David Hunter
A lot of internet wrestling fans have been proclaiming for at least a decade that Triple H would never be where he was were it not for Mankind aka Mick Foley. Triple H would never have been the main event talent he became without Foley’s gargantuan, back breaking bending to shove Triple H from the levels of the upper card where he had been toiling. With that much widely held belief, I thought it would be interesting to go back and revisit the feud in its entirety to see just how much Foley helped and whether Foley really does deserve all of the credit as many Smart Marks like to claim.
Some Background: Triple H spent much of 1998 as the leader of D-Generation X after Shawn Michaels’ then career ending back injury. He constantly feuded with The Rock over the Intercontinental Title, including a memorable Ladder Match at Summerslam 1998. After that feud and Rock’s subsequent WWF Title win at Survivor Series, Triple H bounced around including joining The Corporation. That was just a set up though as Triple H eventually would “covertly marry” Stephanie McMahon against her will, despite Stephanie’s engagement to Test and led Triple H into a bitter feud with WWF owner Vince McMahon towards the end of 1999.
So that sets us up with our first overview, a contract signing on Smackdown just days before Armageddon ’99 on December 12th pitting Vince McMahon against Triple H. The stipulations are that if Triple H wins, he earns a WWF Title shot. If Vince wins, the marriage between Triple H and Stephanie McMahon becomes null and void.
What is immediately apparent is that Triple H is over as a heel. Check out the boos he gets around the 4:55 mark of the video. Yeah it’s a little long-winded but it’s clear that Triple H is already building enough of that smug, jerk character that propels him even more in 2000 and he punctuates the entire moment with a crazy heel ambush on Shane McMahon at the end of the segment (including tossing Shane off the ramp in an impressive bump).
Armageddon 1999: No Holds Barred Match – Triple H vs Vince McMahon
The real start of Triple H’s rise comes late in the match when Stephanie appears, desiring the sledgehammer to hit Triple H with herself (as Vince threatens Triple H in the corner). Stephanie waffles and allows Triple H to snatch the sledgehammer, hitting Vince in the stomach (as Stephanie dodged out of the way) and then in the face. Triple H gets the win including pinning Vince with one foot on his chest, then threatens to hit a kneeling Stephanie with the sledgehammer. Turns out it was all a ruse as Stephanie smiles and she and Triple H embrace over the defeated Vince McMahon. Thus the initial Helmsley-McMahon faction gets its start.
Monday Night Raw: 12/13/1999
The next night on Raw saw a tag match featuring The Rock and Mankind taking on The Dudley Boys. Despite winning by DQ, Triple H and Steph come out and, “in one of their first acts,” after taking over, declare that the match is now No Disqualification. Rock and Mankind go on to win thanks to a referee wearing a Vince McMahon mask making a fast 3 count.
Monday Night Raw: 12/20/1999
The next week, Triple H and Stephanie call Jim Ross into the ring and it’s already clear, again, that Triple H is strongly disliked by the crowd as noted with the boos around the 2:50 and 4:00 mark. Triple H, as a result of taking over Vince McMahon’s heel boss character, is getting more hated every week largely thanks to the fact that he’s had a built in feud with both Rock and Mankind from years’ past. Mankind comes out to a big pop and the pops get louder as the segment builds.
Smackdown 12/23/1999: Big Show vs. Mankind
Big Show defends the WWF Title against Mankind with Triple H bound inside a shark cage so he cannot interfere. Foley quickly gets the Mandible Claw on Big Show but both men take a tumble to the floor as the shark cage gets mysteriously lowered. Triple H suddenly has a key and unlocks the cage door, freeing himself. Foley crawls back into the ring and Triple H smartly shields himself with Stephanie, getting great heat on himself and the crowd on Foley’s side to Socko Stephanie or Triple H. Stephanie low blows Mankind and Triple H quickly starts wailing away on Mankind with the steel chain from the shark cage. With help from the New Age Outlaws, the segment ends with DX standing supreme over a beaten down Mankind to boos from the crowd.
Monday Night Raw 12/27/1999: Mankind vs. The Rock and Triple H vs. Big Show
Earlier in the night, Mankind came out and proclaimed that he would be the next in line to take on Triple H were Triple H to win the WWF Title from Big Show later that evening. DX ran out and beat down Mankind until The Rock made the save, which resulted in Triple H setting up a Pink Slip on a Pole match. Rock would win thanks to Mankind being distracted, leaving Foley fired.
The end of Triple H vs. Big Show saw the referee get taken out, leading to the New Age Outlaws interfering and taking out Big Show. Triple H smashed Big Show with a steel chair but just as he was about to hit the Pedigree, Mankind came in with a steel chair of his own and cracked Triple H on the back leading to a Big Show Chokeslam and pinfall loss for Triple H.
And so we end Part 1 with the end of the 1999 Calendar Year. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon have been running roughshod over the WWF landscape with the New Age Outlaws serving as their enforcers. Triple H, on his quest for the WWF Title, is stopping at nothing to win that belt and Mankind has been fired thanks to his tag team partner, The Rock, leaving Triple H with one less obstacle to get in the way of his goal.
My Thoughts: This, at its core essence, is basically Vince McMahon vs Stone Cold Steve Austin. What really helped Triple H was the fact that he just makes a naturally smug heel and the fans hate him for the blatant abusing of power that he’s committed with Stephanie at his side. The fact that he “stole” Stephanie from Test has also added fuel to his heel persona. At this point in the feud, Triple H is clearly over as a heel and over as a result of his own character and “boss” actions. Foley has been fantastic as the man who finally stands up to Triple H’s abuse of power and demands that Triple H face him one on one like a man, sowing the seeds for their eventual battles in the coming months of 2000. To say, at least at this point in time, that Foley has carried Triple H to a main event heel level is false. Triple H is well on his way to being a hated villain but having Foley as the face is huge because the fans can easily get behind him and want to cheer for him.
You can see Part 2 here and Part 3 here.
Credit to STLDWrestling for feature image
