HHH
Triple H Speaks On Hulk Hogan, Flair, Jericho, Tight Wrestling Outfits, Stephanie, Personal Life
Interview 25th April 2002
April 25th's (Thursday morning/Late Wednesday night) edition of "Last Call" with Carson Daly featured WWF Superstar Triple H as a guest. Here's a recap of the interview:
*The show was opened performance by Andrew W K and Carson tells Triple H that McMahon should get Andrew to wrestle, because he's an animal.
*Triple H jokes that he's thinking about retiring from wrestling because Andrew isn't doing too good of a job punching himself, so he's thinking of taking it up for him.
*Carson says the toughest job he's had, and he's interviewed a lot of different type of people, is interviewing someone in the wrestling field. Carson said that he almost got the $#@! beat out of him by Randy "Macho Man" Savage (for asking the wrong thing), because as an interviewer or someone that watches what [wrestlers] do, you never know where the character begins and ends, and in and effort to get to know Triple H more, Carson says he'd like to know his boundaries (as far as what questions to ask).
*Triple H tells Carson that he can ask anything. Triple H says that it's a funny industry because the lines are really blurred. Triple H says that if you look him up on the internet, there's a million things on there about him, and no one will know what's reality, storyline or back stage rumors.
*Carson says it's like Triple H's name cause he's known as Triple H, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Paul Michael Levesque, and he asks which is the real Triple H. Triple H answers that Paul Michael Levesque is the real him. Triple H uses Harrison Ford as an example, stating that isn't his real name either. It's his stage name. Triple H says that "Triple H" is his Stage name. Triple H mentions that everything he's registered in is registered in as Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
*Carson asks about the old days in wrestling, and how wrestling has changed for the better. Triple H says that it's evolved much more into a professional business. Triple H compares it to the early days of hockey. Triple H says that not too long ago if guys got hurt, you had to keep on going, and there were no trainers. He says it's a little bit more professional in that sense, as far as trainers and people that look after them and if they get hurt, they go to the best doctors in the world to help extend their careers.
*Triple H says that the profession has gotten a bit more violent (to the wrestlers) physically, not in the storylines, but they've increased the danger level in the stuff they do and how they perform.
*Carson says that when he was growing up, there was the Junk Yard Dog, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, and a list of names that went on and on, wrestling seemed more ethnic orientated then, where today wrestling's more technical.
*Triple H says that that 20 years ago, 15 years ago in the business, you could be a performer and have a name or persona, it'd be more about the hype than the performance. The hype was the big deal. He says that it's still about the hype today, but the performer has to live up to the hype and deliver a performance.
*Triple H adds that the WWF is about that, they will always over deliver. He compares it to an NBA game. You may see a good game, you may not. But no one will go to a WWF show and say, "That wasn't any good."
*Triple H says the WWF will always over produce.
*Carson says that shouldn't there be some sort of rule when guys are in the tight shorts. That some guys really shouldn't be allowed to wear tight shorts by the looks of them. Being too fat or too skinny.
*Triple H says that it can work for some guys. There are some guys that you're not supposed to like, when they come out in a speedo type deal will make you not like them more.
*Carson then talks about how much of the personal lives get carried over to the ring. Triple H say a lot of it does because a lot of your personal life gets public. He says that people want to know as much about [the wrestlers] as they can and when the character stops.
*Triple H says that his personal live had been in the media a lot the last couple of years. He says that it's difficult to deal with when you're not being a performer anymore (during days off), and your trying to have a personal life and people are wanting pictures and what not. He says that he does know that people are afraid of him, so if he gets angry, they usually leave him alone.
*Carson asks Triple H about Stephanie McMahon. He asked if Triple H is really with her and calls her the boss' daughter. Carson asks about the their roles on the show. But the conversation turns to why some people freak out over what terms are to be used when referring to wrestling, like "Show," "character," "role," Carson asks why it's like that sometimes with some. Triple H says that it's an old school mentality. He says that for a long time guys had legitimate fights trying to prove that wrestling is real.
*Triple H says that he thinks that maybe that's why the WWF has become more popular over the last few years because they stopped trying to fool people and started calling it Sports-entertainment, the physicality is real, but it's a show.
*Carson asks about chair shots. Triple H says that it's real. Carson asks if it hurts and if he's ever been knocked woozy. Triple H says that he's knocked himself out in the ring and finished matches he doesn't know how he finished or what he did in them. Triple H mentions how he tore his quad in the ring.
*Carson explains to the audience about Triple H's injury, and how the doctor's report read that the quad was "off the bone" and yet Triple H continued the match.
*Carson then asked Triple H why he would continue after he's just mentioned that it's sports-entertainment. Triple H explains the match he was having with Austin, Jericho, and Benoit. Triple H says it never entered his mind to stop. He said he knew immediately that he tore his quad, and that he needed to get to the floor. Carson asks if Triple H if he was whispering to Chris Jericho to tell him that he's hurt. Triple H said that Jericho noticed that he was limping, but they still worked the match. Triple H says that he was suffering in the "Walls of Jericho," waiting for Benoit to finish the match, it was only a few seconds, but it was the longest few seconds, or period of his life. Triple H tries to explain the "Walls of Jericho" to the audience, and how much pressure was on his quad. Triple H says everything was going in slow motion.
*Carson says that personally, that registered as beyond all the sports-entertainment, and how lucrative the business can be now, that there is still an tremendous sense of pride once you're in the ring.
*Triple H says that it's true, that what they do is an art, and that he grew up watching wrestling. Carson then asks who Triple H's favorite was then. Triple H says as a performer, Ric Flair. Members of the audience start 'Woooooo!' chants. Carson asks why Ric Flair. Triple H says he thought Flair had great matches with everybody. Triple H says that Flair was the performer that brought other performers up. Triple H says that he'd watch matches with performers that he knew weren't very good, but when they were in the ring with Flair, those performers would be great. Triple H says that Flair was the constant that always made everyone else rise to another level. Triple H says that that is what he's always wanted to be in the business, the guy that no matter who you got in the ring with, people, when the match was over, people would say "Wow, that was awesome!"
*Carson then mentions how the business can go onto many different levels and planes, and closes the show by congratulating Triple H on his success.
HHH interview after loosing to Hulk Hogan at WWF Backlash 2002