In 1994, Paul Levesque was brought in for a tryout dark match just before a WCW taping. Impressing all the right people backstage, Levesque was offered a televised spot on the show. Known as 'Terra Ryzing', the man who would go on to become Triple H was eager to secure himself a place on the WCW roster full time. There was one major problem standing in his way, where he lived. According to Eric Bischoff, he worked hard to whittle down the amount of money WCW had been spending on travel over the years. Obviously, transporting talent to and from shows was a major expense, and Levesque lived outside the remit Bischoff had in mind. The boss wasn't keen on regularly flying in performers who lived in excess of 150 miles away from where shows were being held. Not mincing his words, Eric told Triple H that he'd love to hire him, but the wrestler would have to pay his own travel fees. That's stunning to learn, given what 'The Game' would go on to become. Now one of the most powerful men in the entire industry, Levesque was an also-ran in 1994.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
