Triple H's AOL Chat
May 19, 1999

Q: If you could wrestle anybody in the world, who would it be?

Triple H: At this point in time, it would have to be Steve Austin, as I feel that Steve Austin is the premier athlete in this sport. Without a doubt, Steve Austin is the top dog.

Question:  What do you plan to do to The Rock at Over the Edge?

Triple H:  I plan to finish what I started a few weeks ago. This is about proving a point to The Rock and to the world that I mean business. It's not just about getting a win anymore.

Question:  Do you mind when fans come up to you at stores and restaurants and ask for your autograph?

Triple H:  I don't mind when people ask for autographs; I mind when they do it at inopportune times. People need to understand that we have personal lives also. So if I'm at a store trying to buy a CD and every 30 seconds somebody's coming over to me asking for an autograph, it's difficult to go about having a normal life doing normal things. Or if you're at a restaurant with a fork in your hand and food in your mouth, I think it's the wrong time to ask somebody for an autograph.

Triple H: That is why the WWF provides autograph sessions and opportunities to meet superstars. Also, there are a lot of leeches that hang around our business, memorabilia people, etc., that are solely in the business of getting our autograph or personal information -- whether that be pictures or the latest dirt -- to sell for their own profit. And that I don't wish to have any part of. And it's pretty difficult sometimes to separate who is a fan and who is trying to make a quick buck.

Question:  Why did you turn on D-Generation X?

Triple H:  Because I went as far as DX could go. I took DX to the height of where it could go as a group and where it could take me personally. Make no mistake about it, this is a business and everybody in this business is out to get ahead for himself. By turning on DX I assured myself the vehicle to take me to the top, to get what I want, which is the WWF championship.

Question:  What do you think of Shawn Michaels personally and professionally?

Triple H:  I have the utmost respect for Shawn Michaels. Professionally, he's one of the greatest performers ever in our business. Some of the greatest, most incredible matches I've seen in my life have involved Shawn Michaels and been because of Shawn Michaels. Arguably Shawn is one of the greatest workers of all time. Personally, outside of our business, he's still a close friend to me and always will be. And I personally have the utmost respect for him also.

Question:  After The Rock, will you set your sights on Stone Cold Steve Austin and the WWF title?

Triple H:  I will take one match at a time, but without a doubt my ultimate goal in the WWF is to be the top dog and to be the WWF champ. From a performance standpoint, if you want to give the fans the best matches and stories they can have, Stone Cold-Triple H would be a blockbuster.

Question:  Do you have a girlfriend or wife?

Triple H:  I have a girlfriend but I am not married.

Question:  How does your family respond to the popularity of yourself and the WWF?

Triple H:  They're excited about it. I'm sure that they're proud of my accomplishments. They're very much avid fans and they're very supportive, so it's exciting for them. But also I think that there's a time when the fans can get to them also -- somebody trying to get to me through them -- and that can become tiresome to anybody.

Question:  What do you think of Chris Jericho possibly signing with the WWF?

Triple H:  As a person, I've only met him one time. Professionally, I've just seen what he does in WCW, but the WWF is a whole different ballgame. To be able to predict who will rise and who will fall when they hit the Big Show -- and I don't mean Paul Wight, I mean the Major Leagues -- nobody can tell who will make it. Time will tell. If Jericho has the ability and the desire, then he will rise to the occasion. The thing about the WWF is the cream rises to the top, and you prove yourself with your own merits. If Jericho does come in, I wish him all the luck in the world.

Question:  What was the hardest wrestling match of your career?

Triple H:  I would have to say that SummerSlam last year, wrestling the Ladder Match with The Rock, was one of my most challenging matches from a standpoint of trying to follow in the footsteps of Ladder Matches like Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon's two classics. But also, whether or not people know it or not, my knee was pretty bad off at that time. I had already at that point been avoiding surgery for about eight months and I wrestled that match with three knee braces on and it taped. And when you got a blown-out wheel, jumping off a ladder is not the best thing for it. From a physical standpoint, it was very difficult. And from a mental standpoint of trying to put that aside so that I could try to have a great match, it made it very difficult.

Question:  How do you manage to keep in shape on the road?

Triple H:  Slim-Fast and a box of Twinkies twice a day. Every town has a gym, and if you have the desire, you can make even the worst of conditions into something beneficial. Training on the road for some is a burden. For people like myself and Chyna and a few others, the gym is like our haven or our little sanctuary, where we can do what we enjoy and what helps us. I personally love to train. So it's something that I enjoy doing, which makes it a little bit easier. Chyna, on the other hand, just eats a box of Rolos. Many people don't know it, but Chyna doesn't lift many weights. She was actually stung by a bunch of bees and just has a lot of localized swelling.

Question:  What do you find to be your greatest achievement so far in the WWF?

Triple H:  For me, my achievements in the WWF wouldn't necessarily be things that mean a lot to the fans. Winning a title or championship really is superficial to a degree. There's a lot more things that happen behind the scenes that I would be proud of accomplishing or be proud of having done. So it's really hard to say.

Question:  Where do you see yourself in one year's time?

Triple H:  I see myself hopefully as one of the premier performers in this business and hopefully being considered one of the greatest workers. I won't say of all time, but at that time.

Question:  Can DX survive with Road Dogg and X-Pac?

Triple H:  My honest opinion is that without myself, Chyna or Shawn Michaels at least in some way, shape or form -- some combination of one of those three -- I don't truly believe there is a DX. The lifeblood, heart and soul of DX was created by myself, Shawn and Chyna. And we will always be the core of that group. X-Pac had a lot to do with the second run of success of DX, as did the Outlaws, but you can never deny those originals.

Question:  Will you be appearing in any more TV shows or any movies?

Triple H:  My phone is always available to ring for the producers or directors if the offer is right. As of right now, I don't have anything specific on the horizon. Right now I'm pretty highly focused on wrestling. If the right thing came along, and it was something I could do without interfering in my goals and desires in wrestling, then I would consider it. But until then, I will continue making regular guest spots on the Teletubbies show.

Question:  How does it feel to be one of the most hated wrestlers in the WWF and be booed everywhere?

Triple H:  I love it. The reaction of the fans to me is a reaction. I don't care if you boo me, cheer me, swear at me, love me or hate me, as long as they don't deny what I do, and respect what I do. And I could care less about the rest.

Question:  What do you think of Shane McMahon?

Triple H:  I think that Shane has come a long way in a very short period of time. He has gigantic shoes to fill. There are not many people in the world that could try to step into the shoes of Vince McMahon. Most people wouldn't have the guts or the first inclination of how to do it. But if there's one person I believe could, I'll go with Shane. Shane loves this business. And he's jazzed for this business like nobody else, and that goes a long way. And he's willing to do whatever it takes to fill those very big shoes.

Question:  What was your inspiration for selecting pro wrestling as your career?

Triple H:  I started out as a fan just like anybody else, I guess. From the time I could remember, I've had a love of this business. And as time went on, and I got into bodybuilding and creating a body that I would need for professional wrestling, it started to dawn on me that maybe that would be a good career choice. When I started doing it, I gave myself realistic expectations, but it took off from there. And I'm glad that I did everything I did to get there. I wouldn't change a thing.

Question:  If you could wrestle anybody in the world, who would it be?

Triple H:  At this point in time, it would have to be Steve Austin, as I feel that Steve Austin is the premier athlete in this sport. Without a doubt, Steve Austin is the top dog. But not only from a standpoint of his position on television. I have the utmost respect for Steve Austin's ability in the ring. He's arguably one of the best workers in the business. If I could go back in time, I would have loved to wrestle Ric Flair in his prime.

Question:  Any last comments?

Triple H:  Watch Over the Edge Sunday. If you think what I've done until now is something, Over the Edge starts a whole new chapter. This is going to be Triple H's year.

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