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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,
00:19you 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,
00:28has been planning this for a long time, decades.
00:31And he did it cunningly, a 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.
01:17Took 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.
01:29And he was good at it.
01:31His relentless work ethic, professionalism and emotional intelligence repeatedly placed
01:37him 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
01:48seriously enough.
01:49He had a long-term girlfriend who was already thinking about marriage.
01:53But Triple H broke up to focus on wrestling.
01:56He 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
02:29era.
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.
02:591997, Montreal Screwjob.
03:02Bret Hart is cheated out of his title by Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels.
03:07Paul 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.
03:19Knew it from the very beginning.
03:23Just forever Sunday, huh, Joel.
03:25What goes around comes around.
03:27Although Triple H shamefully insists here that he had nothing to do with the cheating,
03:31it 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, but that of Stephanie McMahon.
04:05The 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 20s.
04:58On the other hand, Triple H also wanted responsibility.
05:03His dream was not to be a second-hand 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.
05:29But 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.
05:58And Chyna's drug addiction was getting worse.
06:01The relationship was on the brink of collapse.
06:04Triple 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, influence, significance.
06:22In personality and social psychology, people like Triple H are called power-oriented individuals.
06:30These 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
06:42like alcohol or drug abuse to avoid jeopardizing their success and influence.
06:48An explanation for this is provided by the psychological self-determination theory.
06:54Vince McMahon is a power-oriented person characterized by an authoritarian personality type,
07:01dominance, ambition and competitiveness, self-confidence, low tolerance for uncertainty and risk.
07:08All qualities we also find in Triple H.
07:13Triple 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 and it…
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.
09:25And 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.
09:44Even 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, China 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 China.
10:21Stephanie was relieved when she was finally gone.
10:24Until her death, China 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,
10:36and it was her choice not to re-sign at a slightly lower salary.
10:43Thrust into the limelight like that overnight.
10:47She went from being at home to being on the road immediately.
10:51But in every segment, there was Triple H by her side with a steady hand to guide her.
10:58You know, the Greeks used to always say the perfect form and they'd make these statues and stuff.
11:03I can always envision her body as one of those statues because it's like the perfect form.
11:08Johnny and Hunter grew up in the same town, trained in the same wrestling school,
11:13and even now, they realized they were living only a few blocks away from each other.
11:18I remember the first time they came to my house as a couple.
11:22They were so happy together.
11:24He liked China's competitive spirit and that she could match him and his best friend Shawn Michaels
11:30not only in terms of confidence, but also in the gym.
11:33I've never met somebody that can train as focused or hard as China does.
11:40I just saw her as a person and to be quite honest, I'm impressed.
11:45They worked out together every day, pushing themselves to the absolute limit.
11:55I'd be on the recumbent cycle and I would just watch them do each other's elbows and chalk up
12:04In their stable DX, Hunter and Shawn did a lot of silly segments.
12:09Meanwhile, Chyna was staring at the camera, unimpressed.
12:13But behind the scenes, Chyna loved to join in on the fun.
12:17She got along with everyone in DX.
12:20One of the things that a lot of fans don't realize is the camaraderie that is inside a
12:26wrestling company like the WWE.
12:29She found some relationships in DX that she hadn't had.
12:33Chris Jericho found himself in a difficult position because he agreed to wrestle Chyna.
12:39I got in big trouble from working with her.
12:41Vince was like, don't treat her like a woman, treat her like a wrestler.
12:45And I remember one time, she got a little bit of a black eye from me.
12:49And you would have thought I'd cut her arm off with a chainsaw.
12:52Like I got in so much trouble and I was like, fuck, I didn't do it on purpose.
12:56Triple H's protective instinct didn't help the situation at all.
13:00Many wrestlers walked on eggshells around Chyna because they thought if they did something
13:06wrong, she would tell her boyfriend about it and they were in trouble.
13:10Complaining about getting beat up by a woman?
13:13Here she met an invisible barrier she could not break through.
13:17It was getting more and more obvious to Vince McMahon that there was no future for her
13:23in the men's division.
13:26Chyna was also experiencing some ups and downs in her relationship with Vince McMahon.
13:30Triple H.
13:31He was involved in an on-screen relationship with Stephanie McMahon, who up until this point
13:36had been an avid supporter of Chyna because of her strong personality and competitive mindset.
13:42But the storyline was getting realer by the second, as Triple H and Stephanie actually fell
13:48in love with each other.
13:50Chyna was suspicious, but she didn't want to be seen as overbearing and clingy.
13:55She had faith in Hunter.
13:57However, all this uncertainty left her in a vulnerable position.
14:02She was a star without a platform.
14:05Until she met Triple H.
14:08Chyna and I could see the sides of her and we're like, holy .
14:12Triple H was immediately impressed with Joanie's unique look, her drive, and the way she handled
14:18herself both in and out of the ring.
14:21He and Shawn Michaels pushed for her to get hired in a groundbreaking role, a female bodyguard.
14:28But Vince McMahon didn't think anyone would be afraid of a woman.
14:32Eric Bischoff, who was leading the rival promotion WCW, however, saw Joanie's potential and made her a contract offer to
14:40bring her in.
14:44This, along with the advocacy of Triple H and Shawn Michaels, was enough to change Vince's mind.
14:51Within three years, Chyna reached the pinnacle of her career.
14:55She broke down barriers, made history, and became one of the most famous women on the planet.
15:02Personal life was also going downhill.
15:04She found a note from Stephanie confessing her love for Triple H tucked away in one of his suitcases.
15:11I found a love letter from Stephanie that had dated a year back.
15:16So, the whole time they were doing the storyline, basically they were together.
15:21When she found out her boyfriend had been cheating on her for over a year, Chyna was devastated.
15:28Being Chyna, the strong woman, she tried to go on like nothing happened.
15:33She went to the gym like she always did.
15:36There, she found her friend, Mick Foley.
15:39I remember being on either the bike or the Stairmaster and she got on the apparatus next to me.
15:47We started talking and she broke down in tears.
15:51She and Triple H had been separated, but Chyna still believed they could work things out.
15:59She never expected to be replaced this quickly.
16:03Her initial sadness then turned to anger.
16:06The next time she saw Stephanie backstage, she confronted her and backed her into a corner.
16:13Chyna threatened her, saying,
16:15You better call your dad in here, because I'm going to choke you out.
16:19Her emotions had gotten the better of her.
16:22But after rumors spread backstage, she tried not to cause any more drama and instead focused on saving her career.
16:31With her ex-boyfriend now dating the boss's daughter, Chyna's future in the company was anything but certain.
16:38The end of her contract was coming up and it was time to renegotiate.
16:42She was offered $400,000 a year guaranteed, but she refused to sign for a salary of less than $1
16:50million a year.
16:52She wanted equal pay to the guys.
16:54She was one of the main faces of the company that she busted her ass to become.
16:59Listen, you ungrateful bitch! If it wasn't for me, you'd be nothing! You got that?
17:06I made you! You know **** well! I can break you!
17:12Chyna was released on November 30th, 2001.
17:16Remember when, like, Howard Stern asked me if we did it in the butt? And, um, I said yes. And
17:25Hunter calling me and, like, being, like, so, so freaking mad at me.
17:33There are rules that come with getting inducted into the Hall of Fame.
17:38At the time, Triple H had three young daughters, all under the age of 10.
17:44He was afraid that if Chyna was inducted into the Hall of Fame, they would find out about his involvement
17:49with her and her past in the adult entertainment industry.
17:53One week before she died, Chyna called the office of WWE, but no one picked up the phone.
17:59No one called her back. There was Triple H.
18:03As the years went on, he wondered if he made a mistake.
18:06How things might have gone if he had handled their situation differently.
18:11When Triple H was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025, he talked about all the people that helped
18:17him over the years.
18:18People that would take a bullet for him. All the support that Chyna didn't have.
18:25Everybody is a product of the people around them and what it leads them to do.
18:30Then he talked about his daughter, Murphy.
18:34She plays in the boys football team in high school.
18:37She's a running back on that team.
18:40And when I asked her why she wanted to play football with boys in high school, she said,
18:46because I want to prove to myself that I can.
18:49It was as simple as that.
18:54Take on the world, Murphy. You can do it all.
18:56When Chris Jericho and head writer Brian Gwertz came up with the concept for Money in the Bank, Edge wasn't
19:03interested.
19:03He just wanted a singles match at WrestleMania 21.
19:07The idea was that the winner of a ladder match would get a world title shot the next night on
19:12Raw.
19:13But Edge had had world title matches before.
19:16It wasn't until they changed the concept to where the winner could cash in at any time of their choosing
19:22that Edge saw an opportunity.
19:24One that would change the course of his career.
19:27However, the creative team only wanted him as a contestant, not as the winner.
19:32Bruce Prichard and Triple H were opposed to giving Edge this opportunity.
19:38Triple H in particular did not believe in Edge.
19:40This led to some resentment between the two, but no lasting hostility.
19:45It didn't matter what Triple H thought, because Edge was backed by an even more powerful supporter.
19:52Vince McMahon was singularly in his corner.
19:55And Vince doesn't make a call like this if he doesn't believe in a wrestler 100%.
20:00At a licensing convention in the year 2000, the former WCW star approached Triple H in the WWE booth
20:09and launched into a profanity-laced tirade, threatening to kick his ass in front of business executives.
20:17The bad blood between them ran into their feud.
20:21Triple H made fun of Goldberg's self-inflicted injury in WCW
20:25and criticized him for being absent for months during a crucial time for the company.
20:31Triple H even publicly criticized Punk's first title reign as disappointing.
20:36The title doesn't make the guy. The guy makes the title.
20:40And I think it was kind of like the championship was trying to make him.
20:47And I don't think it works that way.
20:48A long-standing feud developed between Triple H and Punk, but never with heated arguments,
20:56more like underlying negativity towards each other.
21:00I knew, I mean, he never liked me. Me and him in a room together, never any good vibes.
21:05Always negative, the way he would always look sideways at me, the way he always treated me.
21:11But by this time, Triple H was already Vince McMahon's right-hand man.
21:16His word carried weight.
21:19Vince decided that Punk should be stripped of the title.
21:22Randy Orton hit him with a punt kick in a backstage attack.
21:25Oh my God!
21:27According to the storyline, this left Punk unable to defend the title.
21:32In reality, Punk actually did get injured and he handled it unprofessionally.
21:37One of the writers came up to me with a big smile on his face.
21:41He goes, you're gonna love this.
21:42They're gonna give you a microphone and they want you to air your grievances.
21:44And I just looked at him and I was like, well, surely you can't be serious.
21:47Management told Punk that he could actually say anything he wanted.
21:52Vince's idea was for Punk to vent his frustrations, hoping it would make him feel better.
21:57That's exactly what he did.
21:59And I'd like to think this company will be better after Vince McMahon's dead.
22:04But the fact is, it's gonna get taken over by his idiotic daughter and his doofus son-in-law
22:09and the rest of his stupid family.
22:12Maybe I'll go back to Ring of Honor.
22:14Hey Cole Cabana, how you doing?
22:17Punk was unapologetically himself, wreaking havoc on the mic.
22:22But he crossed a line when he wanted to tell a private story about Vince McMahon.
22:27January 27th, 2014, the time had come.
22:32The volcano erupted.
22:34I went into their office and I was like, I'm going home.
22:38And they're like, what do you mean you're going home?
22:40And I was like, I'm going home.
22:41And I just looked Vince in the eye and I said, I do not love this anymore.
22:45I have zero passion for this and I don't want to do it anymore.
22:50Vince responded with a suggestion.
22:51Punk should win against Triple H at WrestleMania.
22:55But Punk refused.
22:57Turned to Triple H and had some harsh words for him.
23:00I do not need to wrestle you.
23:02You need to wrestle me.
23:04I do not want to wrestle you.
23:05I seriously resent you for not putting me over three years ago when you should have.
23:11Stubborn as he is, Punk stuck to his guns.
23:15He wanted the WrestleMania main event.
23:18Triple H tried to mediate.
23:20He said that Punk was one of the company's most important stars.
23:24But Punk had a counter for that too.
23:27I turned to him and I said, tell me that I got paid the same amount of money as you,
23:32Brock, Cena, Rock.
23:33He had nothing to say. He didn't say anything.
23:36The salary figures made clear what Punk had known all along.
23:40Management didn't see him as a top star.
23:43Many earned more than him.
23:45Punk left.
23:47Vince hugged him goodbye with tears in his eyes.
23:51Triple H shook his hand.
23:54It's my regret that we couldn't get past all this stuff with him.
23:58But if he didn't want to be here anymore, if this wasn't his passion anymore, then he shouldn't be here.
24:02You can't do this job if you don't love it.
24:04Head of Developmental Triple H had numerous arguments with CM Punk.
24:08The same arguments later came up between Triple H and Rollins.
24:13It was arrogance.
24:15Thinking you're the best.
24:16Not letting anyone change your mind.
24:19Criticizing everyone.
24:21But not being able to take any criticism yourself.
24:25Shortly after arriving in NXT, he had a falling out with his boss.
24:30He and I had a lot of conflicts over this.
24:33And he had it with the trainers.
24:35He had it with the coaches.
24:36He just felt like he knew.
24:39And he wasn't going to hear it from anybody else.
24:43Rollins had no sense of authority.
24:45No sense of respect for legends of the sport who tried to give him some pointers.
24:51Sometimes he went so far as to tell his trainers in front of everyone else that they were doing a
24:56move wrong.
24:57And that he could show them how it's really done.
25:00Terry Taylor is a wrestling legend, coach at NXT, and friend of Triple H.
25:06Together with Shawn Michaels, Taylor led the finishing class.
25:10The last of four stages before talents move up to the main shows.
25:14This is where the finishing touches are supposed to happen.
25:17But Seth Rollins didn't want to be fine-tuned.
25:21Triple H was getting ready to get Seth and call him up to the main roster.
25:25And I said, he's not ready. He's immature.
25:29There were debates behind the scenes about whether Seth was ready for Raw or SmackDown.
25:35Terry Taylor said he wasn't.
25:37He had had enough of a rebellious indie star who claimed that his way of wrestling was the only way.
25:45You have to get rid of what you believe got you here.
25:48Because what got you here won't get you there, which is the main roster.
25:54And Triple H was ready to do that.
25:58I had never met my biological father.
26:00So he is like my wrestling father.
26:03And then finally, it came to a moment where he and Triple H had a big talk because I threw
26:09my hands up.
26:09I said, he's either got to go with you or got to go.
26:13And we had a conversation right there.
26:15This is it.
26:16So you changed today.
26:18The first whiff I catch of this again and we're done.
26:21I have two seconds away from pulling you out of this whole thing.
26:23I need to know right now, you either get on this program or you can go tell me how great
26:29you are someplace else.
26:30And he, you know, swore to me up and down that he finally understood.
26:35This was exactly what he needed.
26:38Someone to show him his limits.
26:42Despite everything that had happened, Triple H liked Seth, arrogant as he was.
26:47He reminded him of his best friend Shawn Michaels when he was younger.
26:52This sympathy covered Seth's weaknesses.
26:55And he started working on himself.
26:57I wanted to be the face of that brand.
27:02When we put the NXT title on, it was a big deal for everybody.
27:06They saw this as this incredible moment of like, oh my God, this is going to be the first one.
27:11So there was a ton of people in this business asking me, why are you doing it with him?
27:15Because that was my call.
27:17I can get how talented he is, but he's the biggest problem we have.
27:20Don't go with him.
27:21It was a controversial decision, but Triple H stood by it.
27:26He and Seth had developed a sort of father-son relationship.
27:30The era of Zabrales has begun.
27:36So I said, all right, this is over right now.
27:38I'm going to forget about it.
27:39We're going to go do business together.
27:42Don't make me sorry.
27:43Working with Triple H so closely, you learn somewhat.
27:48You learn to think of things not in terms of moves or action, but in terms of story and the
27:56moment.
27:57Much like a full circle moment United Champion.
28:00Almost like a wormhole back in time.
28:02The NXT to that first championship match to him being there to raise my hand.
28:07It was very surreal.
28:10He said something to me along the lines of we've come a long way when we were in there together.
28:16Couldn't have meant more that it was us a whole decade later pushing the industry forward one more time.
28:23Triple H put Rollins in the main events of WrestleMania 40 and 41 and Rollins even won the triple threat
28:31against CM Punk and Roman Reigns.
28:34He feels that Triple H has his back.
28:37Something he rarely felt in his childhood and youth.
28:41The feeling of having a father figure.
28:44I needed someone to be hard on me.
28:47I needed someone to believe in me.
28:49If I can be a Triple H to somebody's Seth Rollins, then I will have done right by him.
28:57Triple H is like the father that Rollins never had.
29:01A proud biased supporter who talks him out of his self-doubt, encourages him and tells him what he loves
29:09to hear.
29:10That he is great.
29:11Seth Rollins became more mature over time.
29:14In recent years his arrogance has faded, but it has never quite disappeared.
29:19Shane had one goal.
29:21He wanted to work his way up to eventually replace his father and become the CEO of WWE himself.
29:30Shane absolutely wanted to be the next McMahon and he always figured he would be.
29:36Did I envision myself being next in line to do certain things?
29:41Sure, from the standpoint of I just want to continue the family business.
29:47Shane became more and more of a creative entrepreneur.
29:51Many of WWE's good business decisions can be traced back to Shane McMahon.
29:55He was partly responsible for building their huge internet presence and generating interest on social media.
30:03Early on he had the idea for cinematic matches.
30:06NXT was his idea too.
30:09It later blossomed under Triple H's leadership.
30:13Shane had many good ideas, but rarely got the appreciation he deserved.
30:18Much unlike Triple H.
30:39Shane McMahon and Triple H don't get along.
30:42In public they tried to downplay their differences, but it's now an open secret.
30:47Shane can't stand Triple H.
30:52My relationship with Paul?
30:54Yeah.
30:55He makes my sister happy and I'm very happy he does that.
30:57Sounds evasive.
30:59Not evasive.
31:00The conflict between the two has many causes.
31:03It all started when Triple H started dating Shane's sister, Stephanie.
31:08Before they got together, Steph said in an interview that a relationship with a wrestler wouldn't be good for business.
31:15If you're asking if I would ever date a wrestler, certainly I would, however it wouldn't be good business for
31:23me to get romantically involved with anyone in any aspect of our business.
31:28Vince put Triple H and Steph in a controversial storyline together.
31:33His line is, and Vince, it's not a question of if, but how many times.
31:40Consummate the marriage!
31:42My God, I cannot believe that!
31:44The two worked closely together, and thus, they spent a lot of time together.
31:49The McMahon-Helmsley era.
31:53That's where I'm with her every day.
31:56And that's how we get to know each other, really.
31:59Shane suspected there was something brewing between Triple H and Stephanie.
32:03When he confronted his sister about it, she denied it.
32:08However, shortly after, Triple H and Chyna, his then-girlfriend, had a very public falling out.
32:14Chyna found out he was cheating on her with Stephanie and told everyone about it backstage.
32:20The media quickly picked up on the topic, and everyone was talking about Shane's little sister's love life.
32:26I found a love letter from Stephanie that had dated a year back.
32:31When I found out, I was devastated, especially when it's with the boss's daughter.
32:36Shane was disappointed that Stephanie and Triple H had lied to him.
32:39That they kept their relationship hidden until Shane found out through rumors and media reports,
32:45not from his sister herself.
32:50The thing that didn't sit well with me is it was kept from me for a while.
32:56So, that didn't feel good.
32:58I would even lead and say, Steph, you need to find somebody, a real man, you know, someone like Triple
33:03H.
33:04And then my brother would say, not Triple H.
33:06And my dad would go, oh yeah, no, of course, not Triple H.
33:09But, you know, a guy just like him.
33:12During this time, Shane felt hurt by both his father and his sister.
33:16He only maintained a good connection with his mother.
33:19His wife backed him through this time and gave him support.
33:23Triple H announced their marriage plans.
33:26Shane protested.
33:28Shane was very much against it, vehemently so.
33:32You know, storylines 101, don't date the boss's daughter.
33:37To me, it made sense for Stephanie to date and marry someone like Paul.
33:43But there is one more level to the conflict between Shane and Triple H.
33:48Over the years, Triple H and Vince had become friends.
33:52And Triple H got many pats on the back.
33:55Paul is a wonderful human being.
33:57He and I were friends.
33:58Triple H was well respected in the locker room.
34:01He proved himself with creative story ideas and as a businessman.
34:06His ideas often found backing.
34:08Triple H earned McMahon's trust and recognition.
34:11Something that Shane had spent his whole life trying to achieve.
34:16Next to his father's new son-in-law, Shane felt overlooked.
34:21Shane still worked hard in his areas of responsibility.
34:25But for his father, it was never enough.
34:28Eventually, all the tension came to a head.
34:34After Shane's departure, Triple H became even more powerful.
34:38He developed into a respected leader behind the curtain, just like Vince.
34:43He was significantly involved in NXT.
34:46Something Shane would have liked to do.
34:48But Triple H was more of a leader type.
34:51You bastards.
34:56I said push the main roster.
34:59I said make it difficult for it.
35:00I didn't say make it impossible for us.
35:02Holy cow.
35:03Stephanie and Triple H now took on the responsibilities that in his father's eyes, Shane had failed to earn.
35:12Stephanie McMahon had been a television character for a long, long time.
35:15But behind the scenes, she became kind of like a public face of the company, chief brand officer.
35:20Paul Levesque, Triple H, was getting more and more influence on the creative side.
35:25Helping Vince, you know, kind of like number two.
35:28And where was Shane at that point?
35:31Shane was kind of out.
35:34Shane's dream of succeeding his father in the family business burst.
35:39Vince clearly chose Triple H for that role.
35:44It was almost like we were opposed on everything and we grew apart.
35:48He was a little bit of the black sheep of the family.
35:52And I never knew what the actual story was behind what happened with his relationship with his dad.
35:59We just weren't seeing eye to eye on certain things.
36:01But he's the boss and when he says we're painting something blue, we're painting it blue.
36:09Now business aspect was now largely excluded, but the family relationship remained strained.
36:15He reconciled with Stephanie, who felt awful about the situation.
36:20She saw how hard it was for Shane to accept that Triple H and Vince were going to run the
36:26company and not him.
36:29Stephanie loves all three of them.
36:31Her husband Triple H, her father Vince and her brother Shane.
36:35The conflicts that drove them apart were a great psychological burden for her.
36:40Meanwhile, Vince continued working.
36:43At WWE, he is considered a mentor.
36:46More than that, even.
36:48You hear people say this a lot in our business about Vince.
36:52Like, he was almost like a father to me.
36:54July 27th, 2004.
36:57A hot summer evening in Los Angeles.
37:00Chyna sits tense and nervous on a hard couch in the studio with talk show host Howard Stern.
37:06Known for his indiscreet manner, he asks her about her sex life with Triple H, whether they had anal sex.
37:14Chyna laughs about it years later, drunk.
37:18I remember when, like, Howard Stern asked me if we did it in the butt.
37:23And, um, I said yes.
37:26I was like, yeah, we did it in the butt.
37:28Hey!
37:29Triple H watches the show and is beside himself.
37:32For calling me and, like, being, like, so, so freaking mad at me.
37:40Chyna met a sad end.
37:42She never found the love and happiness she had with Triple H again.
37:47She struggled with depression until she was found dead in her lonely apartment in 2016.
37:54She died of a drug overdose, a mix of alcohol, psychotropic drugs, painkillers, and sleeping pills.
38:10Triple H and Stephanie married in 2003.
38:14They have three daughters and are still together.
38:17They are made for each other.
38:19But rumors circulate about alleged opportunism in the relationship.
38:23Triple H would marry Stephanie out of Machiavellian calculation.
38:27But whether that's true, fans in forums can't judge at all.
38:33Triple H is part of the powerful McMahon family.
38:36Brother-in-law Shane doesn't really like him.
38:39Stephanie and Vince, on the other hand, love him.
38:43As part of the McMahon family, his word carried weight.
38:47But his opinions weren't always best for business.
38:49In 2002, Triple H pushed for John Cena to be fired.
38:53He was too bland. His start wasn't promising.
38:56But Vince stuck with Cena and made him into a huge star.
39:01Triple H didn't see the potential in CM Punk either.
39:04He schemed against him behind the scenes.
39:08He's never liked me. Ever since when I got my job in 2005.
39:13He actually petitioned for me to be fired.
39:18CM Punk wears his heart on his sleeve.
39:21He speaks his mind.
39:23After leaving WWE, he shot against the McMahons.
39:27He said Triple H would constantly kiss Vince's ass.
39:31That he would do anything for him.
39:34Triple H strives for power like few others.
39:38But he also delivers.
39:40His career is marked by hard work and perseverance.
39:44Many wrestlers behind the curtain say that Triple H is one of the best wrestlers.
40:15The relationship between Vince and his son-in-law Triple H is very special.
40:19Vince likes Triple H and they have a respectful and good rapport with each other.
40:24Even before Triple H dated Stephanie, Vince gave him important backstage tasks.
40:29This shows how much trust Vince has in him.
40:32In interviews, Triple H jokingly says he fell in love with Vince first and then with Stephanie.
40:38Vince sleeps about three hours a night and spends just about the remainder of the day working.
40:44And he expects Triple H to put in a similarly gigantic amount of effort.
40:49Anyone who wants to be at the top in WWE has to work from dawn till dusk.
40:55This applies to the main eventers in the ring.
40:58But also to the higher ups behind the scenes.
41:01You have to work your ass off harder than everybody else.
41:04It's the stuff that nobody sees that you do that makes you successful.
41:07To me it's just you do the work in life and everything else fall.
41:11He was often the first backstage and the first in the gym.
41:15While colleagues were still dozing in their hotel rooms with hangovers.
41:19Triple H was already giving his all to the sport. Sweating at the bench press.
41:25The gym taught me everything you need to succeed in life.
41:28Which is the harder you work, the more you put in, the more you get out.
41:32This is what surprises WWE colleagues about Triple H.
41:36He seems to have the ability to live a completely disciplined life.
41:40Kevin Nash once said Triple H is the kind of guy who never misses a workout.
41:45Doesn't smoke or drink.
41:47Doesn't do drugs.
41:48And doesn't struggle with other common vices.
41:51This allows him to invest this incredible amount of time in his work.
41:57Wake up at 5.30am.
41:59Breakfast for the kids.
42:00Pack their lunches.
42:02Drive the kids to school.
42:03Then the work day begins.
42:06While Triple H and Stephanie work late into the night.
42:09A nanny takes care of their three daughters.
42:12They try to be back in time to tuck the kids in.
42:16Then it's off to the gym.
42:18Stephanie and Triple H had a hectic schedule at times.
42:21In 2016 their pace of life reached unmatched heights.
42:25They go to bed at 1am.
42:274.5 hours of sleep per night.
42:30At least one more than Vince McMahon.
42:33Vince is Triple H's big promoter and saw great potential in him.
42:37He gave him one title after the next.
42:40Career opportunity after career opportunity.
42:43And Triple H took advantage of those opportunities.
42:47In the ring as well as backstage.
42:49In 2010 he officially moved up the corporate hierarchy.
42:53When he was appointed executive senior advisor.
42:57In 2013 the promotion followed.
42:59He now had responsibility for NXT.
43:02And turned the dull WWE developmental territory.
43:06Into the hottest and best brand of wrestling in the world.
43:09At times.
43:10When I started it was hard to get in the business.
43:12I wanted to change all that.
43:14He is developing the next crop of WWE superstars.
43:19205 Live United Kingdom Championship.
43:22May Young Classic.
43:25But Triple H still had a say in the main shows Raw and Smackdown.
43:29He and Vince exchanged a lot of ideas about storylines.
43:33And argued over booking decisions.
43:35This often led to conflicts.
43:37Vince McMahon was not a proponent of the women's revolution at WWE.
43:42But Stephanie and Triple H talked him into it.
43:46Convinced him to give women a chance.
43:48With success.
43:50It was never about treating the women any differently.
43:54It was about treating them like the athletes that they are.
43:56World-class athletes.
43:58Triple H was often dissatisfied with how Vince haphazardly used his young talents.
44:04Many just disappeared into oblivion.
44:06And Triple H was annoyed by the untapped potential.
44:09Additionally, Triple H stood up for his friends.
44:14He wanted his buddy Randy Orton to win against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2016.
44:19But Vince ensured that his beast prevailed.
44:22The conflicts between the two over the years were numerous.
44:26But they always managed to come together.
44:28Triple H remained one of Vince's central confidants.
44:31In 2020 the next promotion followed.
44:34Triple H was given the additional task of establishing further NXT locations
44:39worldwide.
44:41In 2022 he hung up his boots in the ring.
44:44And ended his career.
44:46Severe health problems followed.
44:49When NXT became NXT 2.0.
44:52There was a long period where Triple H wasn't backstage.
44:56Because Triple H had almost lost his life.
44:59He had serious heart problems.
45:00A blockage in his main artery.
45:03A common consequence of steroid abuse.
45:06Triple H had to have a pacemaker implanted.
45:09This interview shows how much it affected him.
45:12If they tell you you're going to die on Tuesday, no one is going to go,
45:18Oh shit, I have a board meeting on Friday.
45:22After this setback, Triple H recovered.
45:26Just as he was feeling better, news came that would change everything.
45:31Breaking news now.
45:33The stone cold stunner wrestling fans thought they would never see.
45:36Vince McMahon retiring as chairman and CEO of WWE.
45:40Head of the WWE is out.
45:42Retiring.
45:43The allegations against Vince McMahon are serious.
45:47Sexual abuse.
45:48Hush money payments.
45:49Illegal use of company funds.
45:51$12 billion to four women.
45:54Cover up allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity.
45:57Vince resigned from all offices and appointed Triple H as the new head of creative.
46:04This news sent shockwaves through the wrestling world.
46:07A positive shockwave.
46:09Because Triple H, while not everybody's darling, is much more popular than Vince.
46:15The result was that many former WWE stars wanted to return to the market leader.
46:21Especially former NXT wrestlers trained by Triple H himself.
46:25Triple H is an excellent mentor.
46:27Interpersonally, he has repeatedly shown his knack for handling talents well.
46:32He leads much more humanely than Vince.
46:39When Vince didn't renew Page's contract shortly before his departure, she was devastated.
46:45In her shock, she called Triple H.
46:49He didn't know about it.
46:51Had nothing to do with it.
46:52But she says he was understanding and compassionate.
46:56This socially savvy Triple H now runs WWE.
46:59Vince rarely appears at the shows backstage anymore.
47:03He has been banned from the creative team and has no say in booking regular shows anymore.
47:11Vince still took care of the sale to Endeavor.
47:14Perhaps the last big business decision of his life.
47:17Because others have now taken his place.
47:24Vince can't do without WWE.
47:26He still appears from time to time backstage at selected events.
47:31He now moves like an old man.
47:34His age is catching up with him.
47:37Some wrestlers are confused by this great authority figure.
47:40Who now wanders through the arenas without a purpose.
47:44It's a mixture of fear and ominous wonder that they feel.
47:49Others look forward to meeting him at work.
47:52Brock Lesnar, John Cena and The Undertaker like to have Vince around.
47:58The man who opened so many doors for them.
48:02When Vince stepped down, his wife Linda sarcastically said he now had to find a new purpose in life.
48:09You know what?
48:10He'll just be deciding on how he's gonna spend his free time.
48:13I think that's a good thing.
48:14WWE had been his purpose in life for decades.
48:18A purpose that consumed everything else.
48:21Including his marriage.
48:23Linda and Vince are still married.
48:25But they are very distant.
48:27They rarely see each other.
48:29Haven't lived together.
48:30For decades.
48:32Linda focuses on other projects.
48:34Is only sporadically involved with WWE.
48:38Behind closed doors it said there was a lot of conflict for a while.
48:42But the McMahons were always good at not making family matters public.
48:48Accusations that Vince cheated on his wife with other younger women are not new to her.
48:54It's a sad excuse for a marriage.
48:56But that's the price Vince paid.
48:58He built an empire of power in the business he loves above all else.
49:05What about Vince's daughter Stephanie and the head of creative Triple H?
49:09They are still married.
49:11But they too seem distant at times.
49:14Stephanie focuses on the children and other projects.
49:17And tends not to spend much time actively involved in WWE business.
49:22Behind closed doors it's said there was a lot of conflict for a while.
49:26But the McMahons were always good at not making family matters public.
49:31Triple H rarely invests his time in romantic evenings with Steph.
49:35Instead he invests it in creative meetings and workouts.
49:39Still his wife is very proud of him.
49:42And they seem to have a happy family.
49:45Paul Levesque is exactly where he wants to be.
49:48At the top of the mountain.
49:49In the business he loves.
49:51Above all else.
49:58For Halloween.
50:02Baby, we 서 Byerre.
50:02And you still remain linked within just a while.
50:03Now, she loved to go.
50:16After Jeremiah I gave her a choice of electric guitar,
50:16Who left me and gifted!
50:22You always wanted over Springeland.
50:22Put it everywhere you need plus yourself
50:22You always wanted cause to keep online
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