Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

John Cena

  • 28-10-2008 2:37pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,588 ✭✭✭


    John Cena will be returning to the ring at Survivor Series on November 23, 2008. The show airs live from Cena's hometown of Boston, Massachusetts.

    I might be in a minority here but i cant wait for his return

    I'd like to see more of Cena/Orton feud or even Cena/Jericho


«13

Comments

  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23,089 ✭✭✭✭rovert


    LATE SLIP :p

    Cant wait for him to booed out of the building in his hometown :pac: and I like Cena.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 15,238 ✭✭✭✭Diabhal Beag


    Rovert it isn't 2006 and he's hardly returning to headline WM22 in Chicago.

    THE CENA HATE IS GETTING STALE!


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23,089 ✭✭✭✭rovert


    Rovert it isn't 2006 and he's hardly returning to headline WM22 in Chicago.

    WAT
    THE CENA HATE IS GETTING STALE!

    Hence why they are rebuilding him in those videos.


  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 15,239 Mod ✭✭✭✭FutureGuy


    The minute Cena returns, they need to start building a match for WM25. There could do great business between Cena and a big bad heel Batista. Start it right after SS, with both as faces and let it simmer for a few months, with a big payoff in April. I'd pay to see that.

    TBH, I haven't watched much WWE since I went to WM24, but the show is always better with him in it. I didn't really like the Cenation thing prior to his injury so I'm hoping that it's swept under the mat asap. As Cena said himself, it was "poopy".


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23,089 ✭✭✭✭rovert


    FutureGuy wrote: »
    TBH, I haven't watched much WWE since I went to WM24, but the show is always better with him in it. I didn't really like the Cenation thing prior to his injury so I'm hoping that it's swept under the mat asap. As Cena said himself, it was "poopy".

    Going by those videos they are showing they have hit reset on that stuff and are repackaging him as being more serious.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    Rovert it isn't 2006 and he's hardly returning to headline WM22 in Chicago.

    THE HHH HATE IS GETTING STALE!

    Fixed your post.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 85 ✭✭SASR


    I've actually grown to... well, not like Cena, but tolerate him.

    I have a lot of respect for him for how hard he works, and I'd much rather watch him "entertain" than Batista.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,006 ✭✭✭✭callaway92


    Cena>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>batista


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,206 ✭✭✭✭Rjd2


    To be honest while he can be forced down our throats to much for my liking Id rather him as champion than the gruesome twosome super ****ing Hunter and his fecking Frankenstein Batista.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    Rjd2 wrote: »
    To be honest while he can be forced down our throats to much for my liking Id rather him as champion than the gruesome twosome super ****ing Hunter and his fecking Frankenstein Batista.

    2003 called, he wants his ubermarks back :rolleyes:


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 85 ✭✭SASR


    ShawnRaven wrote: »
    2003 called, he wants his ubermarks back :rolleyes:
    2003 could be a she, sexist!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,206 ✭✭✭✭Rjd2


    ShawnRaven wrote: »
    2003 called, he wants his ubermarks back :rolleyes:

    2003 can **** right off, the ****e that Hunter has pulled since he has returned from injury has been much disgraceful than the antics he got away with in his equally wretched superman like reign five years ago. :pac:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    Rjd2 wrote: »
    2003 can **** right off, the ****e that Hunter has pulled since he has returned from injury has been much disgraceful than the antics he got away with in his equally wretched superman like reign five years ago. :pac:

    *yaaaaaaawn*, nothing personal, but you repeating yourself on a weekly basis isn't going to help the situation either. NEXT!!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    ShawnRaven wrote: »
    *yaaaaaaawn*, nothing personal, but you repeating yourself on a weekly basis isn't going to help the situation either. NEXT!!!

    Nice to see your opinion on the other hand has changed lately.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23,089 ✭✭✭✭rovert


    Rjd2 wrote: »
    To be honest while he can be forced down our throats to much for my liking

    Forced you say


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    amacachi wrote: »
    Nice to see your opinion on the other hand has changed lately.

    Hey, i'll fully admit that HHH doesn't need the belt, but obviously the company doesn't feel Jeff is totally ready yet to carry the company. So might as well keep it on the most reliable guy on the brand. It's smart business?

    Who would you stick it on? Matt Sydel? Khali? Koslov???

    Either or, bitching, pissing and moaning about it on a weekly basis gets us nowhere. I pulled MNG on this last year too, i'm just being consistant. :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,206 ✭✭✭✭Rjd2


    ShawnRaven wrote: »
    *yaaaaaaawn*, nothing personal, but you repeating yourself on a weekly basis isn't going to help the situation either. NEXT!!!

    Yeah that's fair enough even I am bored typing out all the reasons I dislike Hunter its fecking groundhog day,all though I am sure you feel the same about the Dead Man:D
    Anyways did you see the powerslam article on Hunter this issue? You would love it;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Hey, i'll fully admit that HHH doesn't need the belt, but obviously the company doesn't feel Jeff is totally ready yet to carry the company. So might as well keep it on the most reliable guy on the brand. It's smart business?

    Who would you stick it on? Matt Sydel? Khali? Koslov???

    Fair enough you know it's just good business, so why complain about Cena when he gets main event pushes and matches?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    amacachi wrote: »
    Fair enough you know it's just good business, so why complain about Cena when he gets main event pushes and matches?

    I don't, however when people give out about HHH for the exact same thing Cena is guilty of (hogging the belt forever and a lifetime), then alarm bells tend to go off.

    As i said, consistancy.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,206 ✭✭✭✭Rjd2


    ShawnRaven wrote: »
    Hey, i'll fully admit that HHH doesn't need the belt, but obviously the company doesn't feel Jeff is totally ready yet to carry the company. So might as well keep it on the most reliable guy on the brand. It's smart business?

    Who would you stick it on? Matt Sydel? Khali? Koslov???

    Either or, bitching, pissing and moaning about it on a weekly basis gets us nowhere. I pulled MNG on this last year too, i'm just being consistant. :)

    I honestly don't want to turn this into a twelve hour debate or any drivel and don't take this as a personal insult, you defend Hunter quite a bit against claims of burying and receiving Superman like booking, but you consistently pull up Cena and Taker on the same thing? Pot kettle black?
    Oh and you could give the belt to Jeff, MVP, Kozlov, Taker Show, Hornswaggle, all those strike me as capable world champions


  • Advertisement
  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23,089 ✭✭✭✭rovert


    Rjd2 wrote: »
    Anyways did you see the powerslam article on Hunter this issue? You would love it;)

    More groundbreaking work from Randazzo there :p


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    Rjd2 wrote: »
    Yeah that's fair enough even I am bored typing out all the reasons I dislike Hunter its fecking groundhog day,all though I am sure you feel the same about the Dead Man:D

    For the last time...
    Here's my problem with Crippletaker:

    He's been the same stale character for 16 of his 18 years! Much of the same reason i could say about Cena for the last five years. HHH isn't so much of a character, but he changes when he turns. He's the comedic face and then he's the utter bastard heel. Again... consistancy withoutdoing it.

    I'm all on for Undertaker for a long term title run, but not after he destroyed Edge the way he did a few months ago on PPV. It wasn't necessary! A win over him, fair enough, i can live with that. But that pissed Edge's main event credibility right out the f*cking window in my honest opinion.

    Also anytime Taker gets a major title, he's injured after a month. Yet people criticise HHH when he gets injured? Taker, like HHH doesn't particularly need a belt anyway. So i complain about the same things about both guys really.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,082 ✭✭✭✭chopperbyrne


    Happy to see Cena back.

    Been a fan of him since that match with RVD at ONS.

    He's far better than many give him credit for.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    Rjd2 wrote: »
    I honestly don't want to turn this into a twelve hour debate or any drivel and don't take this as a personal insult, you defend Hunter quite a bit against claims of burying and receiving Superman like booking, but you consistently pull up Cena and Taker on the same thing? Pot kettle black?
    Oh and you could give the belt to Jeff, MVP, Kozlov, Taker Show, Hornswaggle, all those strike me as capable world champions

    Nothing personal taken. I don't defend HHH the whole time. As i said earlier, he's getting boring. However when he came back from injury and threw a beatdown on 5 scrubs in the ring, the ubermarks were in UPROAR. It wasn't career threatening, so no major damage done anyway. People just love to over react when it comes to HHH... because they can.

    Jeff's unreliable, MVP is being built, it will happen, Kozlov and Show, you must be kidding. Show has never drawn as a champion and the crowd doesn't give a f*ck about Vladimir "I love double double EEEE" Kozlov!

    I'm not gonna dignify Hornswoggle as a response on the grounds that you're taking the piss.

    Oh wait... nevermind.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,206 ✭✭✭✭Rjd2


    rovert wrote: »
    More groundbreaking work from Randazzo there :p

    Yeah I admit even as a proud Hunter hater, it was a bit dodgy, anyways for those who have not read it.....
    Triple H: The Man, The Pro, The Ego

    In World Wrestling Entertainment, detail is crucial: it’s so important, in fact, that the McMahon family’s fingerprints can be found on virtually everything emblazoned with a WWE logo. A micromanager, supreme leader Vince McMahon works 80 hours per week, and obsesses over every aspect of WWE’s output. It is a work ethic he has handed down to his top lieutenant, the Executive Vice President, Creative Wrestling, Talent Relations & Live Events (could her job title be any longer?) Stephanie McMahon-Levesque. In WWE creative team meetings, Vince likes to brag what separates WWE from it’s competition, past (WCW) and present (TNA), is quality control. We’re talking McMahon family pride and consistency here: that’s what they personally bring to WWE’s product. To Vince and Stephanie, WWE is the commercial embodiment of the McMahon family, and that means WWE has to be just as perfect as what the egotistical father and daughter see in the mirror each day. Whether it’s RAW announcer Michael Cole’s tone of voice or the way Vladimir Kozlov sells or the ring entrances which are tailor-made for each star performer, WWE fans can rest assured that they are seeing and hearing exactly what the McMahon’s want.

    Since all the facets of WWE’s image are meticulously planned and stage-managed from the top, insiders know that everything is done for a reason. Each detail contains valuable clues about the McMahon brain trust’s plans for WWE’s future. That’s why it should come as no surprise that a memo distributed to the media in August by THQ, publishers of WWE’s forthcoming SmackDown Vs RAW 2009 video game, has been the source of so much buzz and controversy in wrestling circles. As reported in last month’s issue, THQ laid down the ground rules for screenshots from the new game, the most scandalous of which will haunt Paul Levesque forever: “Refrain from showing Triple H in a losing/defeated/defenceless position.” The absurdity of this request bears repeating: WWE was so protective of Triple H that it requested no magazines publish photographs of the animated version of him appearing vulnerable. In a normally shambolic wrestling company like WCW or TNA, this would have been regarded as a fluke P.R. mishap, a quirky bureaucratic miscommunication or an isolated incident of vanity run amuck – not necessarily a part of some grand plan dictated from the top. Since this was a WWE directive, however, wrestling fans and insiders saw this memo as one more meaningful piece of evidence corroborating the near-decade-long conspiracy to shove Triple H down the throats of the fan base ahead of his co-workers.

    The backlash online was predictable: words to the effect of “HHH is now holding down wrestlers in video games” were posted on websites and forums. The folks in Stamford, Connecticut certainly asked for it. WWE/THQ did not forbid journals from publishing screenshots of any other WWE performer “in a losing/defeated/defenceless position”: magazines can run a dozen images of Batista, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Randy Orton or The Undertaker getting beaten up, if they wish. The stipulation in the press release was just an extension of the preferential treatment that HHH has received, really since his memorable wedding angle with Stephanie McMahon, whom he had drugged and married against her will at a drive-through wedding chapel in Las Vegas the night before she was supposed to marry Test on the November 29, 1999 RAW (that, more than his first WWF title win on the post-Summerslam 1999 RAW, was the turning point for HHH: once he was linked with Steph and embroiled in a deeply personal feud with Vince McMahon, he had it made) Triple H’s win over Vince in the main event of Armageddon on December 12, 1999 – following which, reluctant bridge Stephanie decided that she enjoyed being married to HHH after all – set the ball rolling for ‘The Game’ after a rocky few months in which he had won, lost, regained and dropped the WWF title. On January 3, 2000, he captured the WWF title for a third time from Big Show and then scored back-to-back victories over Mick ‘Cactus Jack’ Foley at the very successful Royal Rumble (in a stellar Street Fight) and No Way Out events (where he supposedly ended Foley’s career in the Hell in a Cell), and bagged an unprecedented heel victory in the Fatal Four Way main event of WrestleMania 2000, then the biggest money-making PPV in wrestling history. HHH, who would deservedly be ranked number one in the 2000 PS 50 after working further blinders with The Rock, Chris Jericho and others had an incredible year commercially as well: the WWF made a massive profit of $68.9 million between April 2000 and April 2001, if the company hadn’t launched the disastrous XFL in Steve Austin’s absence (November 1999-September 2000), HHH was one of the top two names in the company (with The Rock) a position which he clearly warranted. But as good and successful as he was, many were growing to resent him . . .

    In September 2000, Stephanie McMahon replaced the late Chris Kreski as the WWF’s head writer, and soon entered into a real-life relationship with her on-screen husband, while he was still going out with Joanie ‘Chyna’ Laurer (Levesque and Laurer split when Laurer learned of the Levesque/Steph affair) It is worth noting that even before the Levesque/Stephanie relationship began, HHH had ingratiated himself with the McMahons and obtained booking influence in the company. With head writer Steph as his new girlfriend, that influence inevitably increased. Before long, the gossip that ‘The Game’ was harnessing Stephanie’s creative power to hinder or torpedo his enemies’ careers while promoting himself to the detriment of the company’s best interests because accepted as common fact throughout the industry. Was it fact or simply a vicious rumour, triggered by jealously of his seven-figure-per-annum main event spot in the promotion? In a business filled with hypocrisy, lies, distrust and fluctuating allegiances, how seriously should fans take the reports about Triple H’s reign of terror backstage? What exactly has he done to earn this fearsome reputation? Seeking inside opinion, your writer quizzed several WWE employees, past and present about Triple H and his impact on WWE booking. The answers may surprise you. For a laugh, I contacted one WWE writer whom I hoped would be willing to contribute to this article but expected to declined, for reasons I cannot divulge. To my surprise, the subject of Triple H’s escapades backstage so deeply affected him that he sent me a lengthy reply in which he detailed Levesque’s standing in the company. Here is a reproduction of one section of his e-mail that I thought would particularly interest Power Slam readers. It is, as I’m sure you’ll agree, a revealing view of the WWE backstage workplace . . .

    “When I first started working as a writer in the WWE, this is the creative format that was used: we all pitched ideas to our respective show’s head writer and then they would e-mail a draft of the show to the full writing staff, Vince and Stephanie on Friday night. This would allow all of us to read the shows before the marathon Saturday conference calls that would begin at 9am and continue, on some days as late as 5am. But there was one additional person, who would receive the shows: HHH. His position as a member of WWE creative was never established, yet he had to get a copy of the show, lest we incur both his and Stephanie’s wrath. Curiously enough, HHH would never participate in any of the conference calls. His changes would be passed on to Stephanie. She would declare in a firm voice on the Saturday conference calls, ‘Hunter doesn’t like that idea, and this is what he wants to change it to.’ Then Vince would always say in a nice, soft tone, which was unusual for him: ‘Hmmmmm. What do you all think of that?” Brian Gewirtz, the notorious Stephanie and HHH lackey, would always be the first to reply, without a moment’s hesitation, ‘I think that’s a brilliant idea, Steph!’ in his Eddie Munster voice. Then every other writer, with the exception of one or two, would chime in saying variants of ‘I agree’ and ‘good idea’, etc. Then Vince would say, ‘Well, if there’s no disagreement, make the changes, Brian.’ Same routine, over and over, whenever it involved a change suggested by HHH. It seemed like a work to me: Stephanie firmly declares HHH’s idea, Vince acts neutral towards it and asks for our opinions, and then Gewirtz quickly kisses Stephanie’s ass, prompting everyone else to agree.



    “This routine would never change, except those weeks when we had a triple-header work marathon (Sunday PPV, RAW on Monday, Tuesday taping of SmackDown): we would work on the RAW scripts during the day of the Sunday PPV. In those instances we wouldn’t e-mail the scripts to HHH --- we would hand-deliver them to him. Normally, the head writer of the show would give it to him, but occasionally that job fell to me. I remember being nervous the first time I delivered the script to the McMahon dressing room where HHH would dress (he would never use the locker rooms with the rest of the boys). When HHH answered I told him the RAW script was ready for his review. On the first occasion, he grabbed the script, flipped through it but did not read it, and asked me point-blank: ‘Am I f—king going over?’ This first time that I delivered the script to him, he did indeed win his match, so I said yes. Then he politely gave the script back to me without reading it and said, ‘That’s all I needed to know,’ and walked back into the McMahon locker room. A few months later when Gewirtz had another weekend off, I delivered another RAW script to him on a PPV Sunday. And it was the same routine. He nonchalantly flipped through it and said, ‘Am I f—king going over?’ This time, however, he was to lose his match via disqualification. He would keep his title. I said to him, ‘Well, sort of.’ Then HHH froze. He said, ‘What do you f—king mean, sort of?’ I said, ‘You lose the match via DQ, so you still keep the title.’, ‘What page?’ he growled. After I told HHH the page number this occurred on, he ripped that page out, threw the rest of the script to the floor in a rage, and slammed the door in my face. Needless to say, the next day during the agents’ meeting, the script had somehow changed and now HHH won his match – cleanly. This was hardly an isolated incident.

    “Ultimately, it’s not HHH’s fault or even Stephanie’s fault, really. WWE is Vince’s company: no one challenges him or what he says must happen. I spent a lot of time with both HHH and Vince together --- in some cases, five hours a day, especially when we had to take Vince’s Challenger Jet from Connecticut to somewhere on the West Coast. And the fact is that Vince has no objectivity when it comes to HHH. When any of us writers come up with an idea, Vince would say things like: ‘That’s great! Why am I even paying these guys?’ and then laugh, while pointing at all of us strikers. In stark contrast, when Shane McMahon would sit in on some agent meetings, his ideas would be shot down by Vince. Vince was at his most human when interacting with Shame, in that he would yell at Shane like any dad yells at his son, but the yelling was always to try and make Shane better. With HHH, though, Vince would never publicly disagree with him. And with Stephanie by his side, he would accept whatever trash HHH spewed. After all, Vince would do anything for his baby girl. She would incessantly whine to him about putting HHH over, so Vince would do that for her . . .”

    As incredible as this writer’s account of the backstage environment in the company might seem, his story is remarkably similar to others I was told in interviews I conducted with various WWE writers, producers, agents and backstage personalities for this article and for my book, Ring of Hell. That, to no surprise, leads us to the conclusion that the gossip about Triple H’s domineering influence backstage appears to be fundamentally true. In Ring of Hell, I quoted former WWE writer Dr. Ranjan Chhibber as saying that HHH once summoned him to a one-on-one meeting to personally advise him to abandon his friendly with then-WWE writer Paul Heyman, so he could instead form a new working relationship with HHH’s buddy Gewirtz (who had a long-running feud with Heyman). A WWE official interviewed for this article told me that HHH’s power is so indomitable backstage that, “If HHH tells a joke, everyone has to laugh. If you don’t laugh, you will be noticed and called out. It happened to me once, and Stephanie said, ‘What’s the matter: don’t you have a sense of humour?’ “ Let’s be frank: it hardly takes insider testimony to determine that Triple H has continually benefited from the sympathetic booking. While others are presented as vulnerable and occasionally silly, WWE for nearly nine years has ensured that the HHH character is always strong, dominated and smart, even when he plays heel. There are so many examples, stretching from the month Stephanie was appointed head writer in 2000, that it’s easy to come up with a list of incidents:

    2000: Triple H pins Kurt Angle at Unforgiven to abruptly end the extremely over HHH/Stephanie/Angle love triangle storyline.
    2001: Steve Austin, the wrestler who did more to make Vince McMahon a billionaire than any other, is demoted to the position of HHH’s heel associate in April and May. ‘Stone Cold’ and ‘The Game’ had never been close: this only drives the wedge deeper. Meanwhile, ‘The Game’ squashes rising star Jeff Hardy to remind everyone of his overwhelming superiority.

    2002: Undisputed champion Chris Jericho plays the demeaning role of Stephanie’s poop-scooping butler and Triple H’s punching bag on road to WrestleMania X8, after ‘The Cerebral Assassin’ vetoes the original plan that Jericho and Stephanie are to have an affair behind his back. Jericho predictably loses the Undisputed title to HHH in a ‘Mania match which could not hope to follow The Rock Vs Hollywood Hogan, but is placed in the main event spot at Hunter’s request, so the image of him holding both title belts closes the show. At Unforgiven in September, HHH pins Rob Van Dam, another rising star. Sharp as a tack, RVD already knows what HHH’s game is.

    2003: Triple H denies underdog Booker T a victory at WrestleMania XIX after degrading him with racist innuendo for weeks. In their match, heel HHH hits the Pedigree and waits 23 seconds before making the winning pin on Booker. Add ‘The Book’ to the list of people who resent Triple H.

    2004: New World Champion Randy Orton is portrayed as a cowardly babyface, who dumps the title to heel Triple H at Unforgiven, just four weeks after winning it.

    2005: HHH triumphs in the Elimination Chamber match at New Year’s Revolution, winning the title from --- yes! --- HHH, who had vacated it in November, so he could regain it and pad his own title record. (This is his fifth World title, by the way.)

    2006: HHH and Shawn Michaels smash five careers with their senseless slaughter of The Spirit Squad. Meanwhile, HHH decides that no younger talent, who might potentially benefit from the association, are allowed to join him and Michaels in the reformed DX.

    2007: HHH is pinned by Jeff Hardy at Armageddon in a textbook example of how to technically lose a match while burying your opponent . . .

    My sources also confirm the widely held belief that Levesque uses his influence to impede or sabotage careers of wrestlers he’s not even facing. Two WWE writers whom I spoke to for this feature --- who naturally insisted on anonymity before they would talk honestly about Triple --- offered specific examples. The first writer claimed that Tripper’s venomous attacks contributed to the exit of Mick Foley and Billy Kidman from the WWE roster. He told us HHH disparaged Foley whenever he appeared for the company, and diminished his value in the eyes of the McMahon family. “Foley is an out-of-shape nobody,” HHH was reported as saying “Funaki puts more asses in seats than Foley does. He should pay us for coming on our shows.” Meanwhile, HHH’s derogatory appraisal of Billy Kidman at an agents’ meeting resulted in Kidman’s relegation to former broadcast Velocity and eventual release from his contract in July 2005 (Kidman was later rehired as a trainer in Florida Championship Wrestling.) The second writer sagely noted that fans can learn much about the real HHH from the few televised moments when he has let his guard down. “Triple H is on tape in the Bret Hart documentary claiming he knew nothing about the Montreal double-cross that was planned against Bret.” Said this WWE writer. “He looked right into Bret’s wife’s eyes and says he knew nothing about it, yet many times since he has bragged about knowing what was going to happen beforehand. Something of a character flaw, don’t you think? All you have to do is listen to some of the promos he cuts on other wrestlers he does not like or feels intimidated by, such as the promo he cut on Chris Masters on RAW in October 2006 (in which he mocked the steroid-free Masters’ dramatic muscle mass loss) . . . He also once cut a promo on John Morrison (then Johnny Nitro) by calling him something to the effect of ‘Johnny Oversell’ --- not exactly the way to ‘put over’ your fellow wrestlers to help build the business!”

    As touched upon earlier, this blatantly disrespectful conduct has raised the ire of many former and current co-workers of Triple H. (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson had a long-running backstage rivalry with HHH, which was alluded to at the Hall of Fame ceremony this year.) In Issue 170 of Power Slam, the ever-candid Randy Orton revealed that Umaga’s initial response to his trade to Smackdown in the 2008 draft was, “Man, you know what? At least I haven’t got to deal with Triple H no more.” When HHH was also transferred to SmackDown from RAW later in the draft, RAW roster survivor Orton reported his response as: “Yes! Oh, my God, yes, yes, yes!” while punching the air. “I went right up to Umaga,” Orton continued, “and I was, like, ‘You’ve got to deal with him now!’ It was my favourite draft pick, to be honest with you.” That’s the voice of experience talking. At a June press conference to promote a WWE event in Chile, Carlito said: “My opinion is that (marrying Stephanie) was a smart move by (HHH). I think that’s why he’s the champion now and has been champion in the past; it’s easier to him. We, the real wrestlers, don’t depend on people in the business . . . Others are given champions (on) a plate of gold or platinum, (though) I’m happy for him.”

    (Since Carlito is the son of Carlos Colon, Puerto Rico’s most famous ever wrestler, and was pushed immediately following his debut in his father’s WWC promotion on the island in 1999, those comments irked some in the profession. Nevertheless, Carlito does not receive special treatment in WWE.) Naturally, wrestlers who are no longer with WWE and don’t have to fear HHH’s reprisals are free to denounce the “son-in-law” in far more graphic terms. “He’s like Kevin Federline of professional wrestling,” said Scott Steiner in an interview with the Stranglehold radio show in May. “Being married to the boss’ daughter brings a lot of protection. These are guys up there right now who want to beat the hell out of him, but you know, they know they’d lose their jobs, so they don’t.” Steiner continued his assault on HHH in two interviews with The Baltimore Sun that same month. In the latter, on May 28, he told one famous story about an attempt by HHH to thwart Kurt Angle’s progress in the WWF which actually failed. Scott Steiner: “It’s no secret what Kurt Angle thought of Triple H . . . Here’s one story I got from Kurt: Triple H was trying to block Kurt from winning the WWF title, he said in a meeting, ‘I think Kurt Angle’s too small.’ And Gerry Brisco stood up and said, ‘Well, what do you think would happen if you guys fought for real?’ and HHH sat down, shut his mouth and they ran with it. Even Triple H’s former friend Monty ‘Billy Gunn/KipJames’ Sopp, for whom HHH engineered several pushes in the WWF/WWE, blasted Levesque in a shoot interview (his comments are unprintable in this magazine). The list of active wrestlers I’ve spoken with who have knocked HHH, off the record, goes on and on . . .

    So, if everything unpleasant that’s said about Triple H is generally true, the question becomes: why? If the evidence for HHH’s behaviour is clear, the explanations for it are anything but. Paul Michael Levesque has every conceivable reason to be a shining, self-assured role model for good, selfless action backstage in WWE. Professionally, his position is untouchable: as Stephanie’s husband (they were married in October 2003) and father of two of Vince’s grandchildren, Triple H will have the booking committee in his corner for the rest of his career. With his stardom and political dominance so thoroughly established, Levesque should understand that there’s nothing undercutting another wrestler’s career can do to benefit his position or losing a feud can do to damage his character. The worst of HHH’s abuses make even less sense when reviewed in the context of the outstanding work he has done on occasion over the past few years. There could not have been a more selfless or effective way to elevate Batista than the manner in which Triple H repeatedly put ‘The Animal’ over in their excellent break-up storyline and later in their matches in the first half of 2005. The next year, Triple H lost to John Cena by submission in the Main Event of Wrestlemania 22. After the promos in the run-up to the match, in which HHH had unnecessarily belittled Cena’s wrestling ability, few expected that result on the big show.

    Even Triple H’s burial of Jeff Hardy in December 2007 has been redemmed by his giving performance in the Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out 2008 and at No Mercy earlier this month. In these bouts, Triple H manifested some of the professional generosity and maturity that made his idol, Ric Flair, the ultimate “oversell and selflessly put over the other guy.” NWA World Champion in the 1980s. Furthermore, as a multi-millionaire and 39-year old father of two, one would have imagined that Levesque would have outgrown that juvenile impulse to flaunt his clout, just because he can. As a future inheritor of the WWE empire, eventually earmarked for his children, Levesque should be less concerned with beating wrestlers than using his own backstage and in-ring muscle to build new acts to safegyard the long-term profitability of what is his own family business. With this in mind, Triple H’s demolition of many of his most lucrative potential opponents over the years (Rob Van Dam, Booker T, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, etc.) cannot even be called selfish, since it conflicts with his own personal, financial and familial best interests. Such self-destructive, illogical behaviour on Levesque’s part must ultimately be the result of some inherent character flaw: after all, there is no rational explanation for HHH’s record of power trips. One popular explanation is that, despite his amazing success in the business, Triple H harbours insecurity – that is, doubts he fully deserved the push he has received throughout this decade. It is a trait common among beneficiaries of nepotism.

    A number of wrestlers, Kurt Angle and Scott Steiner among them, have claimed that HHH underminede their careers because he was secretly jealous they were tougher, stronger and more credible wrestlers than he could ever hope to be. If the true source of Levesque’s behaviour is dissatisfaction with himself that he redirects outwords, then he should be pitied: any wrestler who remains personally discontent after the prosperity Triple H has enjoyed will always be miserable, self-loathing man. “I don’t think HHH’s problem is so much insecurity as much as that when you get that much power, you use it to protect yourself,” continued Wrestling Observer Newsletter editor Dave Meltzer. “I think it’s what he was taught be (Kevin) Nash and Michaels.” As longtime fans know, they were both infamous in the 1990s for their backstage machinations when they were on top in the WWF and later, in Nash’s case, WCW. There is one more explanation for Triple H’s abuse of power, and it may be the most likely answer: Levesque is simply a disrespectful, power-hungry jerk, who does what he wants, when he wants and doesn’t care what other people think. Perhaps that’s why father in law Vince – a man whose on-screen character is essentially inseparable from his real-life personality – likes him so much. If that’s true and Levesque is playing the scheming ‘Cerebral Assassin.’ On-screen and off, then Triple H’s current and future co-workers will have to watch their backs, as Paul and Stephanie take over the family business. WWE’s future may or may not be bright --- but it will certainly be bloody with Triple H at the helm.
    __________________


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    Triple H: The Man, The Pro, The Ego

    Stopped reading here. Blatantly biased reporting before even getting to the article. Another reason i never read Powerslam.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,206 ✭✭✭✭Rjd2


    ShawnRaven wrote: »

    I'm not gonna dignify Hornswoggle as a response on the grounds that you're taking the piss.

    Oh wait... nevermind.

    I was although for pure comedy value Horny winning the rumble and then challenging Hunter to a hell in a cell match at Mania for the belt would be the awesomeness.
    P.S Hunter will be forgiven by me for all his politics if he allows the Miz to pin him with the reality check next monday. Put him over Hunter its what the internet want:D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    Rjd2 wrote: »
    I was although for pure comedy value Horny winning the rumble and then challenging Hunter to a hell in a cell match at Mania for the belt would be the awesomeness.
    P.S Hunter will be forgiven by me for all his politics if he allows the Miz to pin him with the reality check next monday. Put him over Hunter its what the internet want:D

    Rjd2 - on how to kill a promotion that's already dying on it's knees. ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,082 ✭✭✭✭chopperbyrne


    As interesting as all this Triple H talk is, what has it got to do with Cena returning?


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    As interesting as all this Triple H talk is, what has it got to do with Cena returning?

    Blame Rjd2, he started to derail the thread! :)
    Besides, HHH is more interesting to talk about than Cena ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,600 ✭✭✭✭CMpunked


    Rjd2 wrote: »
    Yeah I admit even as a proud Hunter hater, it was a bit dodgy, anyways for those who have not read it.....

    Did you type all that out?! :eek:
    As interesting as all this Triple H talk is, what has it got to do with Cena returning?

    Back on track....


    I'm going to say it, i liked cena. But never openly admitted it.
    I was a in-the-closet cena fan, but when he got his "career threatening injury" i was legit worried that we could be loosing the best worker in the world of pro wrestling, Sports entertainment, sorry, Entertainment...

    But i welcome his return, it will be good to see him back. :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    But i welcome his return, it will be good to see him back. :)

    It will be, but he drastically needs a heel turn and somewhat of a change of character. They turned Hogan heel in 1996 and he still continued to sell merch by the bucketload. It could only be a good thing for Cena

    He might even be watchable again


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,206 ✭✭✭✭Rjd2


    As interesting as all this Triple H talk is, what has it got to do with Cena returning?

    I dunno but it prove that nothing not even a Irish wrestling messageboard is safe from Hunter's shovel.:p
    I dunno about Cena's return but first thing he should do when he comes back is to ask Batista to give him his underdog gimmick back:eek: Bloody hell Big Dave has been overcoming impossible odds like its going out of fashion since Cena got injured:eek:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,206 ✭✭✭✭Rjd2


    Did you type all that out?! :eek:

    Oh good god no even for a wrestling fan that would be absurdly tragic. :)
    I copied and pasted it from another board.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    Rjd2 wrote: »
    Bloody hell Big Dave has been overcoming impossible odds since Cena got injured:eek:

    That's because they're building the big Cena/Batista match for Mania.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,206 ✭✭✭✭Rjd2


    ShawnRaven wrote: »
    That's because they're building the big Cena/Batista match for Mania.

    Aye I understand the logic behind it, I still mantain that it could be Batista v Orton at Mania. I am sure they could find something else for Cena to do, Jericho maybe?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,600 ✭✭✭✭CMpunked


    ShawnRaven wrote: »
    It will be, but he drastically needs a heel turn and somewhat of a change of character. They turned Hogan heel in 1996 and he still continued to sell merch by the bucketload. It could only be a good thing for Cena

    He might even be watchable again

    Good idea.

    I'd like to see him return slightly bitter about how he was injured and had to walk away.
    And he is the same lovable cena all the time the grudge starts to show more and more until it blows up and then we have;
    Cena-heel :o


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22,905 ✭✭✭✭Handsome Bob


    For some reason John Cena has grown on me, and I used to hate him. I am praying for a feud that entails Batista turning into an arrogant heel.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    LZ5by5 wrote: »
    For some reason John Cena has grown on me, and I used to hate him. I am praying for a feud that entails Batista turning into an arrogant heel.

    Didn't they try that last year with Botchtista and it didn't work?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22,905 ✭✭✭✭Handsome Bob


    ShawnRaven wrote: »
    Didn't they try that last year with Botchtista and it didn't work?

    I'm not sure, if we're talking about the feud between them for SS I don't think that they made any major effort to turn Batista heel.


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,478 ✭✭✭Bubs101


    I don't really understand the hate for Cena these days. He's become quite the worker and has put on some really good matches which adds to the energy he always had and he jobbed a feck load of times on PPV before he got injured. It's not his fault he drew as champ and Vince wanted money


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,600 ✭✭✭✭CMpunked


    Bubs101 wrote: »
    I don't really understand the hate for Cena these days. He's become quite the worker and has put on some really good matches which adds to the energy he always had and he jobbed a feck load of times on PPV before he got injured. It's not his fault he drew as champ and Vince wanted money


    I think everyone most will agree that he has built up a certain amount of respect from the *smarks* over time.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    Bubs101 wrote: »
    I don't really understand the hate for Cena these days. He's become quite the worker and has put on some really good matches which adds to the energy he always had and he jobbed a feck load of times on PPV before he got injured. It's not his fault he drew as champ and Vince wanted money

    It's because it's the same sh*t every PPV. Same stale character week in and week out. He has learned to work and done it well, most people can't and won't dispute that.

    But we need a reason to keep watching him, and an imrovement of ring work. However you hit the nail on the head. Vince wants money, like any businessman.

    So obviously the latter will win out, fans will get bored seeing the same crap, and will boo and hate.

    Simple as...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,478 ✭✭✭Bubs101


    ShawnRaven wrote: »
    It's because it's the same sh*t every PPV. Same stale character week in and week out.

    You mean jobbing to JBL and Batista
    ShawnRaven wrote: »
    But we need a reason to keep watching him, and an imrovement of ring work. However you hit the nail on the head. Vince wants money, like any businessman.

    So obviously the latter will win out, fans will get bored seeing the same crap, and will boo and hate.

    Simple as...

    Think Punk and Hardy have the potential to take Cena's place tbh


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23,089 ✭✭✭✭rovert


    Bubs101 wrote: »
    Think Punk and Hardy have the potential to take Cena's place tbh

    Potential to **** it up in fairness.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    Bubs101 wrote: »
    You mean jobbing to JBL and Batista

    Yes Bubs, he spent the past two years or so jobbing to JBL and Botchtista. ;)

    Think Punk and Hardy have the potential to take Cena's place tbh

    I think Hardy could by this time next year provided he stays straight and focuses. Punk, no given how he's already had a championship reign and it wasn't a convincing one at that.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23,089 ✭✭✭✭rovert


    Cena's in trouble:
    Cena Rumbles with Rappers Over Theme Music

    The guys of '90s hard-core rap group M.O.P. say John Cena and the WWE jacked one of their songs for John's entrance music and they're alleging some pretty slippery moves in the process.

    Jamal Grinnage and Eric Murray -- that's Lil' Fame and Billy Danze -- want to put the kill switch on Cena's song, "The Time Is Now," saying it borrows heavily from their hit "Ante Up." In a federal lawsuit, they claim WWE's lawyers actually found some person to sign off on the license who was only a receptionist and didn't have authority to do so.

    The biggest point of actual musical contention is one non-English line -- "BRRR Abado" -- that appears in the original song once, and in JC's song three times.

    The suit asks for destruction of Cena's song and $150K from the defendants. No word from Cena or WWE yet.

    http://www.tmz.com/2008/10/28/cena-rumbles-with-rappers-over-theme-music/


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,492 ✭✭✭EdK


    One little sample of a made up word?

    I always new Cenas theme used it but borrowed heavily is an exaggeration


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,600 ✭✭✭✭CMpunked


    Is that the bit that is like a tongue flick sound? ....

    3 years later they figured that out?...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,602 ✭✭✭✭ShawnRaven


    You know what this means?
    Another CD of crappy WWE entrance music!

    OH NOES!!!!


  • Advertisement
Advertisement