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For many of wrestling's top stars, there exists a moment in time when they ascend into the upper echelons, when their character takes off, and they are on their way to greatness. For Triple H, that came in a sit-down interview with Jim Ross in mid-1999 on the path to SummerSlam, where the up-and-coming heel injected real life frustrations into his championship pursuits.
On the Sunday Night Heat leading into Fully Loaded 1999, Triple H's pre-taped interview with JR aired. As the scene around the WWE World Title was crowded with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock, and The Undertaker, a riled up Triple H cut loose, delivering a promo that would make him known as "The Game" forever more.
Triple H's Look And Character Starts To Change In 1999
Triple H's transformation into 'The Game' came as part of a greater period of flux for the competitor. After adopting leadership of D-Generation-X following the departure of Shawn Michaels due to his near-career ending back injury, Triple H edged up the card as a face. Embroiled in a feud with The Corporation, Triple H's 1999 started with an "I Quit" match for the WWE Championship on RAW against The Rock. Through some trickery and deceit, he lost the match, betrayed by Chyna joining The Corporation.
Continuing to feud with The Corporation, Triple H would eventually turn heel and join the mega-stable, costing X-Pac his chance to defeat Shane McMahon for the European Championship at WrestleMania XV. Physically, Triple H underwent several changes as well. As a member of The Corporation, and then The Corporate Ministry, Triple H swapped his long tights for his iconic look of trunks and taped fists. Meaner and more ruthless than ever, Triple H pursued the WWE Title across the summer of 1999, intent on breaking out on his own as a major singles star and reaching the top of the mountain.
Triple H Christens Himself 'The Game' In An Interview With Jim Ross
With a strap match set for Fully Loaded to determine a Number 1 Contender up against The Rock, Triple H had his interview with Jim Ross. According to the man himself, Ross had shown him the questions just ahead of time, giving Triple H free rein to respond and answer however he deemed fit. The results were history making.
The segment started as a fairly standard heel promo, with Triple H making his intentions on becoming world champion at SummerSlam clear, asserting that he wouldn't need the assistance of Chyna at ringside. A first dose of behind-the-curtain politics was sprinkled in as Triple H assured Ross that he didn't 'need to be in a clique anymore', before taking a moment to properly vent his frustrations. In no uncertain terms, Triple H stated that this path to the title 'goes back to The Kliq, this goes back to Madison Square Garden', in reference to the infamous 'Curtain Call' incident where he, Shawn Michaels, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash broke kayfabe to share one last moment all together in the WWE. Starting to lay it all out to Ross, Triple H's language became more colorful and impassioned (and censored).
Bringing up the backstage politics of being the one to get punished for the 'Curtain Call', Triple H took things a step further. "Every time I look at you guys," he said, pointing at Ross, the on-screen commentator and a major backstage force in talent relations, "it makes me sick to think what you did to me, holding me back." Then, he delivered the line that would set his career onto a prosperous path. "You guys talk about being students of the game...I am the f****** game, JR."
Triple H Wins His First WWE Championship
Mixing true-to-life drama with the on-screen storytelling is a winning formula for creating engaging pro wrestling characters and content. Though the promos saw Triple H stating that he would be the WWE Champion in 28 days time, it would actually take 29. At SummerSlam, the triple threat title match ended in Mankind getting a pinfall on Steve Austin, winning the belt. Having not been involved in the finish, Triple H challenged Mankind one-on-one the following night on RAW, defeating him for his first of what would be fourteen world championships for The Game.
'The Game' promo came at a critical point in Triple H's character development. Having abandoned D-Generation-X and emerging as a new top choice for the corporate heels, he needed just a little bit extra to cement himself as the next top contender, a new identity to invest himself in. 'The Game' afforded him that, a platform to build upon and create the character he became that ruled the 2000s.