THE GAME!!”
-July 28, 1999. Triple H calls himself “The Game” for the first time.
OK. Thanks for reading all of that. As you can see, Shane Douglas and Triple H did have similar speech patterns for their promos. Lots of wrestlers have talked similarly in promos, but Shane did it constantly, and so did Triple H.
And I’ll add this. One of Shane’s more memorable promos featured him saying this line.
“It’s my belt! It’s my belt! It’s my f***in belt!”
Triple H once used this line.
“It’s my belt! It’s my belt! It’s my damn belt!”
Pretty damning.
In isolation, a lot of these things could be considered coincidences. But when you put all these similarities together, I think it’s obvious that around this time, Triple H started modeling himself in some major ways after Shane Douglas. Since not many people saw Shane’s work in ECW, or took the time to look close enough to see all the similarities, most fans just didn’t realize it.
As I said before, Triple H is far from the only person to copy another wrestler. Hulk Hogan took a lot from Superstar Billy Graham. Randy Savage took “Pomp And Circumstance” (the graduation song) from Gorgeous George. Booker T’s character in 2000 had noticeable similarities to The Rock’s character. It’s just something that will always be, and probably always has been, a part of the wrestling business.
Why was Triple H far more successful than Shane? Because Triple H was just better. He was bigger, had a better physique, was a better worker and was far more charismatic. He took things from Shane and used them to reach heights that Shane never could. Triple H didn’t succeed because of who he stole from. He succeeded because he was that damn good.
As I said, Triple H did appear to be heavily influenced by Shane Douglas when he made his rise to the top in WWE. He had a similar moniker, similar look, and similar speech patterns. However, he’s not the only wrestler to steal from his peers, and he made much more money than Shane during his wrestling career because he was just better.
In the history of the business, wrestlers have often been influenced by, and blatantly stolen from, other people in the industry. And after looking at what I’ll present here, I think you’ll agree that Triple H was no exception to this.
At the time, most fans had heard of ECW. But due to lack of availability, poor time slots, or just not knowing they got it, not many people actually watched it. (When it was on TNN, still relatively few fans watched.) “The Franchise” Shane Douglas was one of ECW’s top stars, but not many fans knew about his work there. It is my belief that Triple H’s character from 1999 through 2001 was heavily influenced by Shane, and most fans then had no idea.
Firstly, and most obviously, the monikers “The Game” and “The Franchise” were very similar in meaning. Shane used it to imply that the company was dependent on him, just like a basketball team’s best player carries the team. Triple H used it to imply that he lived the business more than anyone else, and that the WWF was now revolving around him. They’re both very comparable, if not practically the same thing. But I’m sure most of you that are familiar with Shane probably already realized that similarity. Let’s look further.
Appearance. While Shane’s style of facial hair varied over the years, one style he had was kind of an unusual beard. He had a goatee, sideburns, and hair on his jaw line, but his cheeks were clean shaven. Triple H grew a beard like this, too. Sometimes men who can’t grow hair that thick on their cheeks will have a beard like this. However, today Triple H has a full beard and that does not seem to be the case for him.
Shane was also often seen wearing leather beanies in ECW. And Triple H did often wear this, too. Now, Trips did start wearing that in 1998, so it may have been a coincidence, or maybe he was influenced by Shane back then, too. Hats like that were more popular in society at the time. I can’t be 100 percent on this, but considering how much he appeared to take from Shane, I’m leaning more towards him copying it.
Here's a photo. Shane does not have that kind of beard here, but you can see they do have a similar appearance.
Now, here’s something I don’t think most fans have noticed. When you look closely at Shane’s promos and Triple H’s promos, you’ll see a big similarity. Shane was mostly known for shooting and excessive cursing, which Triple H did not copy. But Shane had a distinct speech pattern while giving an interview. He would often say something, and then rephrase himself multiple times for more emphasis. Or he would make a statement, and then make multiple statements to further elaborate himself. I’ll provide two excerpts from Shane Douglas' promos, and you can compare it with a Triple H promo from 1999. If it's easier, feel free to just read one of Shane's promos.
“… The real, the authentic, the one and only Triple Threat is in the f***ing ring… Rob Van Dam, your belt doesn’t mean shit. Taz, you’re belt aint even f***in real. Sabu, you don’t even have a f***in belt, thanks to me, Bam Bam Bigelow, Chris Candido and Francine. Hey Taz, this Sunday night at November To Remember, I’m gonna humble your f***in ass and I will make you God damn tap. Why? Because we are the Triple Threat. Why? Because I am the Franchise. Why? Because I made this f***in organization. Why? Because you’re my bitch!”
-Shane Douglas, October 1998.
“Do I like Tommy Dreamer? Not especially. But I don’t have to like someone to stand side by side with them. Do I admire Tommy Dreamer? Hell no. But do I have to admire someone to be a tag team partner with them? No. Do I believe in Tommy Dreamer? Now that’s an entirely different story. I, for five years, have watched Tommy Dreamer climb the rungs of the ladder, just like I did fifteen years ago. I’ve seen Tommy Dreamer earn every stinking thing he’s gotten here in ECW, just like I did 10 years ago. I’ve seen Tommy Dreamer step into the limelight and take the responsibility on his shoulders, just like I did five years ago. … For five years I have dominated this sport. I have dominated Extreme Championship Wrestling by being the master manipulator. But I’ll give credit where credit is due, boys. You have been one step ahead of me at this mental game, for the time being. For the time being. You see, it aint about who’s ahead in the war. It’s who emerges at the tail end of that war the victors. And in my career I’ve been pretty God damn successful, stepping out at the end of the war, being successful and having my hand raised in the air.”
-Shane Douglas, 1999.
“Austin, you come out here, you call JR in the ring, you get these idiots to sing your little song…well I really don’t give a crap! Because as of last night, it’s no longer about you, and it’s no longer about Vince. It’s about one thing. It’s about me! Because Austin, man to man, I can beat you. For the last six months, I have watched you like a hawk, Austin. I have seen your every move. You have not taken a breath, you have not blinked an eye, without me seeing it. Austin, I know you like the back of my hand. I know your strengths, and I damn sure know each and every one of your weaknesses. At Summer Slam, Austin, no matter what the hype says, it’s not gonna be an out of body experience. To hell with Jesse “The Body” Ventura, because he’s not gonna be a factor. And as great as she is, “The Ninth Wonder Of The World” Chyna is not gonna be a factor. Because Austin, it’s gonna come down to you and me. It’s gonna come down to one on one. Face to face! Man to man! And Austin, I know you. You’re like me. You eat, sleep breath this business. But Austin, you might be a student of the game. But at Summer Slam, I’m gonna show you, and I’m gonna show the world, I AM THE GAME!!”
-July 28, 1999. Triple H calls himself “The Game” for the first time.
OK. Thanks for reading all of that. As you can see, Shane Douglas and Triple H did have similar speech patterns for their promos. Lots of wrestlers have talked similarly in promos, but Shane did it constantly, and so did Triple H.
And I’ll add this. One of Shane’s more memorable promos featured him saying this line.
“It’s my belt! It’s my belt! It’s my f***in belt!”
Triple H once used this line.
“It’s my belt! It’s my belt! It’s my damn belt!”
Pretty damning.
In isolation, a lot of these things could be considered coincidences. But when you put all these similarities together, I think it’s obvious that around this time, Triple H started modeling himself in some major ways after Shane Douglas. Since not many people saw Shane’s work in ECW, or took the time to look close enough to see all the similarities, most fans just didn’t realize it.
As I said before, Triple H is far from the only person to copy another wrestler. Hulk Hogan took a lot from Superstar Billy Graham. Randy Savage took “Pomp And Circumstance” (the graduation song) from Gorgeous George. Booker T’s character in 2000 had noticeable similarities to The Rock’s character. It’s just something that will always be, and probably always has been, a part of the wrestling business.
Why was Triple H far more successful than Shane? Because Triple H was just better. He was bigger, had a better physique, was a better worker and was far more charismatic. He took things from Shane and used them to reach heights that Shane never could. Triple H didn’t succeed because of who he stole from. He succeeded because he was that damn good.
As I said, Triple H did appear to be heavily influenced by Shane Douglas when he made his rise to the top in WWE. He had a similar moniker, similar look, and similar speech patterns. However, he’s not the only wrestler to steal from his peers, and he made much more money than Shane during his wrestling career because he was just better.
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