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00:00Triple H!
00:00He has gone from WWE superstar to executive vice president.
00:04I wanted to change all that.
00:05I've always had a good relationship with Vince.
00:07Triple H is head of creative at WWE.
00:11According to fans, the product has profited immensely since his takeover.
00:15If someone asks you, who's actually in charge at WWE, you don't think of Vince McMahon anymore.
00:22You think mainly of Triple H, and that's not by chance.
00:25Paul Levesque, the man behind Triple H, has been planning this for a long time.
00:30Decades.
00:31And he did it cunningly.
00:33A true strategist of power.
00:36So freaking mad at me.
00:37He was, you know, on the floor and he felt my leg.
00:40And I found a love letter from Stephanie.
00:42I've done everything it takes to get to the top.
00:4414 times WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
00:47Triple H.
00:47Triple H.
00:48Actually petitioned for me to be fired.
00:55Triple H has proven himself.
00:57As a wrestler, talent scout, businessman, and creative head of WWE shows.
01:03But all of this started much earlier than many think.
01:07Triple H was already a successful businessman before he became a wrestler.
01:12He regularly visited Gold's Gym in Nashua, New Hampshire.
01:16Later began working there.
01:18Took over the gym.
01:19And became rich.
01:21Until his professional wrestling contract in 1994, he ran the fitness studio.
01:27Triple H wanted to take responsibility and he was good at it.
01:31His relentless work ethic, professionalism, and emotional intelligence repeatedly placed him in leadership roles.
01:38For success, Triple H also left behind close relationships.
01:43He cut off contact with wrestler friends because he felt they didn't take their training seriously enough.
01:49He had a long-term girlfriend who was already thinking about marriage.
01:54But Triple H broke up to focus on wrestling.
01:57He wanted to move on to the next chapter without distractions.
02:02The next chapter of his professional success was his breakthrough in wrestling.
02:07He delivered in front of the cameras but also behind the curtain.
02:11Triple H was bold.
02:12He repeatedly came to Vince McMahon with his booking ideas.
02:17He did it so cleverly that Vince entrusted him with creative responsibility.
02:22As early as 1997, he worked with Vince McMahon and Vince Russo on key ideas for the Attitude Era.
02:30Without Triple H, this wrestling boom period would have been very different.
02:35Segments like the DX invasion on Nitro were his idea.
02:40Furthermore, he scouted talents early on.
02:43When he saw the impressive Chyna, for example, in a gym in 1996, he was impressed by her looks.
02:50He persuaded Vince to sign her.
02:53At the same time, he also started a romantic relationship with Chyna.
03:001997, Montreal Screwjob.
03:02Bret Hart is cheated out of his title by Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels.
03:08Paul and Shawn were best friends.
03:10It is assumed that Triple H knew exactly what was going on.
03:14Bret's wife, Julie, confronts him afterward.
03:17Because you guys knew it.
03:19I swear to God.
03:19You knew it from the very beginning.
03:23Just forever Sunday, huh, Jordan.
03:25What goes around comes around.
03:27Although Triple H shamefully insists here that he had nothing to do with the cheating,
03:32it was later proven that he had lied.
03:35He was even the one who first suggested the idea.
03:39He was the main reason why Vince even considered this solution.
03:44Triple H has always been good at choosing sides.
03:47Usually, he chose the side that brought him more influence in the long run.
03:51Not Bret's side, but Shawn's.
03:54Not WCW's side, but WWE's.
03:58And perhaps most notably, not his ex-girlfriend Chyna's side,
04:03but that of Stephanie McMahon, the daughter of his boss.
04:15Backstage at WWE, employees and wrestlers have long been gossiping about Triple H.
04:21He's said to have married Stephanie exactly because she was Vince's daughter.
04:25But their love is genuine.
04:27They truly fell for each other.
04:29Before Triple H was quite popular with other female wrestlers,
04:33he was with Chyna, who still raved on how good of a lover he was long after their relationship had
04:39ended.
04:39Pretty good lover.
04:41But Stephanie was special.
04:43In the eyes of Triple H, she was the most special young woman in the world.
04:48Stephanie was strong, confident, articulate, and hot.
04:53She took on responsibilities at WWE in her early twenties.
04:58On the other hand, Triple H also wanted responsibility.
05:02His dream was not to be a secondhand man to Vince McMahon.
05:07His dream was to lead the company.
05:10Certainly seducing the boss's daughter would have been an attractive prospect for the power-hungry Triple H.
05:15Being Stephanie's boyfriend would lend him a unique status in WWE.
05:21He wanted that special status.
05:24Stephanie's father, Vince, forbade Stephanie from dating wrestlers.
05:28But such bans usually have the opposite effect.
05:32In conversations, Vince often slipped in a comment that Stephanie should find a man who's like Triple H.
05:38Not Triple H himself, but a man who is like Triple H.
05:43Triple H has always been drawn to powerful women.
05:46He had a five-year relationship with Chyna.
05:49However, the two constantly clashed.
05:52Different plans for the future.
05:54Triple H wanted children.
05:56Chyna didn't.
05:57And Chyna's drug addiction was getting worse.
06:01The relationship was on the brink of collapse.
06:05Triple H just couldn't understand why Chyna kept taking drugs.
06:09He himself has a healthy lifestyle.
06:12He doesn't drink alcohol.
06:13Nor does he have any desire for a rush or high.
06:17His craving is for power.
06:20Influence.
06:21Significance.
06:22In personality and social psychology, people like Triple H are called power-oriented individuals.
06:31These people are so shaped by the need for power that they subordinate everything else.
06:36There are research findings suggesting that these individuals are less prone to risky behaviors like alcohol or drug abuse to
06:45avoid jeopardizing their success and influence.
06:48An explanation for this is provided by the psychological self-determination theory.
06:55Vince McMahon is a power-oriented person.
06:57Characterized by an authoritarian personality type, dominance, ambition and competitiveness, self-confidence, low tolerance for uncertainty and risk.
07:08All qualities we also find in Triple H.
07:12Triple H was still with Chyna when he fell in love with Stephanie.
07:16They had a good rapport.
07:19Stephanie fell for Triple H because he was very self-assured and charming.
07:23Because he reminded her of her father.
07:26An absolute workhorse.
07:29Business is his number one priority.
07:31They just got along very well.
07:36When they were booked into a joint love storyline, things took off.
07:41Triple H flirted with her in a very special way.
07:44At a WWE event, Triple H had a match and Stephanie was at ringside.
07:50He was outside the ring, crawling around Stephanie McMahon and stroking her legs.
07:56He sort of crawled around me.
07:58He was, you know, on the floor and he felt my leg.
08:00And I was like, that's definitely flirtation.
08:03For a year, Triple H was juggling two relationships at the same time.
08:07Still with Chyna, but secretly meeting Steph.
08:11Eventually, Chyna found a note from Stephanie in Triple H's wallet.
08:16And I found a love letter from Stephanie that had dated a year back.
08:20When I found out, I was devastated.
08:22Especially when it's with the boss's daughter.
08:25For Chyna, the whole world fell apart.
08:28Jim Ross said she never recovered from this heartbreak.
08:31So we got into a heated argument.
08:34I told him I know something's going on.
08:37Don't tell me something's not going on.
08:39He swiped my hand.
08:41I swiped his hand.
08:43I knew at that point I had to leave.
08:45Backstage, she began spreading dirty rumors about Triple H.
08:49Soon everyone knew he had cheated on her.
08:52Even at media events, Triple H was asked about it.
08:56You know, you kind of partway get back together.
08:59You weren't cheating, you're saying?
09:00Yeah, I don't see things the same way she does.
09:02You know, the guy always sees it that way.
09:04This sparked a power struggle.
09:06Vince McMahon was annoyed by the whole relationship drama.
09:09Especially because his daughter was involved.
09:12He had a serious talk with Stephanie and made it clear.
09:15You have to stop dating Triple H.
09:18Like Romeo and Juliet, their love affair was forbidden by Father Vince.
09:23So he let us come together and then he made us be apart.
09:26And we came back together again.
09:27And if it was meant to be, you know, it was meant to be.
09:29You're talking about in real life.
09:31Yeah.
09:31Your father said you can be together and then said stop being together.
09:34And you stopped.
09:35Yep.
09:36Wow.
09:38Wow.
09:39But Stephanie and Triple H had grown pretty good at keeping their secret dating life on the hush.
09:45Even his relationship with China, Triple H managed to keep secret for a while.
09:50He was used to it.
09:52Stephanie and Triple H continued to meet.
09:54He always gave Steph his hotel room number over the phone.
09:58Soon after, his lover would knock, usually in the middle of the night,
10:02so that wrestler colleagues wouldn't notice.
10:05Meanwhile, Chyna and Stephanie were spreading nasty rumors about each other backstage.
10:11Stephanie complained to her father about China's drug addiction and disparaged her publicly.
10:17In 2001, WWE parted ways with Chyna.
10:21Stephanie was relieved when she was finally gone.
10:24Until her death, Chyna claimed Vince had kicked her out because of the relationship drama,
10:29because of the rumors Stephanie spread about her.
10:32Part of the truth is, however, her contract expired, and it was her choice not to re-sign at a
10:39slightly lower salary.
10:44July 27th, 2004.
10:47A hot summer evening in Los Angeles.
10:50Chyna sits tense and nervous on a hard couch in the studio with talk show host Howard Stern.
10:57Known for his indiscreet manner, he asks her about her sex life with Triple H, whether they had anal sex.
11:04Chyna laughs about it years later, drunk.
11:08I remember when, like, um, Howard Stern asked me if we did it in the butt.
11:13And, um, I said yes.
11:16I was like, yeah, we did it in the butt.
11:18Hey!
11:19Triple H watches the show and is beside himself.
11:22For calling me and, like, being, like, so, so freaking mad at me.
11:30Chyna met a sad end.
11:32She never found the love and happiness she had with Triple H again.
11:37She struggled with depression until she was found dead in her lonely apartment in 2016.
11:43She died of a drug overdose, a mix of alcohol, psychotropic drugs, painkillers, and sleeping pills.
12:00Triple H and Stephanie married in 2003.
12:03They have three daughters and are still together.
12:07They are made for each other.
12:08But rumors circulate about alleged opportunism in the relationship.
12:13Triple H would marry Stephanie out of Machiavellian calculation.
12:17But whether that's true, fans in forums can't judge at all.
12:23Triple H is part of the powerful McMahon family.
12:26Brother-in-law Shane doesn't really like him.
12:29Stephanie and Vince, on the other hand, love him.
12:33As part of the McMahon family, his word carried weight.
12:36But his opinions weren't always best for business.
12:39In 2002, Triple H pushed for John Cena to be fired.
12:43He was too bland.
12:45His start wasn't promising.
12:46But Vince stuck with Cena and made him into a huge star.
12:51Triple H didn't see the potential in CM Punk either.
12:54He schemed against him behind the scenes.
12:58He's never liked me.
13:00Ever since I got my job in 2005, he actually petitioned for me to be fired.
13:08CM Punk wears his heart on his sleeve.
13:11He speaks his mind.
13:13After leaving WWE, he shot against the McMahons.
13:17He said Triple H would constantly kiss Vince's ass.
13:21That he would do anything for him.
13:25Triple H strives for power like few others.
13:28But he also delivers.
13:29His career is marked by hard work and perseverance.
13:34Many wrestlers behind the curtain say that Triple H is one of the best wrestlers.
14:05The relationship between Vince and his son-in-law Triple H is very special.
14:09Vince likes Triple H and they have a respectful and good rapport with each other.
14:14Even before Triple H dated Stephanie, Vince gave him important backstage tasks.
14:19This shows how much trust Vince has in him.
14:22In interviews, Triple H jokingly says he fell in love with Vince first and then with Stephanie.
14:28Vince sleeps about three hours a night and spends just about the remainder of the day working.
14:34And he expects Triple H to put in a similarly gigantic amount of effort.
14:39Anyone who wants to be at the top in WWE has to work from dawn till dusk.
14:45This applies to the main eventers in the ring.
14:48But also to the higher ups behind the scenes.
14:51You have to work your ass off harder than everybody else.
14:54It's the stuff that nobody sees that you do that makes you successful.
14:57To me it's just you do the work in life and everything else fall.
15:01He was often the first backstage and the first in the gym.
15:04While colleagues were still dozing in their hotel rooms with hangovers.
15:10Triple H was already giving his all to the sport. Sweating at the bench press.
15:15The gym taught me everything you need to succeed in life which is the harder you work the more you
15:20put in the more you get out.
15:22This is what surprises WWE colleagues about Triple H.
15:26He seems to have the ability to live a completely disciplined life.
15:30Even Nash once said Triple H is the kind of guy who never misses a workout.
15:35Doesn't smoke or drink.
15:37Doesn't do drugs.
15:38And doesn't struggle with other common vices.
15:41This allows him to invest this incredible amount of time in his work.
15:47Wake up at 5.30am.
15:49Breakfast for the kids.
15:50Pack their lunches.
15:52Drive the kids to school.
15:53Then the work day begins.
15:55While Triple H and Stephanie work late into the night.
15:59A nanny takes care of their three daughters.
16:02They try to be back in time to tuck the kids in.
16:06Then it's off to the gym.
16:07Stephanie and Triple H had a hectic schedule at times.
16:11In 2016 their pace of life reached unmatched heights.
16:15They go to bed at 1am.
16:17Four and a half hours of sleep per night.
16:20At least one more than Vince McMahon.
16:22Vince is Triple H as big promoter.
16:25And saw great potential in him.
16:27He gave him one title after the next.
16:30Career opportunity after career opportunity.
16:33And Triple H took advantage of those opportunities.
16:37In the ring.
16:38As well as backstage.
16:40In 2010 he officially moved up the corporate hierarchy.
16:44When he was appointed executive senior advisor.
16:47In 2013 the promotion followed.
16:49He now had responsibility for NXT.
16:52And turned the dull WWE developmental territory.
16:56Into the hottest and best brand of wrestling.
16:58In the world.
16:59At times.
17:00When I started.
17:01It was hard to get in the business.
17:02I wanted to change all that.
17:04He is developing the next crop.
17:07Of WWE superstars.
17:09205 Live United Kingdom Championship.
17:12May Young Classic.
17:15But Triple H still had a say in the main shows Raw and Smackdown.
17:19He and Vince exchanged a lot of ideas about storylines.
17:23And argued over booking decisions.
17:25This often led to conflicts.
17:27Vince McMahon was not a proponent of the women's revolution at WWE.
17:31But Stephanie and Triple H talked him into it.
17:36Convinced him to give women a chance.
17:38With success.
17:40It was never about treating the women any differently.
17:43It was about treating them like the athletes that they are.
17:46World-class athletes.
17:48Triple H was often dissatisfied with how Vince haphazardly used his young talents.
17:54Many just disappeared into oblivion.
17:56And Triple H was annoyed by the untapped potential.
17:59Additionally, Triple H stood up for his friends.
18:03He wanted his buddy Randy Orton to win against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2016.
18:09But Vince ensured that his beast prevailed.
18:12The conflicts between the two over the years were numerous.
18:16But they always managed to come together.
18:18Triple H remained one of Vince's central confidants.
18:21In 2020, the next promotion followed.
18:24Triple H was given the additional task of establishing further NXT locations
18:29worldwide.
18:30In 2022, he hung up his boots in the ring and ended his career.
18:36Severe health problems followed.
18:39When NXT became NXT 2.0, there was a long period where Triple H wasn't backstage.
18:46Because Triple H had almost lost his life.
18:49He had serious heart problems.
18:51A blockage in his main artery.
18:53A common consequence of steroid abuse.
18:56Triple H had to have a pacemaker implanted.
18:59This interview shows how much it affected him.
19:02If they tell you you're going to die on Tuesday, no one is going to go,
19:09well shit, I have a board meeting on Friday.
19:12After this setback, Triple H recovered.
19:15Just as he was feeling better, news came that would change everything.
19:21Breaking news now.
19:23The stone cold stunner wrestling fans thought they would never see.
19:26Vince McMahon retiring as chairman and CEO of WWE.
19:30Head of the WWE is out.
19:32Retiring.
19:33The allegations against Vince McMahon are serious.
19:37Sexual abuse.
19:38Hush money payments.
19:39Illegal use of company funds.
19:41$12 billion to four women.
19:44Cover up allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity.
19:47Vince resigned from all offices and appointed Triple H as the new head of creative.
19:54This news sent shockwaves through the wrestling world.
19:57A positive shockwave.
19:59Because Triple H, while not everybody's darling, is much more popular than Vince.
20:05The result was that many former WWE stars wanted to return to the market leader.
20:11Especially former NXT wrestlers trained by Triple H himself.
20:15Triple H is an excellent mentor.
20:17Interpersonally, he has repeatedly shown his knack for handling talents well.
20:22He leads much more humanely than Vince.
20:29When Vince didn't renew Page's contract shortly before his departure, she was devastated.
20:35In her shock, she called Triple H.
20:39He didn't know about it.
20:40Had nothing to do with it.
20:42But she says he was understanding and compassionate.
20:46This socially savvy Triple H now runs WWE.
20:50Vince rarely appears at the shows backstage anymore.
20:53He has been banned from the creative team and has no say in booking regular shows anymore.
21:01Vince still took care of the sale to Endeavor.
21:04Perhaps the last big business decision of his life.
21:07Because others have now taken his place.
21:13Vince can't do without WWE.
21:16He still appears from time to time backstage at selected events.
21:21He now moves like an old man.
21:24His age is catching up with him.
21:27Some wrestlers are confused by this great authority figure.
21:30Who now wanders through the arenas without a purpose.
21:34It's a mixture of fear and ominous wonder that they feel.
21:39Others look forward to meeting him at work.
21:42Brock Lesnar, John Cena and The Undertaker like to have Vince around.
21:48The man who opened so many doors for them.
21:52When Vince stepped down, his wife Linda sarcastically said he now had to find a new purpose in life.
21:58You know what? He'll just be deciding on how he's going to spend his free time.
22:03I think that's a good thing.
22:05WWE had been his purpose in life for decades.
22:08A purpose that consumed everything else.
22:11Including his marriage.
22:13Linda and Vince are still married.
22:15But they are very distant.
22:17They rarely see each other.
22:19Haven't lived together for decades.
22:22Linda focuses on other projects.
22:24Is only sporadically involved with WWE.
22:28Behind closed doors it's said there was a lot of conflict for a while.
22:31But the McMahon's were always good at not making family matters public.
22:38Accusations that Vince cheated on his wife with other younger women are not new to her.
22:44It's a sad excuse for a marriage.
22:46But that's the price Vince paid.
22:49He built an empire of power in the business he loves above all else.
22:54What about Vince's daughter Stephanie and the head of creative Triple H?
22:59They are still married.
23:01But they too seem distant at times.
23:04Stephanie focuses on the children and other projects and tends not to spend much time actively involved in WWE business.
23:11Behind closed doors it's said there was a lot of conflict for a while.
23:16But the McMahon's were always good at not making family matters public.
23:21Triple H rarely invests his time in romantic evenings with Steph.
23:25Instead he invests it in creative meetings and workouts.
23:30Still his wife is very proud of him and they seem to have a happy family.
23:34Paul Levesque is exactly where he wants to be.
23:38At the top of the mountain in the business he loves above all else.
24:11He also never Busy.
24:11He haswl, He will always be.
24:16He means that he will always pump him down.
24:19He can destroy me.
24:19And I must rain on him over again.
24:20There is one city he only buys.
24:20He only a few people a little bit.
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