The WWE Grudge

[Kenny Powers]

This is may or may not have been discussed, I couldn't find anything posted similar. Last Monday Night Raw, we all saw Triple H lose to Legacy then cut a promo about who he should call for backup. Triple H stated he couldn't form Evolution because Randy is a jerk, Batista is always injured, and Flair is probably signing autographs at a VFW somewhere. I know this is his character but do you think this was in bad taste? Does it seem like WWE pretty much trashes their legends when they aren't in the company such as: Flair, Hogan, Savage, Bret Hart. Then when the wrestlers come back or their DVD drops they refer back to them as Legends and Hall of Famers. It just seems hypocritical to me that Triple H would call Ric Flair the man and the greatest wrestler who ever lived a few months ago. Now that Flair is no longer in the company he made those comments. I admit the promo was funny since all of us know how injury prone Batista is but Triple H is a face, why should he bash Flair? It wouldn't mean a big deal if they were just workers but the two were actually best friends and Triple H stated Flair was the reason he was in the business today. I don't know, what do you think?
Am I reading too much into this or does WWE hold a grudge to any wrestler that isn't with the company any more?

 

[Spaceman Spif]

I think you're reading to much into this, because Ric Flair is actually in obscure place signing autographs, so he was just calling it as he was seeing it. It wasn't really bashing Flair, it was just HHH's way of reaffirming the fact that Ric is so far done with the WWE and we likely won't see him back again.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Let me ask you something. When you sit around with your friends, just shooting the breeze, do you not poke fun and take shots at one another? HHH makes fun of everybody, Batista, Orton, Flair, Cena, even Shawn. It's called ribbing, and assuming all of those guys aren't uptight and can take a joke, I'm sure they're fine with it. Now the WWE does take shots at people now and then, but newsflash, so does everyone else. In every fast food commercial, in every cable and satellite dish commercial, they take shots at the competitors. It's called publicity.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I don't think HHH's remarks are the result of a grudge. It's simply good theater; HHH knows how to cut a good promo and I wouldn't be surprised if he came up with the remarks by himself, since veterans like him are allowed to do that.

As for Flair, no one knows the business better than him. Levesque is his friend and I think Ric understands that a man of his fame is going to have his name inserted into promos, for good or bad. He's likely happy for any mention of his name while he's scheduling his own appearances throughout the country.

All of this makes me think of the promos Edge cut after Flair's unpleasant encounter with another motorist, remember that? Ric was working for WWE at that time and I believe he was even arrested for his role in that incident, yet he allowed the company to make fun of the whole thing.

Ric Flair is a consummate professional and, operating under the theory that any publicity is good publicity, probably enjoyed the promo shot by HHH.

No grudge......quite the opposite.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I think Trips was just bullshitting. Whenever I sit around just hanging with friends or whatever, we sort of rag on each other a little all the time. There's no hurtful intention behind it. Besides, I doubt that Vince would be able to convince Triple H to say anything truly derogatory about Ric Flair. Flair is Triple H's boyhood idol and has been a close friend to Flair for a long time. I don't think Trips would do something as part of a job that would legitimately result in placing all that in jeopardy, even if Vince told him to.

 

[Kanye South]

Yeah, you put this thread together nice and shit, but Triple H has enough backstage pull that if he didn't want to do the segment, then he wouldn't have to. Plus I think he and Shawn create their own promos, so it's not like Vince forced it upon him.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Yeah, I must admit Triple H's comments were pretty tame and all in good fun compared to the NWO making fun the Arn Anderson and the Horseman. That promo might of been in bad taste but it was hilarious regardless. I've read that Flair was in tears because of it and Nash had to apologize to Arn but it was still good television. I believe Bischoff said he wouldn't do the promo again even though it got huge ratings. Anyways, I realize it's just entertainment. Nothing to be taken too literally.