This thread is to discuss the Hunter Hearts Helmesly character from when he joined the WWF right up until he aligned with HBK and ultimately became Triple H of Degeneration X.
I read an interview with Justin Credible the other day where he talked about how the Blueblood gimmick just wasn’t getting Triple H over, how they kept throwing storylines at him but the fans weren’t biting up until he joined Shawn. It’s not the first time I’ve heard someone from the WWF at the time say it, I’m pretty sure I’ve even heard Triple H say it, but for me it’s a strange one and I don’t fully agree with it.
When Hunter debuted I would have been about 14 so was right in my prime of being a WWF fan. Even though he had the Royalty gimmick it at least stood out a bit in a sea of Trashmen, Hockey player, Hog farmers (though I liked the Godwinns) as being someway different. I also thought he showed a good in-ring presence in his first few matches too, granted all that got him was being fed to the Warrior at Wrestlemania, but he at least showed some ability in the ring and on the mic.
Then came his first ‘proper’ feud, with the Wildman Marc Mero over the girl that became Sable. For those who weren’t watching at the time it was a simple story of Hunter treating his valet, Sable, like complete garbage until Mero came to her rescue and started the feud. This would become about the Intercontinental Title, still prestigious in those days, where a nice twist to the feud would occur when Mr.Perfect, who had been championing Mero as the guy to take his spot as one of the IC Champion greats, turned on Mero during a title match with Hunter on Raw and allowed him to win the belt. It stood out to me at the time because we were still pretty much in the days of the face always winning the feud in the WWF. Here Hunter won it and the title.
During his reign he would add Chyna as his bodyguard, wasn’t uncommon to have one at the time (Diesel, Psycho Sid and Mr.Hughes had all worked in this capacity with HBK or HHH) but it obviously was different to what came before. Again Hunter stood out a bit and his feud with Goldust was also pretty decent.
Then came the feud that made him as an upper mid-level talent (ironically enough the same guy would make him as a top draw talent a few years later) when he took on Mankind in a series of matches, peaking with the steel cage match. This was in 1997, which to my mind is the WWF’s greatest ever year for storylines & matches, and Hunter vs Mankind was a nice ingredient in that year’s mix, setting the character up well enough to be considered equal to someone like Owen Hart when the DX vs Hart Foundation feud kicked off following Summerslam 1997.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xd2ut9_hhh-vs-mankind_sport#.UbmXiuecfzk
The rest is history.
So what were/are your thoughts on the Hunter Hearst Helmesly character? I really do view it as being necessary to what was to come in his career. Credible says he never thought at the time that Triple H would get to the level he did get to, and I’d agree with that for his initial character, but the two years of seasoning helped establish him as a mid-card talent with potential and also refined aspects of his heel character, not least with the addition of Chyna.
I read an interview with Justin Credible the other day where he talked about how the Blueblood gimmick just wasn’t getting Triple H over, how they kept throwing storylines at him but the fans weren’t biting up until he joined Shawn. It’s not the first time I’ve heard someone from the WWF at the time say it, I’m pretty sure I’ve even heard Triple H say it, but for me it’s a strange one and I don’t fully agree with it.
[YOUTUBE]pWchYpu670E[/YOUTUBE]
When Hunter debuted I would have been about 14 so was right in my prime of being a WWF fan. Even though he had the Royalty gimmick it at least stood out a bit in a sea of Trashmen, Hockey player, Hog farmers (though I liked the Godwinns) as being someway different. I also thought he showed a good in-ring presence in his first few matches too, granted all that got him was being fed to the Warrior at Wrestlemania, but he at least showed some ability in the ring and on the mic.
Then came his first ‘proper’ feud, with the Wildman Marc Mero over the girl that became Sable. For those who weren’t watching at the time it was a simple story of Hunter treating his valet, Sable, like complete garbage until Mero came to her rescue and started the feud. This would become about the Intercontinental Title, still prestigious in those days, where a nice twist to the feud would occur when Mr.Perfect, who had been championing Mero as the guy to take his spot as one of the IC Champion greats, turned on Mero during a title match with Hunter on Raw and allowed him to win the belt. It stood out to me at the time because we were still pretty much in the days of the face always winning the feud in the WWF. Here Hunter won it and the title.
During his reign he would add Chyna as his bodyguard, wasn’t uncommon to have one at the time (Diesel, Psycho Sid and Mr.Hughes had all worked in this capacity with HBK or HHH) but it obviously was different to what came before. Again Hunter stood out a bit and his feud with Goldust was also pretty decent.
[YOUTUBE]VX4vmFXPG8k[/YOUTUBE]
Then came the feud that made him as an upper mid-level talent (ironically enough the same guy would make him as a top draw talent a few years later) when he took on Mankind in a series of matches, peaking with the steel cage match. This was in 1997, which to my mind is the WWF’s greatest ever year for storylines & matches, and Hunter vs Mankind was a nice ingredient in that year’s mix, setting the character up well enough to be considered equal to someone like Owen Hart when the DX vs Hart Foundation feud kicked off following Summerslam 1997.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xd2ut9_hhh-vs-mankind_sport#.UbmXiuecfzk
The rest is history.
So what were/are your thoughts on the Hunter Hearst Helmesly character? I really do view it as being necessary to what was to come in his career. Credible says he never thought at the time that Triple H would get to the level he did get to, and I’d agree with that for his initial character, but the two years of seasoning helped establish him as a mid-card talent with potential and also refined aspects of his heel character, not least with the addition of Chyna.
