10 Fascinating WWE Backstage Facts About Triple H
The More You Nose.
Paul Michael Levesque is one of the most divisive figures in wrestling history.
Whether you know him as Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Terra Ryzing, or Triple H, 'The Game' has almost certainly left an impression on your fandom, positively or negatively. Everybody has an opinion on the guy, and duality between his contrasting roles as a destructive main roster part-timer and the mastermind behind NXT means he'll be splitting the fanbase for years to come.
An objectively great performer in his heyday, notorious backstage politician, pivotal cog in WWE's corporate machine, and the architect of the company's bright future, Triple H has been all these things and more, and after 27 years in the wrestling business, his career is crammed with great stories.
You can't stay in this industry for this long without certain behind the scenes details going public. We've learned all there is to know about Triple H, the performer, but Levesque, the man, is just as interesting.
'The Game' would no doubt have preferred these tales to have stayed backstage. Unfortunately for him, performers just don't have that luxury in the social media age...
10. Sued For A Botch
The Pedigree eventually became one of the most iconic finishing moves in WWE history, and a huge part of Triple H's in-ring arsenal and all-round identity, but it got 'The Game' and his employers into a world of trouble back in 1996.
Hunter was working Marty Garner, an enhancement talent, on an otherwise throwaway episode of Superstars. Triple H was booked to win, but when he went for his finisher, his lowly opponent mistook it for a double underhook suplex and adapted his body accordingly, leaving his head and neck exposed.
Triple H inadvertently dumped him right on top of his skull. Though fortunate not to break his neck, Marty sustained some nasty damage, and was put on the shelf for close to three months as a result. This led to him going after WWE in court, and although the incident stemmed from a simple miscommunication, Garner went public, appearing on a number of mainstream chat shows to discuss the incident.
Him and WWE ended up settling out of court, and despite the bad publicity, the company continued to employ Garner as a jobber after he'd healed.