WWE Region, OKC Subregion, First Round: (2) Triple H vs. (31) Gorgeous George

[klunderbunker]

This is a first round match in the WWE Region, Oklahoma City Subregion. It is a standard one on one match held under WWE Rules. It will be held at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

#2. Triple H

Vs.

#31. Gorgeous George

​

Polls will be open for four days following a one day period for discussion. Voting will be based on who you feel is the greater of the two competitors. Post your reasons for why your pick should win below. Remember that this is non-spam and the most votes in the poll win. Any ties will be broken by the amount of posts of support for each candidate, with one vote per poster.

Also remember that this is a non-spam forum. If you post a response without giving a reason for your selection, it will be penalized for spam and deleted.

 

[Harthan]

These are always the tough ones - how do you compare a guy who didn't wrestle past 1962 to a guy who is one of the definitive wrestlers of the modern era?

The pertinent facts for Triple H are all pretty well known - he's a proven winner (lifetime 52.31% winning percentage), he's won a litany of championships over and over again, he's main evented WrestleMania, been there, done that. He's beaten nearly everyone there is to beat in his era. He's an easy, top-tier WWE Hall of Famer whenever he hangs the boots up for good (if he ever does).

Gorgeous George, meanwhile, is from a different epoch of wrestling entirely. How do you really say what would happen if he were to meet Triple H in the ring? Wrestling, literally, means entirely different things to these two. Suffice to say that Triple H has never faced anyone like Gorgeous George, nor did George ever face anyone like Triple H. There is apparently little to no doubt on the part of his peers that he was one of the greatest of his era, and thus occupies a place in the halls of wrestling history equal to that of Triple H, most likely.

How do you pick between two legends of entirely different epochs? Hell, I don't know. I flipped a coin. I pick Gorgeous George.

 

[Bernkastel]

Gorgeous George was the premier heel of his time period. And maybe even of all time. He heat he received from his antics probably made HHH's 2003 heel run look quite meager. It's not like HHH had big huge names of the industry to feud with at the time, while George did. Despite that match is harder to call than I initially expected it to be....

Legacy...

Probably going to have to go with George. While the concept of a "bad guy" existed long before George began his career. The man certainly took the concept to new heights. With his pompous and arrogant attitude. Too many superstars to name have taken what George was and placed their own spin on his gimmick. Even HHH broke in the WWE with a gimmick spun off of George's.

Drawing power/Accolades...

Not much detailed information that I could find on George's career. He was a former AWA world champion. But he was revered by the biggest names of the industry. Like Lou Thesz. Who may have not praised his technical abilities as much as he did his charisma, character, and attitude. As far as Thesz was concerned, George was a draw. And a damn good one too.

HHH may have a billion world titles but the majority are probably forgettable. Outside his 2003 reign he's mostly remembered for chasing the world title instead of holding the world title.

Tough call; I'd say George likely has the edge because he was one of the most recognizable figures of his time. HHH? Not so much during his prime. Having Rock/Austin/Cena/Hogan there with him. It's arguable his legacy as Vince's successor as future CEO of the WWE outweighs what he accomplished as a wrestler. If anything that will be what is remembered about Trips first. Not his titles, or feuds, or even his matches.

With George people remember what he accomplished in the ring. They remember his character before anything else. And ultimately that's what pushes him ahead here for me.

Voting Gorgeous George.

 

[nightmare]

Awww. Looks like someone happens to be fighting in the WWE region- where Hunter has the authority to do whatever the fuck he wants to. Sucks for you Gorgeous, because this is HHH all day long.



Lets just go ahead & take his current role out of this for a bit. HHH has made a legendary career out of beating some of the best wrestling has to offer. How? By being ruthless & taking care of business. George just cant match strength with Hunter. I dont think he has faced someone as vicious as HHH can be either.



The one thing George is good at would be acting like a heel. With all the arrogance & pompous attitude he can muster- he was one of the best at getting under your skin. Problem is, that Ric Flair absorbed all of that, did it better & has taught all his dirty little tricks to Triple H. Since Flair idolized Gorgeous, you know he would not miss the chance to be ringside for this one. That spells trouble for George in a big way.


After a nice little back & forth match, the dirty tactics start to take center stage. George gets the upper hand on HHH by getting him frustrated. Hunter makes a mistake or two, George capitalizes & starts to show off. This gets Flair all riled up & he starts to jaw back and forth with George- giving Hunter a bit of time to rest.


Time to play the game. Hunter turns it up and starts to take his opponent apart. Angry that he let this arrogant old timer get to him, the vicious streak comes out of HHH. When he starts to become cold & calculating- HHH is a dangerous man. I just dont think George can overcome that here. Its just a matter of time before he hits a pedigree & this match is history.

 

[Bernkastel]

Awww. Looks like someone happens to be fighting in the WWE region- where Hunter has the authority to do whatever the fuck he wants to. Sucks for you Gorgeous, because this is HHH all day long.

Well then HHH would realize that he is, in fact, not better than Gorgeous George and would book himself to lose. Why? Because that's best for business.

Lets just go ahead & take his current role out of this for a bit. HHH has made a legendary career out of beating some of the best wrestling has to offer.

As did George.

How? By being ruthless & taking care of business.

With an army behind him being it DX or Evolution, none of whom will be present.

George just cant match strength with Hunter. I dont think he has faced someone as vicious as HHH can be either.

Oh my goodness what a detriment. Based on that logic Mark Henry should win the tournament. Since he'd murder everybody in that aspect. Oh wait... such a thing has no real bearing on the fact that George would overcome that handicap by giving Trips a lesson on what "playing dirty" is really all about.

The one thing George is good at would be acting like a heel. With all the arrogance & pompous attitude he can muster- he was one of the best at getting under your skin. Problem is, that Ric Flair absorbed all of that, did it better & has taught all his dirty little tricks to Triple H.

And yet the student was never better than the master at playing dirty. And in George's case he was the grandmaster.

Since Flair idolized Gorgeous, you know he would not miss the chance to be ringside for this one. That spells trouble for George in a big way.

I don't understand. Flair idolized George so he would help his less talented pupil defeat his idol? Hmm... sound perfectly credible.

After a nice little back & forth match, the dirty tactics start to take center stage. George gets the upper hand on HHH by getting him frustrated. Hunter makes a mistake or two, George capitalizes & starts to show off. This gets Flair all riled up & he starts to jaw back and forth with George- giving Hunter a bit of time to rest.

You're assuming that a man of such swag as George would lower himself to jab with a pauper like Flair in the first place. The Naitch had nothing on George. HHH makes a mistake and he's done for. And like you said... he would.

Time to play the game. Hunter turns it up and starts to take his opponent apart. Angry that he let this arrogant old timer get to him, the vicious streak comes out of HHH. When he starts to become cold & calculating- HHH is a dangerous man.

Not buying HHH as being more cold or calculated than Lou Thesz, whom Trips has modeled himself after a bit, and whom George has defeated.

I just dont think George can overcome that here. Its just a matter of time before he hits a pedigree & this match is history.

I'm sure he could and would. Because Gorgeous George winning would be best for business.

 

[Bythedockofthebay]

Oh my goodness what a detriment. Based on that logic Mark Henry should win the tournament. Since he'd murder everybody in that aspect. Oh wait... such a thing has no real bearing on the fact that George would overcome that handicap by giving Trips a lesson on what "playing dirty" is really all about.

Thing is that it can be of some use for someone to bring up the strength game. I said in the Liger vs Big Daddy match that size and strength matters. Here I give Trips a slight advantage.

And yet the student was never better than the master at playing dirty. And in George's case he was the grandmaster.

Hard to debate but instead of debating how dirty these two were, the real tell tale sign to me would be George's actual wrestling skill. Which were quite impressive.

I don't understand. Flair idolized George so he would help his less talented pupil defeat his idol? Hmm... sound perfectly credible.

Well logical Flair and Trips are friends and while Flair might have idolized George, it doesn't replace friendship. I idolized Kobe but if I thought giving my best friend advice could help him beat Kobe I would.

You're assuming that a man of such swag as George would lower himself to jab with a pauper like Flair in the first place. The Naitch had nothing on George. HHH makes a mistake and he's done for. And like you said... he would.

I have to disagree, George often got distracted during his matches. By the fans at the very least. His one defeat to Thesz happened when he seemingly had the match won only to be distracted by a fan. That said I don't think Flair would be at ringside, but still George was easily distracted in matches and you have to take that into account.

Not buying HHH as being more cold or calculated than Lou Thesz, whom Trips has modeled himself after a bit, and whom George has defeated.

Here's the thing, he might not be more cold or calculating but he's dirtier. The cerebral assassin isn't a bad name for trips. I think this would be an amazing match.

I'm sure he could and would. Because Gorgeous George winning would be best for business.

I've gone back and forth on this one. Is it okay if I vote on this after a bit more thought and post it later?

 

[Bernkastel]

Thing is that it can be of some use for someone to bring up the strength game. I said in the Liger vs Big Daddy match that size and strength matters. Here I give Trips a slight advantage.

From that perspective whomever is booked to win will win regards of attributes. To be honest I'm just taking the piss out of Nightmare since I know he likes to use subjective kayfabe arguments.

Hard to debate but instead of debating how dirty these two were, the real tell tale sign to me would be George's actual wrestling skill. Which were quite impressive.

True. But George wasn't rated that highly as a hooker by his peers. It was his gimmick and charisma and drawing ability that received praise. Then again, to someone like Lou Thesz, HHH might have looked like Bozo the Clown. Hard to tell really.

I have to disagree, George often got distracted during his matches. By the fans at the very least. His one defeat to Thesz happened when he seemingly had the match won only to be distracted by a fan. That said I don't think Flair would be at ringside, but still George was easily distracted in matches and you have to take that into account.

Saying that George would or would not have been distracted by a fan because it happened before is subjective. By that logic I could say that Trips would tear his quad mid match because it happened before and George would win.

Since whomever is booked to win will win regardless. The man who should win is the man with the bigger legacy/impact/drawing power/impressive accolades etc etc.

Even by that standard it is hard to gauge the better of the two, but for me George would edge it out just barely. Mostly because George will be forever remembered as a pioneering wrestler first, while HHH will most likely be remembered as Vince's successor as WWE CEO first.

That might be biased on my part but if so Vince himself should be in here as a top seed.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

Oh Ech and his logic. Logic is nothing more than the ****e sister of mathematics and something I simply won't stand for.

Wanna know why Triple H wins this match.

Did you see that? He just pedigreed an LP. That's a little person, its what they prefer to be called. If Triple H will do that to an LP, think what he would be willing to do to a full grown man.

Also this.

That is the dance of Triple H's people. Their war dance if you will. Once they break out the shovels for the burying time dance, you know shit about to get real.

 

[Bernkastel]

Also this.

That is the dance of Triple H's people. Their war dance if you will. Once they break out the shovels for the burying time dance, you know shit about to get real.

It wouldn't be a Triple H match without the shovel gif. But Yazzy do you know why fans make that reference all the time? Because he has executive powers he gained by knocking up the bosses daughter. Further fueling my argument that fans do not actually see Trips as a "wrestler" but as a "promoter pretending to be a wrestler."

So why should a pretend wrestler defeat a man that pioneered the fundamentals that all "actual wrestlers" follow? He shouldn't... which is why you and everyone else should vote for George.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

It wouldn't be a Triple H match without the shovel gif. But Yazzy do you know why fans make that reference all the time? Because he has executive powers he gained by knocking up the bosses daughter. Further fueling my argument that fans do not actually see Trips as a "wrestler" but as a "promoter pretending to be a wrestler."

So why should a pretend wrestler defeat a man that pioneered one of the fundamentals that all "actual wrestlers" follow? He shouldn't... which is why you and everyone else should vote for George.

That little part I bolded is all I need to make my argument. This match takes place in the WWE region. Trips will use all that executive power to win. He put himself over Brock Lesnar at Mania last year. The same Brock Lesnar who was brought in to wreck people. He will put himself over here.

Let's see that devilish logic dig you out of this hole you rogue.

 

[Bernkastel]

That little part I bolded is all I need to make my argument. This match takes place in the WWE region. Trips will use all that executive power to win. He put himself over Brock Lesnar at Mania last year. The same Brock Lesnar who was brought in to wreck people. He will put himself over here.

Let's see that devilish logic dig you out of this hole you rogue.

That was part of a feud remember, and he jobbed to Brock first at SumerSlam because it was.... survey says... best for business. We aren't booking feuds here. These are one off's. And HHH would most surely not book himself over the man that pioneered what an arrogant, cheating, pompous, snobbish heel is supposed to be. The same type of gimmick, a variation of which, that allowed him to break into the business in the first place. Triple going over George would, of course, be bad for business.

So the shovel be damned. HHH would bury himself. Vote George.

 

[klunderbunker]

That little part I bolded is all I need to make my argument. This match takes place in the WWE region. Trips will use all that executive power to win. He put himself over Brock Lesnar at Mania last year. The same Brock Lesnar who was brought in to wreck people. He will put himself over here.

Let's see that devilish logic dig you out of this hole you rogue.

Here's the reason why.

That would be Old School, and it's something HHH reveres.

If there's one thing HHH has shown a passion for, it's old school wrestling. The man tried to copy Harley Race in 2003, right down to the look (sideburns), the angles (Race offers $25,000 to get rid of Flair, HHH offers $100,000 to get rid of Goldberg) to the moveset (Race was known for using his knees a lot and used an Indian Deathlock. HHH busted one out at Wrestlemania XIX). He had a classic old school style cage match with Ric Flair at Taboo Tuesday 2005. He tried to get the sleeper over as a main event finishing move. I think you get the idea by now.

While HHH may put himself over a lot of people who need the win far more than he does, he won't do it over a true legend. Gorgeous George is as old as wrestling on TV and as legendary as you can get in this sport. HHH would respect that no matter what and would consider it an honor to do the job for him. That's why HHH wouldn't use his powers here.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

I'll be honest, this tournament seems to be a mixture of kayfabe and backstage politics, so it's hard for a newcomer to it to get a handle on what the criteria is supposed to be.

Who would get booked over who? I'd say Triple H gets booked for the win. George was a heel in a time when the heel always ended up losing at the end of the day, and since George always worked heel (at least once he came up with the Gorgeous George gimmick), and Trips has worked face enough, he'd be the face in this match.

Best for business in this regard is sending the fans home happy, and having the prancing, preening, pretty boy Gorgeous George lose to destroyer of men would do exactly that.

In kayfabe, again I'd have to say that Triple H wins this one. George was underhanded, but he never had to face someone with the size and strength of a Triple H. The Game would simply overpower George and wear him down with some heavy strikes until the Gorgeous One couldn't take anymore and intentionally got himself counted out to escape the beating (and rile up the fans).

Either way, Triple H wins this round.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Although I can accept if Triple H wins this match I don't think he should. Even if Triple H had booking power this is matches between wrestlers in their primes and even Triple H's authority would be enough for him to justify a victory over one of the most influential wrestlers of all time and the biggest draw of his era. If we go the "Triple H will book himself to win" argument then we might as well close the WWE region today and give him a 3-4 round bye and we may as well not buy Wrestlemania 30 because he is obviously leaving as champ. I can accept the "its the WWE region which gives Trips a home court advantage" argument but not the "he's the booker so he will automatically book himself to win" argument, especially since HE AIN'T BOOKING THIS TOURNAMENT! On top of that, Vince isn't gonna book Triple H to win just because its his "son in law", if he hasn't proven that yet then he never will.

There are plenty of reasons to go with Triple H based on his in ring career. 13 time champion, top heel for numerous years (and also had runs as the #2-#3 face for a good chunk of time as well), he's a solid ring general, he's one of the most consistent hands in the last 30 years and has beaten bigger names in wrestling than Gorgeous George.

With that said I still gotta go with Gorgeous George just based on his influence and drawing power. I'm just saying if I was a booker I would want to keep big draws like Gorgeous George around longer than the 1st round that's for sure. Since I consider Triple H a heel in his prime my guess is he would be going into this match as a heel, at that point you would ultimately want to give it to the bigger draw and Gorgeous George is undoubtedly a bigger draw, not to mention he was a solid wrestler in the ring, something he rarely gets any credit for. Gorgeous George could easily take Triple H in this bout and he is the one who get's my vote.

 

[nightmare]

So why should a pretend wrestler defeat a man that pioneered the fundamentals that all "actual wrestlers" follow? He shouldn't... which is why you and everyone else should vote for George.

Pretend wrestler. Love your use of the phrase to make a point- in a made up tournament based on pretend fighters- as you state one is more pretend than the other.

The man was winning matches before the marriage or any power backstage. Why? Because he is a badass.

Well then HHH would realize that he is, in fact, not better than Gorgeous George and would book himself to lose. Why? Because that's best for business.

Even using that best for business logic, HHH would not go out in the first round of a legendary tournament. The 'doing the job' argument may hold water in a later round against a bigger legend- but not here.

With an army behind him being it DX or Evolution, none of whom will be present.

Who says? Actually odds are that HBK, Chyna or Flair will be at ringside for this one. That spells trouble for George.

Oh my goodness what a detriment. Based on that logic Mark Henry should win the tournament. Since he'd murder everybody in that aspect.

By your logic being displayed, anyone who wrestled past 1990 should lose their matches. Just because your picture is in black and white, does not mean you would win a match- especially if the other guy is more than capable of beating a pompous pretty boy.

I don't understand. Flair idolized George so he would help his less talented pupil defeat his idol? Hmm... sound perfectly credible.

Sure does actually. Flair is always out to prove he is the dirtiest player in the game, so why not take a chance to prove it against grandpa Gorgeous?

True. But George wasn't rated that highly as a hooker by his peers. It was his gimmick and charisma and drawing ability that received praise.

HHH's gimmick is the King of Kings, the destroyer of men, the Cerebral Assassin. Regarded by peers as someone to fear because he is dangerous & will get the job done.

Since whomever is booked to win will win regardless. The man who should win is the man with the bigger legacy/impact/drawing power/impressive accolades etc etc.

Good, so you agree Triple H will win then, correct?

 

[Bernkastel]

Pretend wrestler. Love your use of the phrase to make a point- in a made up tournament based on pretend fighters- as you state one is more pretend than the other.

The man was winning matches before the marriage or any power backstage. Why? Because he is a badass.

Winning matches you say?

[youtube]XzzmvDuswHc[/youtube]

He sure did.

Even using that best for business logic, HHH would not go out in the first round of a legendary tournament. The 'doing the job' argument may hold water in a later round against a bigger legend- but not here.

George was a bigger legend than HHH so he would do the job. This match would be akin to a 4th or 5th round match if George hadn't been seeded so god awfully low. So the "doing the job" argument is perfectly valid here.

Who says? Actually odds are that HBK, Chyna or Flair will be at ringside for this one. That spells trouble for George.

More subjective "what if's." Okay, then Trips would tear his quad going for the sledgehammer and George would capitalize and pick up the win.

By your logic being displayed, anyone who wrestled past 1990 should lose their matches. Just because your picture is in black and white, does not mean you would win a match- especially if the other guy is more than capable of beating a pompous pretty boy.

You have a point if HHH was the greatest superstar of his era, or even the second, but he wasn't. At best he was maybe 3rd, 4th, or even 5th depending if you count big stars from other promotions or if you lump Cena into the same era. George on the other hand was the cream of the crop during his prime. That's more than enough to justify why he would defeat Harley Race Jr.

Sure does actually. Flair is always out to prove he is the dirtiest player in the game, so why not take a chance to prove it against grandpa Gorgeous?

But it wouldn't work because as good as Flair was he wasn't Gorgeous George class. A master can't beat a grandmaster.

HHH's gimmick is the King of Kings, the destroyer of men, the Cerebral Assassin. Regarded by peers as someone to fear because he is dangerous & will get the job done.

Really? I thought we was more revered as Vince's son in law. The first argument you made was "LOL this is the WWE region and HHH would book himself to win." No mention was made towards the "Cerebral Assassin." And destroyer of men? How cute. Lou Thesz was making a career doing that back in the 50's and George still got the better of him.

Good, so you agree Triple H will win then, correct?

A vote for HHH is a vote for ignorance. Gorgeous George would be the only logical winner.

 

[nightmare]

George was a bigger legend than HHH so he would do the job. This match would be akin to a 4th or 5th round match if George hadn't been seeded so god awfully low. So the "doing the job" argument is perfectly valid here.

Why was George seeded so low? Because he was held in a lesser regard by people than HHH was. George is remembered for being flamboyant, HHH is remembered for winning titles & kicking ass.

More subjective "what if's." Okay, then Trips would tear his quad going for the sledgehammer and George would capitalize and pick up the win.

No need for sledgehammers here. I do like how you are giving more weight to a rare injury over something that happened hundreds of times. Cry all you want, but someone is going to be in HHH's corner for this one. The person does not even need to become physical to provide enough of a distraction for Hunter to gain the advantage.

Really? I thought we was more revered as Vince's son in law. The first argument you made was "LOL this is the WWE region and HHH would book himself to win." No mention was made towards the "Cerebral Assassin." And destroyer of men? How cute. Lou Thesz was making a career doing that back in the 50's and George still got the better of him.

You are acting like George had Thesz' number. Thesz came out on top plenty, especially when it counted. George may have been a big deal, but lost some of his biggest matches.



HHH takes this match. With an evil grin, Hunter would dismantle George for trying to play dirty. There are more reasons for HHH to come out on top here. All you can give George is that he was the first cocky & cowardly heel. After his over the top entrance & silly shenanigans at the beginning of the match- its all down hill for Gorgeous. Hunter has the advantage in territory, championship history, ringside manager & brutality.

 

[Bythedockofthebay]

Well HBK and Flair both have matches in this tourney so it's highly unlikely that either would be in his corner. Since, they're in different locations, I would say no HBK and no Flair, they're too busy in this tourney themselves. Chyna? Maybe but then again if you're talking Triple H's prime, she wouldn't be there anyways.

 

[Randy Orton's Head Blood]

I have to agree with Yaz.
In a match that takes place in the WWE region, with one of the competitors being the guy with the biggest ego since...well, someone, Triple H has all the clout to just win this.

It's a shame, because I don't even really know about Gorgeous George, but when he's faced with a circumstance like this, in such a HUGE competition, there's no way you can beat HHH. Even if you were Vinnie Mac.

 

[ProWrestlingFan]

Winning matches you say?

[youtube]XzzmvDuswHc[/youtube]

He sure did.

You do know that HHH was booked to win the 1996 King of The Ring, right? The only reason his push halted was because of the 'Curtain Call'.

And after being depushed for a year he was back on track winning the 1997 King of The Ring, etc.

 

[Bernkastel]

Why was George seeded so low? Because he was held in a lesser regard by people than HHH was.

Nice logical fallacy. George was only given a low rank because most people here can't seem to recall anything prior to 1985.

George is remembered for being flamboyant, HHH is remembered for winning titles & kicking ass.

Yes, he was remembered for winning titles not holding them. His reigns weren't long enough to be meaningful. His character wasn't over enough to be meaningful. His wrestling legacy is overshadowed by his position in the company. George on the other hand will be forever remembered as true wrestling legend that pioneered what it meant to be a bad guy.

No need for sledgehammers here. I do like how you are giving more weight to a rare injury over something that happened hundreds of times. Cry all you want, but someone is going to be in HHH's corner for this one. The person does not even need to become physical to provide enough of a distraction for Hunter to gain the advantage.

Says who, you? Alrightly then, no one will be in Trips corner. Says me. Trips will make a mistake and George will capitalize on it. He made a career beating guys that had more legit wrestling skill than he did in an era where that mattered the most. Push comes to shove he would pick HHH apart.

You are acting like George had Thesz' number. Thesz came out on top plenty, especially when it counted. George may have been a big deal, but lost some of his biggest matches.

No, they were mostly well balanced as rivals. And Thesz was the biggest star of his era. HHH wasn't. There's no real justification to put HHH over just because he happens to be fresh in everyone's minds. And even that seems to be waning since his "executive powers" card and "shovel" card get played more than anything else.

HHH takes this match. With an evil grin, Hunter would dismantle George for trying to play dirty. There are more reasons for HHH to come out on top here. All you can give George is that he was the first cocky & cowardly heel. After his over the top entrance & silly shenanigans at the beginning of the match- its all down hill for Gorgeous. Hunter has the advantage in territory, championship history, ringside manager & brutality.

And what are these reasons, pray tell? It's already been established that George was a bigger star than HHH, was a bigger draw than HHH, had a bigger legacy than HHH, pioneered a gimmick that helped HHH break into the business, and he wasn't hot potatoed a world title a bunch of times. Out of the 14 world title reigns HHH has had maybe 3 of them are actually remembered by the masses. George was revered during all of his.

The only reason that you could justify putting HHH over is because of his executive powers. And that just demonstrates the notion that fans are starting to forget about HHH's legacy as a wrestler. It all about HHH the owner and promoter now.

 

[The Brain]

What is Gorgeous George most remembered for? Bringing gimmicks into wrestling with his flamboyant persona. He has a great legacy but just because he is credited for being the first gimmick doesn't mean he was the best. It's been 65 years and the wrestling world if full of gimmicks. Just because he was the first does that mean no one can ever surpass him?

He was a great draw, right? Sure he was. People watched him on tv all the time. Of course it was when television was just becoming available to people's homes and there were like three channels to watch. I'm not trying to discredit George but I bet if there were 3 channels to choose from in 2003 Triple H would have been just as big a star. Plus HHH does help run the most successful wrestling company in the world so I'd say he knows a thing or two about drawing fans.

George was more known for his long entrances and his pre match antics than for his actual wrestling skill. He can have his entrance and do his schtick and have the spotlight in the first round but once the bell rings it's time to get down to business and the elaborate entrance won't be needed in the tournament going forward. The people watch to see George get beat and that's what Triple H will give them.

Winning matches you say?

[youtube]XzzmvDuswHc[/youtube]

He sure did.

[YOUTUBE]2mPNEH2HSqc[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Bernkastel]

What is Gorgeous George most remembered for? Bringing gimmicks into wrestling with his flamboyant persona. He has a great legacy but just because he is credited for being the first gimmick doesn't mean he was the best. It's been 65 years and the wrestling world if full of gimmicks. Just because he was the first does that mean no one can ever surpass him?

Of course not, but does that automatically make HHH one of the people that did? Nope.

He was a great draw, right? Sure he was. People watched him on tv all the time. Of course it was when television was just becoming available to people's homes and there were like three channels to watch. I'm not trying to discredit George but I bet if there were 3 channels to choose from in 2003 Triple H would have been just as big a star. Plus HHH does help run the most successful wrestling company in the world so I'd say he knows a thing or two about drawing fans.

Didn't ratings go down in 2003? It's not like HHH's heel run did anything to bolster them. If you're going to bust out the television arguments it makes sense to consider that. And no, George did posses some legit talent but not as much as Lou Thesz or Verne Gagne. To the critics in the 1950's HHH may have been a dancing midget bear on a ball. So that comparison isn't really plausible.

George was more known for his long entrances and his pre match antics than for his actual wrestling skill. He can have his entrance and do his schtick and have the spotlight in the first round but once the bell rings it's time to get down to business and the elaborate entrance won't be needed in the tournament going forward. The people watch to see George get beat and that's what Triple H will give them.

That would imply HHH was a face during his prime, and if so then he certainly wasn't the top one. If George was booked to lose when mattered it would be against the guys that were indisputably the best. HHH never was. He was always second to someone else.

By that logic I wouldn't expect any top heels in this thing to make it past any face of real merit. Be them the best or "in the top 5 of their era."

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

I binged on wrestling history a few years back because of the tourney. Found out a great deal about Gorgeous George, Danny Hodge and Lou Thesz. But these are tough, the timeline gap is huge and its just two very different eras. Again, thats the whole idea of the WZT.

Gorgeous George for me, he was a bigger deal in his day and even though Triple H may have more fans he wasn't the draw some think he is. George was. Triple H can bury all the black men at Mania he wants, he ain't beating The Gorgeous One.

 

[Bythedockofthebay]

I'm going to hit it up and say that Trips would win this ever so slightly. Maybe by DQ, Triple H goes for a low blow and George is quicker to get it but gets DQ's in the process.

WINNER: Trips over George in the closest match of the first round via DQ