You are here /wrestling
/guests
/Pitbull3
Guest Columns

Pitbull 3

Main

BLAH

WWF MAN OF THE YEAR: HHH

In the year since Slash opened its doors, one wrestler has stood out as the man. This has been the year of HHH. Before Summer Slam last year, I wrote a column, called "Who Is HHH?" criticizing the possible directions that the WWF could take HHH as he entered the main event against Mick Foley and Steve Austin. In the end, the WWF put Mick over Austin via clean pin to take the title. This allowed Jesse Ventura to have the good photo handing the title to a face, and only served to drive HHH even more. As I said, HHH was placed into a holding pattern where he still had no one to feud with, if for one night. He ended up taking the title from Mick the next night on RAW. It worked out great since Jesse got to hold up a face's hand, HHH did not lose at the PPV and was able to secure a shot the next night because of it, and Austin helped put HHH over by getting his leg beat in after the match.

So, how is it that a man that most, myself included to an extent, doubted as a real top guy came to become my choice for WWF Man of the Year?

First, he got everyone to hate him even more than they already did. He continued to play up his "My Time" gimmick acting like the fans were "supposed" to be cheering him for his hard work, dedication, and perseverance through everything as he worked his way up the ladder. He had clawed his way up the WWF hierarchy, winning the IC strap, Euro strap, and even becoming a King of the Ring. With fan support non-existent (understandably since he was still playing a heel), he snapped and turned on the fans and began to slap himself on the back. He started calling himself "The Game" more and more, and set his sights on bigger and better things. He worked his way into the WWF power structure so that he could rule the WWF from within.

His angle was not enough to accomplish the things he has, though. Jean-Paul Levesque had to step up to the plate and big time. After what can only be described as years of dedication, hard work, and self-betterment, HHH was given the ball by the WWF and he ran with it big time. His mic skills have dramatically improved over the year. The way he carries himself and the ease with which he verbally advances every story reminds me of the old-style Horseman Flair. He, by standing there seething at the problems and glowing at the victories, can get more of a reaction than anyone in the WWF over the past year. Not the Rock or Foley has had the impact of HHH as far as getting the product out and getting people to really get emotionally involved than anyone else.

Why is it then that a true heel has been able to do what he has done and kept people continually interested? To begin with, his power position and general smugness has kept us on our toes hoping and waiting for his fall. He also dropped the title enough times and at great enough distances and for short enough times so that we know (like horses to water) that he can lose, get angered in his quick recovery, and anticipate his next loss. He has been a very good in-ring performer, easily having the best wrestling year in his life, continually being half of 4 and 5 star matches. He has been great in his heelish wins and escapes. He has not used the DQ rule too many times, only been subjected to one real Dusty Finish, that has really advanced storylines and helped to set the stage for Jericho's current rise to the top of the card, and gotten a lot of fairly clean pinfall victories. Of course, no heel clean win would be without some sort of incident, but that is part of the definition of being a heel. The interferences have not been grossly overboard with too many people involved, but have been simple acts by friends or Stephanie.

Maybe, the fans needed a change of pace with their top guys. For a while, we had Austin to cheer on and McMahon to hate (this will be talked about in a later column), then it got kind of silly, but at least we still had Austin to cheer on. Then, we had the Rock, Foley, Austin, and eventually, the Rock again to cheer for. There was never a very solid heel between the end of the Austin/Vince angle (around or before Valentine's Day Massacre PPV) and SummerSlam 99. Maybe, we just needed someone to hate. Maybe, we were ready to really hate someone for a while. Maybe, we just needed someone to step up and be the guy to have the belt and seemingly never lose it, but never really had to escape with his title in tact either. We needed a strong, independent heel to torture and prosper over our faces. HHH answered that call. He helped carry and build the Rock in Austin's absence. Not only did he take out our favorite guy (Austin with the car), but also then took out our second favorite guy (Foley into retirement), but also dangled the title in front of the Rock, who could never seem to get his hand raised.

And above all, HHH LOVED that title belt. It was the reward for all of his hard work and dedication. It was the symbol of his victory over the adversity of the WWF office. It was the thing that let him be happy with his career. It was the thing that, like Foley with a Wrestlemania main event, would allow him to retire a happy man. He made the title belt the focal point of the WWF and its top story. The top faces al gunned for that title, and it was clear that HHH was not going to let it go. Sure, he may have cheated to hold onto it, but he is a heel and that is what he does. Unlike WCW's unfocused, unimportant title belt, HHH lived for that title. When he had it, he was complete. When did not have it, he was on a mission to get it back and would not be denied. So, when someone like a Jericho or Rock or even a TAKA (remember that match) fought HHH and got oh so close to taking that belt, we were all there on the edge of our seats just hoping and praying HHH would get beaten.

Above all, that April 10th RAW where HHH fought TAKA proved to me that HHH was the man. He is the driving force in the WWF. He is the one who has carried the WWF over the past year.

Pitbull3
[slash] wrestling

Mail the Author

BLAH

Main

Design copyright (C) 1999, 2000 Christopher Robin Zimmerman & KZiM Communications
Guest column text copyright (C) 1999, 2000 by the individual author and used with permission