10 Biggest Regrets From Triple H's WWE Career
2. The Nation Skit
WWE is keen on its revisionist history, most famously removing any mention of Chris Benoit from the network and its records. The company has been around a long while, and societal standards have changed with the years. It’s surprising, though, that it took the acquisition of the back catalogue by NBC affiliate Peacock to remove this infamous 1998 skit.
To wit: Triple H’s stable D-Generation X took to the ring in full costume, including blackface, to cut a lengthy comedy promo on The Nation, a group comprising primarily of Black wrestlers with whom they were then feuding.
This is far from the most hateful take on race WWE has put out; indeed it’s more startling for its casual attitude to the matter. Triple H calls himself “The Crock”, Billy Gunn does some Godfather catchphrases, Road Dogg tries the D’lo head shake. All the while X-Pac cuts the most startling figure in full blackface as Mark Henry.
It’s six minutes of carefree racism and bad jokes which the crowd unfortunately laps up. Its removal from the network is no great shame, but fans of a certain age won’t forget it in a hurry.