Eric Bischoff, the mastermind behind WCW during the epic Monday Night Wars, opened up about the decision to release Triple H.
In the ’90s, WCW Monday Nitro dominated Monday Night Raw in TV ratings for an impressive 83 weeks. During that period, several wrestlers, including Stone Cold, The Undertaker, Mick Foley, and Chris Jericho, who later contributed to WWE’s victory over WCW, had previously been part of the WCW roster. Triple H, now a WWE Hall of Famer, was also among those who made the switch.
However, Triple H’s stint in WCW didn’t find the success he later achieved in WWE during the ’90s Monday Night Wars. His departure from WCW was a decision made by Eric Bischoff.
Speaking in an interview with Inside The Ropes, Eric Bischoff shed light on his decisions to part ways with wrestling icons such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mick Foley, and Triple H. “Triple H. He was just starting out. He was good. But there’s nobody that’s going to be honest about it that could go back and look at Triple H in 1993 and go ‘Oh, he’s gonna be a star.’ He married the boss’s daughter. It is what it is folks. This isn’t gonna do me any good. I think Paul Levesque, Triple H, he’s a student. He really is a student of the game. He is a great performer. But he’s never been a Rock,” said Bischoff.
Bischoff, specifically about The Game, acknowledged Triple H’s talent but expressed difficulty in predicting his future stardom back in 1993.
“He’s never been an Austin. He’s never been a Cena. He’s been a great utility player at a certain level. He’s been around forever but he’s never been a superstar. In 1993 I don’t believe anybody that’s really being honest can say ‘Yeah, when I saw him in 1993, I knew he was going to be a big star.’ He just worked hard. He studied,” he added.
He continued: “He did the right things. He doesn’t drink. He doesn’t do drugs. He just studies professional wrestling. He worked his way up to a point where he was able to break through because he was so consistent. He was so good and so consistent, but he was never great.”
Triple H’s Journey from WCW to WWE
In the ’90s, during the Monday Night Wars, Triple H embarked on a transformative journey from WCW to WWE.
Triple H, fka Terra Ryzing, found lukewarm success in WCW in ’94. His French aristocrat gimmick, Jean-Paul Lévesque, fared no better. Despite an unremarkable stint in WCW, he was released by Eric Bischoff. In ’95, he took a decision and made a jump to the rival promotion WWF, now WWE.
Debuting as Hunter Hearst Helmsley, a snooty rich guy, he found his footing. He formed the rebellious D-Generation X, blurring the lines between hero and villain. His brutal in-ring style and charisma captured fans, and “Triple H” was born, which became a fan favorite.
He married the boss Vince McMahon’s daughter, Stephanie McMahon, who became COO and even formed rival factions like Evolution. Through it all, Triple H, the Game, cemented himself as a WWE icon and Hall of Famer.
