8 Things We Learned From Triple H On Stephanie McMahon's WWE Show

Nobody would really look at Triple H's early WWF/WWE gimmick and say, 'Yeah, it's obvious he was inspired by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley", but he was. In short, Hunter was inspired by the pair's "very specific" branding when marketing their rock band KISS. He studied what Gene and Paul had achieved when reimagining the band as an 80's glam-style group after years of wearing face paints in the 70s.

Specifically, Trips liked the way KISS kept certain aspects of their branding consistent despite tweaking other parts and evolving with the times. That's smart, and it shows he was paying attention to how successful long-term marketing works. On the wrestling side, Hunter's hope was to create something similarly successful that was also tailored to himself.

This obviously became more of a pressing concern once he joined D-Generation X, 'cause HHH couldn't be a Greenwich snob any longer. At the same time, he knew he had to maintain some elements of the presentation that fans knew so well. That evolved yet again once he morphed into 'The Game' later on.

Moves like the Pedigree ran right through Triple H's entire career in WWE, and he always carried himself with a poise that elevated the character above many others. Those were consistencies. Changes came in the form of a better physique, switching from tights to trunks (to show off the leg work), spitting water, new entrance music and more. 

KISS played a bigger role than some might imagine in Hunter's evolution. He admired the band for staying true to themselves and doing their own thing whilst constantly switching it up at the same time.