Is Triple H a changed man?

[Sephiroth]

I don't expect a great response to this query, as the bulk of my fellow crappers attention is doubtless going to be on Chris Jericho for the next few days. However, I am most definitely not the only one who has noticed the dramatic change in the opinions held of Triple H. Just two or three years ago, the guy was the most loathed person in wrestling, period. He was accused of burying the careers of Rob Van Dam, Booker T, Jericho, and others. The end of his title reigns were eagerly anticipated. And his rants against online fans were taken as proof of how out of touch he is with the fanbase.
However, in the last year or two, opinion has changed dramatically. It seems he is now viewed as one of the greatest wrestlers ever. Many would be happy to see him hold the title again. He is even praised for (gasp) helping to put new talent over!
Now, this turnaround in opinion is due largely to people simply finding him to be the lesser of two evils compared to more John Cena. However, I think I have noticed genuine changes in Triple H's demeanor. He seems to actually be a far more laid back and easygoing individual than he was, and far less concerned with being at the top of the card.
I can come up with two reasons for this. One, it is possible that Triple H feels he is getting no younger, and that after suffering two serious quad injuries, that he is not the performer he was, and that thus, it is time to step away from the spotlight a bit. I also think that perhaps being a husband and father has helped change his sense of priorities a bit. Where once being at the top of each card and holding the title for as long as possible was his top concern, now perhaps it is having a lighter schedule to spend more time at home with his wife and daughter. I can connect this to a change in his body-he has definitely gotten a bit pudgy compared to his psychotically ripped days, and it could be that he chose to give up certain (aherm) performance enhancers to try to better preserve his health for years to come.
And also, I get the honest impression that not so long ago, with the departure of Austin, The Rock, and Foley, that Triple H simply felt he was the best thing the company had, and convinced Vince and others of that. But that now, with Cena, Edge, Orton, Batista, and others having all ascended to the main event, Triple H feels there is a solid enough main event that he does not need to be the focus anymore.
I could be dead wrong on all of this, granted. It could be the guy is just waiting for his chance to leap over everyone again and take the title back. Or it could be he is preparing to take more of a backstage role with less time in the ring. But does anyone here feel Triple H is an honestly changed man?

[algertman]

Still does squash matches and still hangs on to people who get bigger pops than he does

[Reverend BTY]

He's let go of the world title reigns. Since then, he's been kosher with people. Makes sense to me.

[OldGravyLeg]

I've noticed the same thing about Triple H in the last year or so. I would tend to believe that your first idea is right - he realizes that his best years of in-ring performing are behind him. He's had two torn quadraceps and now has a kid at home. I'm sure those things have all contributed to him re-assessing his priorities in life.

Since he's married into the McMahon family, his financial future is also closely tied into that of the company's. It's in his best interest to help build up talent which will keep butts in the seats for the forseeable future.

[BxB]

Well, tonight he single handedly took out Umaga and Snitsky, who beat the tar out of Jeff Hardy. I still can't say I'm a big fan of HHH. It's been the case since 2002-2003, when he had that horrible run on Raw. The guy is talented but I don't know, not really my type of wrestler.

[ASYLUMHAUSEN]

I have long been a HHH fan (did my avatar not give it away?)...but I can totally see where the IWC is coming from with some of the long held heat against him.

But, i'm still a fan though.

[mikedh]

Has not changed at all. Since his return only monthes ago he has squashed Booker, Umaga, the entire tag division, and has been taking the spotlight away from the now insanely over Jeff Hardy.

Even over the past few years he has really only ever put over Batista. Cena had been winning matches over Angle, Edge, JBL, Christian, and Jericho for an entire year before his single victory over Triple H (after Hunter verbally burried him claiming he "was not a very good wrestler"). His victory over HHH was not a put over as Cena had already been solidified in the main event for a year at that time.

And Orton? He squashed him in his original push and "put him over" only after he had won the title from him and wrestled another match in the same night.

Not to mention his stint in DX was terrible. He was involved in squash matches for monthes until the feud with Rated RKO that ended early because of his injury. He and Shawn took over 50% of the show every night with junior high humor and awful skits.

My biggest problem is that if he isnt in the title picture he is always making himself the center of attention. See DX taking up more segments a night than the title picture and HHH making his feud with Eugene more important than Benoits reign. Not to mention he has just not been a great worker since his initial quad tear.

[Boku AKA Da Green Guy]

He's still the same monster.

And nothing will ever convince me otherwise.

[Ace Diamond]

humanoid88 said:

Well, tonight he single handedly took out Umaga and Snitsky, who beat the tar out of Jeff Hardy. I still can't say I'm a big fan of HHH. It's been the case since 2002-2003, when he had that horrible run on Raw. The guy is talented but I don't know, not really my type of wrestler.

so you honestly think Jeff Hardy could realistically beat them both up.

...come on man I mark like crazy for Jeff and even I think that's silly.

[Celgress]

No HHH is the same man he has always been, just look at his recent feud with Umaga (sp?). Trips totally squashed the previously near unbeatable monster, killing Umaga's remaining drawing power in the process.

[BxB]

aodpilot said:

humanoid88 said:

Well, tonight he single handedly took out Umaga and Snitsky, who beat the tar out of Jeff Hardy. I still can't say I'm a big fan of HHH. It's been the case since 2002-2003, when he had that horrible run on Raw. The guy is talented but I don't know, not really my type of wrestler.

so you honestly think Jeff Hardy could realistically beat them both up.

...come on man I mark like crazy for Jeff and even I think that's silly.

No, I'm saying that HHH took out two monsters single handedly without any help from Jeff.

[mikedh]

aodpilot said:

humanoid88 said:

Well, tonight he single handedly took out Umaga and Snitsky, who beat the tar out of Jeff Hardy. I still can't say I'm a big fan of HHH. It's been the case since 2002-2003, when he had that horrible run on Raw. The guy is talented but I don't know, not really my type of wrestler.

so you honestly think Jeff Hardy could realistically beat them both up.

...come on man I mark like crazy for Jeff and even I think that's silly.

Well, to add onto that. On raw last year during the DX/Rated-RKO feud. Shawn was always the one that needed saving from Triple H.

The worst part was on the Raw before Cyber Sunday 2006 when Orton and Edge attacked a unarmed Triple H with weapons and they both got destroyed anyway without the help of HBK.

I don't think it's realistic that HHH could beat them both either. Cena was the top dog in the company and he only ever beat Umaga by a lucky rollup and by choking him to death with the ropes. HHH just made him look like a jobber for a month when Umaga really needed look good if he was going to stay a top heel.

[Dynamite Kid]

According to Foley, Trips thought Foley sucked, so that's that out the window. *shakes fist*

[Da (No Sold) 7-1-3 Itch]

dynamitekid said:

According to Foley, Trips thought Foley sucked, so that's that out the window. *shakes fist*

Bruno Sammartino didn't even know what a HHH was and he had been talking to him for hours

[Branimal]

aodpilot said:

humanoid88 said:

Well, tonight he single handedly took out Umaga and Snitsky, who beat the tar out of Jeff Hardy. I still can't say I'm a big fan of HHH. It's been the case since 2002-2003, when he had that horrible run on Raw. The guy is talented but I don't know, not really my type of wrestler.

so you honestly think Jeff Hardy could realistically beat them both up.

...come on man I mark like crazy for Jeff and even I think that's silly.

Well, I agree. If you look at it another way. Jeff Hardy and Umaga just had a long, hard fought match. Jeff was beaten pretty badly by Snitsky and Umaga for about 2-3 minutes before a fresh, motivated and angry King of Kings ran down the ramp. So, it was unlikey that Jeff was going to get up and provide any offence at all.

And as for Triple H throwing Snitsky and Umaga over the top rope..stranger things have happened. Remember back in 2001 when Steve Austin beat up about 20 guys in the alliance with a pool cue and a thousand stunners?

With HHH squashing the Tag Team division..I thought it was a terrible way to portray a talented group of wrestlers but really..what has WWE done with the tag division latley anyway? Nothing. Which angers me because I LOVE tag team wrestling.

I'm not the biggest HHH fan but I like his current role in the company.

[salTy]

No, he's still making himself out to be the next best thing since Jesus Christ.

[Hurbster]

amityvillerock said:

No HHH is the same man he has always been, just look at his recent feud with Umaga (sp?). Trips totally squashed the previously near unbeatable monster, killing Umaga's remaining drawing power in the process.

That the same Umaga that hasn't won a feud yet ?

[Deleted]

andym said:

amityvillerock said:

No HHH is the same man he has always been, just look at his recent feud with Umaga (sp?). Trips totally squashed the previously near unbeatable monster, killing Umaga's remaining drawing power in the process.

That the same Umaga that hasn't won a feud yet ?

HEY he went over Kane!

...nevermind.

[Kevin Hamilton]

amityvillerock said:

No HHH is the same man he has always been, just look at his recent feud with Umaga (sp?). Trips totally squashed the previously near unbeatable monster, killing Umaga's remaining drawing power in the process.

How much was Umaga drawin in the first place? Honestly.

[The Ichi]

Once (IF) Y2J gets a good run with the belt this time, we'll see...

...we'll see.