The Rise Of Triple H | Wrestling Timelines

April 30, 1995 - First Day In WWE

The idea behind the Hunter Heart Helmsley character is clearly modelled after the successful 1980s mega-heel ‘Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase. Or at least, it’s aiming for the same sort of heat: Hunter is a moneyed snob who the fandom is meant to hate because he thinks he’s better than you.

Here’s the thing: the character is awful on its own terms, and is illustrative of how far the WWF has fallen between the two boom periods. Where the cackling DiBiase was a gruesome reflection of the greed-is-good Reagan’s ‘80s, an all too real evil, Helmsley is a caricature: an “aristocrat” with a terrible accent and medieval fayre theme music. As difficult as it is to take him seriously, he’s actually one of the few new characters with a vague connection to an emotion you are meant to feel.

In a rather vile trivia note, Helmsley - who according to Jim Ross on commentary vows to bring “class” to the World Wrestling Federation - defeats paedophile Buck Zumhofe in his first squash match. He uses a cutter to get the job done before dropping it at the urging of Diamond Dallas Page, who is trying to get it over in WCW.

Helmsley will quickly use his own creation: the Pedigree. It’s a double underhook driving facebuster. It looks as difficult to escape as it is painful to take. It’s an incredible finisher.

This move is the first indication that a mechanically competent if thoroughly drab wrestler actually has something.

Nonetheless, it will take him a very long time to get over.

Matthew Randazzo V writes in his book ‘Ring of Hell’ that, on his very first day, Hunter Hearst Helmsley tells one unnamed talent: “I don’t care what I have to do, but I’m gonna run this place”.