10 Things We Learned From Bruce Prichard's Podcast On Stephanie McMahon & Triple H

3. The Roster Feared Triple H's Closeness To Vince Would Be HBK 2.0

Triple H Shawn Michaels
WWE.com

Aside from maybe Vince Russo, nobody on the creative side of things would've stood up in late-1999 and vouched for Triple H to become WWE Champion. The general consensus on 'The Game' was that he wasn't ready, and even McMahon thought the same. That didn't stop Trips from becoming champ twice before the end of the year.

So, what changed?

Prichard noted that McMahon started to see Triple H in a different light towards August/September time. This worried the roster, because they could see he had Vinnie Mac's ear. To some, this was much too close to the reign of terror enjoyed by Shawn Michaels throughout much of the 90s. They feared HBK 2.0.

Most knew Triple H hadn't been considered in the top tier, so it must've been confusing when he was suddenly pushed to the moon. Worse, he was getting to directly pitch ideas to Vince without going through any other producers or writers like everyone else had to.

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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.