(WON) Alex Marvez interviews Triple H about not jobbing, his power in the WWF and his career
Ripclawe
http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/interviews/11152000_article664.shtml
INTERVIEW WITH TRIPLE H
At the tender age of 31, Paul "Triple H" Levesque has
emerged as one of the top five names in the wrestling business.
In an interview with Alex Marvez of wrestlingobserver.com,
Levesque talks about his recent back injury, his rise to
prominence, his days in WCW, his friendship with The Clique
(Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Shawn Michaels), and what is
next in his career.
Q: How are your hip and back injuries?
H: "It's a bunch of different things. I took a powerslam (against
Kane) a few weeks ago and it shifted the bones in the lower
portion of my spine above the coccyx bone. At the same time, I
tore the covering on some discs and the muscle to my hip bone. I
also bruised my hip bone and sprained all the ligaments. It just
compounded the injury I already was trying to heal up from. Over
the past few (television tapings), any time I had impact in the area
of my lower back, it caused almost a complete spasm. I'm getting
the spasms out now by taking a little time off. That's gonna allow
what needs to go back into place."
Q: So you won't be 100 percent at Survivor Series.
H: "I'm gonna give it the best and highest percentage I can. It's
hard to say I'll be 100 percent, but I'll be there."
Q: I was among those who thought your babyface character
was getting over, which is why I was surprised at you turning
back heel. What are your thoughts on that?
H: "To be honest, I enjoy being a heel more than anything else. To
me, it's a great time for it. The hardest thing in this business is to
stay one way or the other. If you're a (babyface), if you're not
creative enough, people start to dislike you. If you're a heel, it's
easy for people to start liking you, especially if you're doing a lot of
bad-ass stuff. Toward the end of my run as a heel, people were
starting to cheer a little bit. It was just an inevitable fact. This
bayface turn and then turning back to heel was great because I
think people bought into the fact I had turned (babyface). When I
turned again, it was like, 'That bastard. I hate him.' It puts me back
with heat and I like that. It also gives me the opportunity to work
with Steve (Austin). He's always been one of my favorite guys to
perform with in the ring. Certain guys have chemistry with me and
Steve is one of them. For me to get a program with Steve is a great
joy for me. I'm going to enjoy it."
Q: I know some of the boys are nervous about working with
Steve because of his neck injury. Do you see him rounding
into shape over the past few weeks?
H: Certainly. Whenever you come back from an injury as serious
as that one, the boys are going to try and handle you more
carefully. In his first few matches back, you're not sure whether
he's going to hold up or how he'll deal with the first bump he takes.
Then you've got ring rust. He's trying to fight all those factors.
Sometimes, people outside the business look at it as being so easy.
It's so easy to criticize to many. As he goes into the ring every day
and as he gets more comfortable and as the boys get more used to
him being back and see that he's OK, everything will be fine. Plus,
if I'm a guy who's gonna get a break and Steve Austin is my
opponent, I'm gonna take it (laughs). Once he starts to feel more
comfortable and feel like himself again, he'll be willing to take more
risks and know that it's not going to hurt him. He'll be back at full
force. It's just a matter of a breaking-in period.
"And I think working with me - I'm not putting myself over, and I
don't want it to sound that way -- will be good for Steve in that
having worked with him in the past as opposed to someone who
would be working with him for the first time not knowing what to
expect. Steve and I have been around each other a long time. It
should make things a little easier."
Q: Obviously, your career has skyrocketed over the past
four years. What would you attribute to your success?
H: "Sometimes in this business, it's very easy to get into a rut.
You're doing the same things and you get accustomed to what
you're doing. You lose a little fire for the business. I gained that fire
back. There was a long time there where I was on the shit list. As
well as you think you're handling it, that can be demoralizing and it
takes time to come back from that. I'm of the old school in the
belief that when you're not in the main event position, you're saving
things for the main event guys. As Rock says, it's knowing your
role. I think of it as trying to display the best you can but not trying
to steal from the other guys or take away from what they're doing.
Finally, when the opportunity was given to me where they said they
would give me the ball for a little bit, I just stepped my game up. It
was my time to shine. This company is big about opportunity. It's
not like working in a company where people are pushed according
to their pay level. Everyone is given an opportunity here. When you
get that opportunity, you have to make your mark."
Q: Can you point to any one moment that you felt was the
turning point?
H: "It's difficult to say, because in the process different things
happened. I think when I was given the ball, I was given it halfway.
I was given it like, 'Well, we don't know which way this is going to
go.' I think it took time to prove myself. I've had a lot of naysayers
in the business, partially because of myself or the people I've
associated myself with in the past and who I'm still friends with
today. Some may dislike that, but I had to prove a lot of people
wrong. It's a process that happens over time. Toward the
beginning of this year is when people -- from the boys to the office
to the fans to the smart fans -- all started to recognize the
contributions I can make. And then I had those matches with
Cactus (Jack) and Rock and all those things. That really cemented
it."
Q: Dave Meltzer has called you the smartest man in
wrestling because of the fact you have only done one
pay-per-view job since 1996. How do you feel about that?
H: The thing is to me when guys are on top . When have any very,
very tippity-top job guys done a bunch of jobs?
Q: The Rock.
H: "Not to say this in a bad way, but that was to build talent
toward certain things. I've heard everybody say that Triple H has
way too much say with Vince (McMahon). I don't feel that at all.
When I go into production meetings and give my input into the
show, 90 percent of the time I'm not talking about my stuff. I'm
talking about other things that are not even my angle. Purposely
when I'm in meetings talking about things in my matches, I don't
say a word because I don't want people to think -- especially other
agents - that I'm lobbying for my own causes. I have no problem
putting anybody over in the business under any circumstances. I
never have and don't now. Here's the thing: I know the critics of
our business know what they want to see and what they want to
hear. That's all . If people want to make something of it, then they
can. It doesn't bother me."
Q: Earlier you talked about being in the doghouse. Still, how
much do you look back at what happened with The Clique at
Madison Square Garden as something memorable?
H: "That was for all of us. And in reality, it was. We asked
beforehand if it would be cool. It turned out to be a whole lot more
than what we expected it to be when we got out there. Each guy
was upping the ante and following the other's lead. If I knew I
would get into that type of trouble, it's not something I would have
done. We had asked if it was cool to go out and do a little
something. When we got to the ring, the guys waved me into the
cage and all of a sudden it kind of went from there. A lot of people
saw it. At the time, the old agents saw it as us shitting on the
business. We didn't see it that way at all. I don't think the fans saw
it that way. It was one of the things that was a precursor to picking
up business in using a little more as shoots in angles . The fans
thought it was cool, I think. When we came back (to the locker
room) from that night, Vince did not have a problem. I remember
him asking Shawn (Michaels) if it meant a lot to him. Shawn said
yes it did. It went from there and took on a life of its own with the
agents. I think Vince saw their point and had to lay the law down
or it would lead to something else. In a couple of days, he saw the
need to punish the criminals. I was the only guy who could be
punished. I took it all. I did the crime, so I had to pay the time."
Q: Talking about that time, it's hard to believe the different
directions your careers have gone. Kevin Nash is winding
down, Shawn Michaels is out of the business and Scott Hall
is working for ECW. Could you have seen things going that
way?
H: "I think a lot of things when I look back at that time. Scott has
always been a troubled guy. He's a great guy, but he's always had
troubles. And he's a very emotional guy personally and those
(out-of-the-ring) issues weighed heavily and led to where he is at. I
don't think Scott is over by any means as far as being done in the
business. He's in a position where he has to prove himself again. I
don't know this for a fact, but I don't think the WWF will say it will
never hire Scott Hall. I think they're just seeing if Hall is staying on
the right path and can prove to everybody that he wants to be a
productive part of the business if he were to be given that
opportunity. He's a huge star in this business. He always has been
and he always will be. Hell, he would be a huge benefit to the
company.
"I think Kevin is biding his time in a bad situation. He's just riding
the end of the ride. I watch (World Championship Wrestling's)
show now and you see it's gotten to the point . It used to be like,
maybe the show was bad or there were some bad aspects, but the
boys worked hard and seemed to still care. I watch it now and it
just seems like guys don't care. They're just beaten down now. It's
a crappy show. People are not gonna bust their ass. You see it in
Kevin. You see he doesn't care. He says what he feels like at the
moment. That's sad because Kevin was a guy who takes pride in
his work.
"The one thing about the four of us, you can say what you want to
about the Clique. But the reason we got along is our passion for
the business. That's what led us to being friends in the first place.
We were the guys when everybody else left the building and didn't
want to talk about the business, we got in a car and drove four to
five hours talking non-stop. That's why we all rode together.
Sometimes, it's sad to see a guy like Kevin, who I know has so
much passion for the business, to the point where he doesn't care.
"As far as Shawn goes, he was one of the most talented ever in the
business. It's just a shame his career was cut short because of
injury. He was too young to have it ended. I wish Shawn still was
wrestling. If we could get in the ring and do it, I know it would be
good."
Q: The wrestling business is changing quicker than ever, in a
lot of ways for the worse. What are your thoughts on the
future of the business?
H: "The sad thing for me is with this WCW thing. I don't know
where it stands, but I almost on one hand wish Vince would buy
WCW because if anybody could make it successful, Vince would.
I fear if the other guys buy it, they don't have what it would take to
make it successful. When one product is bad, it shines badly on all
of the product. There's a saying that high tide raises all ships. If
their product was great and ours was great and ECW was great,
all the things would bind together to make the business as a whole
stronger. I'm not saying that the business is in decline. I don't think
is. Maybe you can look at the ratings . but I just think the rating is
down because of the switch to TNN. I don't think it's hurting
business that much. If people are still entertained by our product,
they will continue to watch. But the product is a tricky thing. If I'm
a fan and want wrestling, it's like a one-product country right now.
In that way, (the future) is bad. Before, if you got a little tired of
one, you'd watch the other. If you got a little tired of that, you'd go
back to the first one. You had the opportunity to watch different
things. It kept everybody on their toes. Now, you can watch our
product or go to the other guys. I find myself watching their show,
and it's like if a segment comes on and it's gonna be rotten, I can't
take it off. I have to wait and see how rotten it's gonna be. It's sad
in that way. There are a lot of guys down there with talent. It's a
shame to see.
"The other thing that it makes tricky for the business is when this
thing happened, there was no place for guys to learn. It's so
difficult, especially with WCW putting guys on TV who, no
offense, but are in a position they are not ready for and it hurts
them. They're not only putting these guys on national television but
also in pretty prominent spots on the cards. These are guys who
can't go. That becomes evident when the guys who can't go get in
with the guys who can't go. That hurts the business because then
the product really gets bad. Nobody wants to see that. It's like
watching a movie. No matter how good the storyline is, if the
acting is just completely pitiful, the product stinks."
INTERVIEW WITH TRIPLE H
Q: I remember seven years ago (WCW front office
employee) Chip Burnham tell me he ran into a guy named
Paul Levesque who was working out in a gym and said he
had trained as a wrestler. Is that story true?
H: It's how I got started. Actually, the WWF was looking at me at
the time. Pat (Patterson) had come to one of our shows (for
Northeast independent promoter and trainer Killer Kowalski) and
seen me and talked to me. At the time, I knew I was too green to
be in the WWF. The product would just eat me alive. I was smart
enough to know that. I didn't want to allow myself to be put in a
position I was not ready for. So I said, "If they're interested in me,
I can go to WCW. Their product is a lot less slick and there's a lot
more room for trial and error.' I would learn on the fly. I started
trying to get into WCW while I ended up managing a health club.
At the time, I went to a gym convention Chip had gone to. He had
some interest in getting into the business. We met at the convention
and talked and I told him I was interested in a wrestling career. He
thought I had a good outlook and head for the business. I sent
some stuff to him and he gave it to (ex-WCW president) Bob
Dhue because the company was in transition. Dusty was just
getting taken out as booker, Flair was in and Bischoff was getting
power with the company. I remember it was such an awkward
thing. Bischoff did not want to bring me down. I lived in New
Hampshire and he said I was living in the wrong area of the country
to wrestle for them. I told them I'd fly myself down there to be on
TV.
"It was an awkward thing when I got there. I was sent absolutely
nothing in advance. I was sent a flier of when to show up, whatever
that date was. I think it was Feb. 3 at Center Stage in Atlanta.
They told me to fly in, check into the hotel and take a cab over to
Center Stage. The back door was locked and Dusty answers the
door. He says, 'What do you want, kid.' I said, 'I'm here for a
tryout tonight.' He said, 'Who told you to come here?' I said, 'Eric
Bischoff.' He said, 'Oh really? It's not your fault. Come in.' I'm sure
that was a huge bone of contention with Dusty. I wrestled that night
with Keith Cole of the Cole twins. Earlier in the day, I got into the
ring with some of the extra guys and (road agents) Greg Gagne and
Mike Graham and Bill Dundee and Grizz (Smith) came out. We
had to go through little stuff while they called out spots and we ran
them. Mike Graham told me I looked pretty good, but that night
really was funny. At the time, I didn't think anything of it when they
called me in a room and said, 'In your match with Keith Cole, we
want you to put him over on TV. I told them I didn't care. They
said they were just kidding and they just wanted to see how I
would react to doing the job. Thinking back at the time, it was like
I passed a test. But looking back on it, it was silly. I wrestled Keith
on TV. They told me to come back the next night. I said I had
wrestled as Terror Ryzing because I was the biggest guy Kowalski
had and I was mauling everybody. When I was getting ready to
leave, they offered me a contract. They wanted to give me a
two-year deal. I said no, I just wanted a one-year deal. The money
was so low. I told them, 'Either way, in a year you'll know I'm
worth a lot more or I'm not worth a penny.' They gave me a
one-year deal and told me they were gonna give me a whole
gimmick and repackage me and not put me on TV until they got it
right. I went home and I was on (WCW) Saturday Night. I told
them, 'I thought you were going to change this stuff.' They said,
'Don't worry. Nobody will remember. We'll just change it.' I spent
six months and nothing changed. That story is that crazy. Then one
day they just called me in for an interview at CNN (Tower). I'd
never done an interview at CNN. They said, 'We're gonna
repackage you. You're gonna be a French guy. You have to learn
how to speak French and have a French accent. Now, go into the
other room and cut a promo on Alex Wright.' I was trying to be
Inspector Clouseau with the interview. I had to come up with the
whole persona and I did my own thing."
Q: What did you think about coming into the WWF as
Vince's neighbor?
H: "I didn't dislike it. It did get good heat. When I came in (the
WWF), they still had it where you would have to have a gimmick.
You couldn't just be a guy in wrestling. You had to be a pirate or
fireman or something. They said they liked the thing I was doing
there but they wanted to have a different variation of that with me
as an American. I was OK with that, but in my head, I was wishing
they would just let me be me. But they wanted me to be in
character and I ran with that as much as I could. As the business
started to change forever, I was begging them please to let me
come out of this. I did not have to change my name. Just let me be
me. They finally let me do it when we formed DX. Shawn and I
were begging for a while before they finally said it was OK."
Q: So when did you first start training at Kowalski's and
what did you do before that?
H: "I'm not good with dates, but I think it was 1992. I was
managing and doing consulting for health clubs and was thinking
about trying to get into wrestling. At the time, it was a lot more
difficult. There were only a couple of schools at best. Finding out
how to go to those schools was difficult. You couldn't just ask a
wrestler. Nobody would tell you shit. It was a protected thing. I
was thinking about doing this for a long time, but I had to learn
how to catch that opening and find a spot to get in."
Q: What are your long-term goals in the business?
H: "I get asked a lot if I want to try to do what the Rock is doing
and go into movies, because Hollywood is seeing our show as a
regular TV show now and seeing if people can act. If that were to
happen, it would be great. If Steven Spielberg called and wanted
to make me a boatload of cash for working on a big movie, I'd
love to do that, But I'm not going out and pursuing it. I love this
business. I'm perfectly content to do what I'm doing. As far as my
goals in the business go, people ask when you get to top, what do
you do from there? It's weird for me sometimes to say 'get to the
top,' because I never feel like I do. I very much, though, feel like
I'm still learning in the business. I don't feel like I know more then
anybody or anything like that. I like to think I'm still trying to learn
and am getting better and am still trying to improve. My goal is to
make every match the best I possibly can to stay in the top mix of
the business. I'd like to be one of those guys who eventually does
what he says he'll do and get out before their welcome has run out.
I'd like to do something that Vince seemingly offers guys and for
some unknown reason no one takes him up on. That's to be the
Babe Ruth and occasionally come back now and then. I really
enjoy the other side of the business. People talk about how I'm
involved in the back-side of the company. It's not because I'm
trying to make a big coup. It's truly because I wholeheartedly enjoy
it. It's just as much fun for me sometimes. There are times when
I've either only had a promo on a show or was not in a match or
not been on the show where I have actually gone and been an
agent for other guy's matches and help lay them out. I like doing
that. I like if guys want to have input and give input. I enjoy the
creative process even if it's not me doing it in (the ring)."
Q: I was backstage at a recent WWF event and was amazed
at the difference in match preparation between you guys and
WCW.
H: "That also comes back to being beaten into submission when
the belief is you don't have to be on top doing good stuff. You
don't have to be in the main event that night to know you've got a
decent angle or a good storyline or are doing something
productive. Feeling productive is the best way to inspire someone
wanting to do good things. They feel at least they're given the
opportunity to shine. Most guys have huge egos and want to be the
best they can. They don't want to feel like, 'I'm the best guy here
but I need to go someplace else.' Everybody should go on that
show wanting to steal the show and be the best they can be. I think
when they know no matter how good their performance is it
doesn't matter, it's hard to put a lot of effort in.
"That's the beauty of our company. It also comes from the other
side. This is the part that nobody gets enough credit for and should,
from directors and producers to guys that put packages together in
the studio. When they say the WWF is like a family, it really is.
Everybody puts their heart and soul into the product. It's not a
nine-to-five job. A lot of times in WCW, the guy that works for
them is there because he was not that great and that was the job
they gave them or they have heat with somebody in (CNN) Tower
and are just begging for somebody to pull them out so they can do
football or work on another show. They're just there from nine to
five and that it's, and they think wrestling is stupid and
embarrassing and they have to tell the other guys in (Time-Warner)
they work there. Everybody in our place is fans for what we do.
They love the business. They put their heart and soul in it. They
make the product from top to bottom, from announcers to
production and even people behind the scenes like the people who
work in p.r. and all that office stuff. Everybody really loves our
company and business."
Email Marvez at ama...@sun-sentinel.com
--
_____________________________
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Krusty
I don't go to many wrestling web sites...hell, I barely go to one...they're
just kinda stupid, and high school, so I miss a LOT of this stuff on the
web, I only really see it when you or someone else posts it...
So I wanna thank you man, for posting that interview...I swear, the guys
that run that company are the most well put together bunch of guys from the
top on down to the janitor, and for ANYONE to read that interview and say
otherwise is either wicked stupid or just so much of an anti-WWF lemming
that they can't see true insight into the business when it falls into their
laps...
So thanks once again, for probably one of the best interviews I've read in a
looooong time which I would've surely missed if not for you...
"Ripclawe" <ripc...@aol.com> wrote in message
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