Triple H retired from WWE earlier this year, but ‘The Game’ almost had one more match at this year’s WrestleMania – against an Olympic gold medalist!
Triple H officially announced his in-ring retirement from WWE prior to WrestleMania 38, having suffered from a “cardiac event” last September. Despite this, it appears ‘The King of Kings’ was originally scheduled to compete at this year’s WrestleMania, where he reportedly would have faced Gable Steveson.
The WWE Head of Creative confirmed the news when speaking to BT Sport’s Ariel Helwani. According to the WWE Hall of Famer, he would have gotten the Olympic gold medalist’s career off to a good start but when he couldn’t, he reminisced about his career:
“There was a plan for me to do something at WrestleMania, I was going to do something with Gable Steveson and try to get him launched and get going. But when they told me [I can’t wrestle], I was like OK. I think that Steph[anie McMahon] took it way harder than I did and was like, ‘How is this not bothering you?’ I went [shrugs shoulders]. The wheels fell off, the wheels fell off, like they tell you, I’m done, I’m good.
I did everything that I wanted to do and then some. It’s not about that for me, it never has been. I have a creative outlet, if the business is the adrenaline rush and this magic of why you do this, those moments, I was getting all of these moments with these other people. The difference to me in the business when I was wrestling, when I was an in-ring performer, is like saying the success you have is something that you are very proud of, you love what you do.
But as your kids get older and you watch the things that they love to do and succeed at, your level of pride for them will be almost more rewarding as what your career was for you. I feel that for the time that I was doing it in NXT and how I will feel on Saturday.”
Triple H continued, explaining how Clash At The Castle will allow him to step back and watch the current generation of Superstars throw down in front of a capacity audience:
“Walking into Clash at the Castle with 60,000+ people there, I am going to watch Liv Morgan and Shayna Baszler, I am going to watch Gunther and Sheamus, I am going to watch Drew McIntyre and Roman [Reigns]. I am going to know what they are going through and how we got them there, how we helped them get there and be on that platform and succeed at it. That to me is like watching my kids succeed at something they have always dreamed about doing.
The level of passion and the pride is the same for me, so I don’t need that outlet. It was almost like when Vince [McMahon] asked me to do WrestleMania, ‘We are doing LA for 2 days, I need an attraction. You can do whatever you want. Tell me who you want to work with, whatever you want to do at WrestleMania.’ I was like, ‘Can I think about it? I’m not sure I want to do it.’ He said, ‘Really?’ I said, ‘Yeah. I’m done, I’m too busy doing too much of the other stuff, it’s too hard, you got to be all in.’ He was like, ‘Let me know.’
At the same time, we were doing stuff with Gable, finalising his commitment to us, all that stuff. When the idea came for me to do the thing with Gable, I went to Vince to do the thing with Gable and he was like, ‘Wow. I love it.’ So the thought for me was to work with this kid, put him over and get him rolling, this will be great. That’s what I would like to do, if nothing else.
But when they came to me and said that it was done, I have no regrets, no sadness. People talk about how I wish I could be at peace, I totally am. There is not a part of me that goes [sighs]. Maybe when I am standing at the curtain on Saturday with 60,000 people going crazy, that’s a rush, I wish I could be going out for that. But not really.”
Triple H now works as WWE’s Head of Creative and Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, taking over the roles from Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis, respectively. Already, fans have praised him for making WWE must-see again, owing to the countless returns and improved quality of in-ring action.
As for Gable Steveson, he was involved in a segment at WrestleMania 38 following The Street Profits, RK-Bro, and Alpha Academy’s match on night two. Belly-to-belly suplexing Chad Gable, Steveson celebrated with the former two duos, but he hasn’t been seen since.
Recent reports note that “everything is cold” regarding Gable Steveson’s training.