10 Wrestlers Who Completely Changed To Become Main Event Stars

6. Triple H

Pjimage 5
WWE

The Change: D-Generation X bridged the gap between 'Connecticut Blueblood' and 'The Game'. After debuting in 1995 as the stuck-up Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Triple H (as he'd become better-known) joined forces with Shawn Michaels then parlayed new attitude into a much more realistic character. By 2000, he was one of the best workers in wrestling.

How It Helped: Doing away with his little heelish curtsy and old-fashioned mannerisms helped Triple H connect with the audience. It wasn't an overnight process. Even when he was riding high with HBK and Chyna as DX, Trips' matches would often play before silence. It took years before fans gave a damn about him, and it didn't happen until he stepped out from Michaels' shadow and became 'The Game'.

Improving his body and ditching the equestrian-style tights, becoming much less cartoonish by default, meant Triple H was able to gain credibility as a top-level WWF talent for the first time in his career. Don't be fooled by popular narrative about his relationship with Stephanie McMahon. Triple H had to work damn hard to reach the top.

Advertisement
In this post: 
Steve Austin
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor

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.