What would happen if HHH and Stephanie got divorced?

[Tastycles]

Lots of people, particularly in the IWC, believe that HHH's success is owed entirely to his marriage to the boss' daughter. Personally, I don't think that is the case, but I would say that it probably allowed him to switch brands when he wanted to and allowed him to have more influence on his own creative path.

But what if they got divorced and HHH lost that influence? Do you think that the title picture would change? Do you think that HHH would be brought to the same level as HBK or JBL - a main eventer that doesn't win the title, do you think more of the next generation will get their chance? Or do you think that little would change, either because HHH doesn't actually have much influence or because his influence is down to his own abilities and not his relationship?

Personally, I think little would change, and we certainly wouldn't see Christian type guys as the champion overnight or anything like that. The principle difference will be that HHH will stop getting arbitary title reigns like the one at No Mercy last year to serve some personal record. But apart from that, he'll remain one of the top dogs because he is the top dog.

However, I'm sure several people think that he will immediately start jobbing to Jimmy Wang Yang or something as soon as the boss's daughter is out of the equation, so lets hear your opinions.

 

[Jane]

Triple H would be a main eventer without Stephanie. Perhaps not an 11 times champ, but definetely a popular one. The main thing here is what effect a divorce would have. Would they simply seperate? Stephanie might not doom him to a jobber's life if they simply split. But what if they had a huge fight, or something else, like an affair? Oh, then I think Triple H would be punished. He would be pushed to the bottom of the barrel, I am sure of it. Of course, he could quit, and TNA would take him in. Now that would be bad news for the WWE. But seriously, Triple H wasn't made by Steph, but he could be taken down by her in a heartbeat.

 

[NSL]

While I don't buy the story that the marriage is the reason for his rise to the top, it's not hard to fathom that their divorce would lead to his WWE downfall. If he stayed, he'd be pushed off to "Legends" status, and ultimately be treated like Hacksaw, Piper, or Sgt. Slaughter. I don't think he sohuld be, or that any fans would buy it, but that's the WWE way, and that's what would happen.

He would almost definitely leave, but where would he go? TNA? No way. He's too good for TNA, or any other American wrestling company. At his age, there's no chance he'd turn to MMA, at least not with any success.

That leaves one option, and a good one. Japan. He can take his skills and put them up against some of the best in the world, and all it would do, is cement his place as one of the greatest of all time. I don't think WWE or HHH would ultimately be hurt by the divorce, but they're better off together.

 

[Shocky]

I tend to believe that Triple H's success the latter half of this decade has almost come hand and hand with his marriage to Stephanie McMahon, but that's a point that has been argued to death and quite frankly, it's tiresome.

Now the flipside of that argument, what would happen if Da Game and the Billion Dollar Princess went splitsville. It's a tough call to be honest, and I honestly believe it soley depends on the situation involving the divorce. If the Divorce is over somethign as simple as two grown adults simply falling out of love, then so be it. If it's a nasty public divorce with one spouce cheating on the other, then you can expect the Wrestling equivalant of World War 3.

I honestly believe the WWE would try their best to work with Triple H, but once his contract expired, they might pay him a huge sum simply to go away. I think as a business, both realize that both need each other, and it would be stupid for this situation to go all Randy Savage on everyone.

 

[Hillmania]

HHH would still be a main event wrestler, there is no doubt. But it is simple to figure out where he would be... Evolution likely wouldn't have happened, his defeats of HBK wouldn't have happened, he wouldn't have been the guy to derail Goldberg, and he definitely wouldn't be the one main eventing Wrestlemania after Wrestlemania... There would be no perpetual fear of him winning the Royal Rumble or the WWE title, he would simply be at the level of HBK where his backstage power, which he had before Stephanie, would take him near the top, but never to the John Cena level like he seems to think he is.

 

[ZAPX4V1]

He would almost definitely leave, but where would he go? TNA? No way. He's too good for TNA, or any other American wrestling company. At his age, there's no chance he'd turn to MMA, at least not with any success.

That leaves one option, and a good one. Japan. He can take his skills and put them up against some of the best in the world, and all it would do, is cement his place as one of the greatest of all time. I don't think WWE or HHH would ultimately be hurt by the divorce, but they're better off together.

Too good for TNA??? You mean TNA won't take him, because they don't need his B.S.
MMA? That's funny..I would love to see him try that. He wouldn't last 20 seconds against anyone.
His skills? What are you, the president of the HHH fan club? He would get a short run in Japan so they could make a little money off of his popularity, then he would get jobbed out to their top stars.
With HHH out of the picture, the younger guys would actually get a chance on Smackdown since Taker will be the only major politician on Smackdown.

 

[NSL]

Too good for TNA??? You mean TNA won't take him, because they don't need his B.S.

Oh yes...Because TNA just wouldn't love to book an Angle v. HHH feud for Bound For Glory...They're pulling in 3.0 ratings without him...

MMA? That's funny..I would love to see him try that. He wouldn't last 20 seconds against anyone.

If you read my post correctly, I said he wouldn't go there...

His skills? What are you, the president of the HHH fan club? He would get a short run in Japan so they could make a little money off of his popularity, then he would get jobbed out to their top stars.
With HHH out of the picture, the younger guys would actually get a chance on Smackdown since Taker will be the only major politician on Smackdown.

How can you say he doesn't have any wrestling skills? I loved him before he even became The Game, and before DX. He has wrestling skills, and it's not his fault some of his matches get booked the same. With his name and starpower, he wouldn't get jobbed to anyone, anywhere. Especially if they get to stick it to Vince and the McMahon family.

 

[ztwhite]

Trips would remain on his throne and his ex would come sit on mine !!

Completely off topic -- but Stepanie really is hot !! Even though she was much better looking before the implants. Maybe that could start another thread -- Stephanie pre implants or post implants ??

Back on topic -- Vince is a business man and what's good for business is good for Vince. Anyone remember an Edge, Hardy, Lita love triangle ? You're not gonna' tell me that the boss wouldn't exploit an affair by HHH if it meant ratings which meant money.

Sure, he may find a way to exclude his daughter, but does anyone know if she signed a pre-nup (spelling ?) ?? Who stands to lose more money in a break-up, and I don't mean inherited money ??

HHH and Stephanie both appear to be all about the business. I'm not sure whether a break-up would mean much to either on a professional level. BUT... Kelly Kelly would look a lot better coming to the ring on Trips than on the Deadman.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

If you would have asked me this question five years ago, I would not have been able to tell you, as the question would have stumped me. But, given that HHH is now nearing the age where he will be retiring sooner than later (I say he will be out of the ring for good in about 6 or 7 years time, while he will be out of the ring in a full-time capacity in 2 or so years), if he was to divorce Stephanie right now, the following would happen, assuming that their split would be amicable:

1) He would stay with the company for one more year until riding off into the sunset.

2) He would ask for a headlining spot in a future HOF class.

That is all. Given his age and his exceptional treatment in WWE for the past 7 or 8 years, I don't think he would be much of an asset to TNA. If he still had the drive in him to wrestle, I could definitely see him doing some work in Japan or in independent promotions, but I definitely would not see him working for another major wrestling company (i.e., another company with a weekly show that is televised nationally).

 

[DC24]

Ask yourself this was he ever a bigger star than Austin,Rock when the attitude era started no. When did he start to win world champions right around the time him ans Stephanie got married coincedence not likely. Who here really believes he deserves to be 12-time world champ I don't he's just not that good; they are only adding more title reigns to say he's better than Hogan its just that simple.

 

[jmt225]

Personally, if they did get divorced, I'd be more interested in seeing what would happen in Steph's personal life. Woul she ever date a wrestler again, or would she keep all her relationships in the business strictly professional? And if she did ever date a wrestler, who would it be and how would his on-screen character take effect to it? If it’s a lower guy, would he start receiving a massive push, or if it’s an already established top guy, would he remain on top even once his best days are behind him? Or neither? It would be fucking interesting to see, to say the least.

But I don't see it happening. HHH isn't stupid. Plus, all the bashing one can do on him, you have to give him a lot of credit. Him and Nash were the only two from the Kliq to never have any serious substance abuse problems, and they've both been able to maintain their martial relationships, no matter what got in their way. Most wrestlers, especially from their era, can’t make either of those claims. And I don't think now HHH would start to change. He has a tremendous grasp on reality and he knows what he wants and what he has to do to get it and keep it. I don't respect HHH in many aspects, but you got to give the motherfucker credit where the credit is due.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

Good topic. It's overly hard to come to any solid answer because (as Shocky said) the truth is, it'd come down to how the divorce played out. Some people merely acknowledge that they fall out of love and go their own way, splitting everything and remaining friends. While others bitterly split and it ends in the nastiest, worst case scenario possible.

The truth is, anyone who believes Triple H. rose to power over sleeping with the boss's Daughter is honestly just pissy about who Triple H. is. When he came into the company, back in 1994-95, he was being built as someone who could honestly contend with the Heavyweights.

He aligned with Shawn Michaels and the "cliq" and in 1996 paid a price for a storyline-break. He wasn't sleeping with the boss's Daugther at that point, yet upon his return he received the Intercontinental championship and a continued push as a viable contender to be a Heavyweight someday.

To the best of my knowledge, Stephanie and Triple H. didn't come to be anything, until after their storyline began. At which point, Triple H. had already become a World Heavyweight Champion.. all by himself.

While I won't argue that his short and multiple reigns thereafter may or may not have played a role in being married to the boss's Daughter, the fact is Triple H. certainly didn't win over all the people he did, and become the fan favorite he is.. because he decided to bang a major stock-holder in the industry.

If they parted ways easily, then Triple H. would still continue to play a major role for the company. If they parted ways badly, then chances are they'd simply stay away from each other, and at the end of Triple H.'s contract he'd likely seek employment elsewhere.

But once again, as Shocky pointed out, I believe both parties understand how much one needs the other. The W.W.E. will survive without the Game throughout the long haul, they've survived with the absence of Hulk Hogan, the Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart, and other highly profiled legends. Triple H. would ultimately be no different. But the key is, they wouldn't want to part with him.. until they absolutely had to.

 

[andymcg]

First off very good topic and anyone like the new sig (H).

I remeber researching into this a while ago and finding that HHH had become a 3 or 4 time main event champ BEFORE he slept with steph.

Anyway i believe if they did divorce HHHs carrer would be over. We all know how much of a stubborn man Vince is , and if anyone was to leave his baby daughter and hurt her im sure he would see it there life would be hell.

 

[thelcon21]

I think all the success that Triple H is getting right now is because of his marriage to Stephanie. I think if he wasn't married to her all the evolution gimmick would of happened. But after his loss to Batista at WM he would of come down a step. The fact that he has been in two Wrestlemania main events and that he will be in his third probably this year since that lose is because he is married to Stephanie.

He also always seems to land on the best brand. No question that Smackdown is the best brand in the WWE right now. Raw only has Jericho, Orton and John Cena who wins every match he wrestles and an old HBK. Smackdown has Triple H, Edge, Big Show, Undertaker, Jeff and Matt Hardy and will probably have Christian at some point.

I agree that if he was not married he probably be on the same level as JBL and Shawn Michaels right now and people like Jeff Hardy would be getting more time at the top.

 

[lefty1876]

"Raw only has Jericho, Orton and John Cena who wins every match he wrestles and an old HBK. Smackdown has Triple H, Edge, Big Show, Undertaker, Jeff and Matt Hardy and will probably have Christian at some point."

What show are you watching..... I do like Smackdown a little better, because I am a HHH and Jeff Hardy fan, but "Raw only has Jericho, Orton, and Cena." What about HBK, Batista, Rey Mysterio, JBL, CM Punk, who are all former world champions. As far as former champions or main eventers go, Raw has a few more than Smackdown, plus if you look at the ratings each week, you cannot say that Smackdown is the premier show. I have to disagree. As far as HHH getting where he is today because of Steph, anyone who says this is an idiot. He is STILL more over than just about anyone in the company, sells more merch, and is the best on the mic in the business. He can be a great heel, and he can be a great face/comedy guy. If you try to make a list of all the wrestlers, past and present who can do both face/heel, the list is pretty small. That kind of talent does not happen by who you marry, you either have it or you don't.

 

[waylonmercy]

I honestly believe depending on the severity of the divorce would dictate how HHH would be remembered:

Amicable Divorce - he'd probably ride out his contract and retire a HOF'er
Either side wanting the divorce - HHH not getting into the HOF for a long time
Messy Divorce - Triple Who? see Bruno Sammartino.

 

[RVDgurl]

Well, if Trips and Steph got divorced there would probably be a long drawn out legal procedure to take care of the division of assets, division of the money and custody outlines for the kids.

Oh wait.....you mean in regard to the wrestling business?? It is ridiculous to think that first of all, Trips had a successful career because he married the bosses daughter. I don't have dates in front of me, but I'm pretty sure Trips had a handful of titles to his name before he even began dating Steph. Their marriage had no berring on his career and neither would a divorce.

 

[Lee]

Triple H married Stephanie McMahon on October 25, 2003. Before then he had 7 title reigns to his name, five as WWE, two as WHC, so really you can't say he was champion because he was married to Stephanie.

But on topic of what would happen if there was a divorce? It could end in two ways;
1) Things stay the same in that HHH has the same push he has, fighting the same guys he does and maybe having a title reign or two extra.
2) He leaves the company by mutual consent. There's no way you can have HHH and have him buried, if it's a messy divorce I'm sure he'd want to leave any ways. Would you not?

 

[klunderbunker]

I can't imagine this happening. If I'm HHH, I could care less what I want. The way he has it, whatever Stephanie wants, Stephanie gets. Think of everything that HHH could lose if he ever crosses her. He has the biggest wrestling empire waiting for him the day his father in law dies, he's sleeping with one of the most gorgeous women I've ever seen, and as long as that happens he'll never slip below the main event (which even if he wasn't married to her would be the case).

But let's say Shawn finally convinces him into the one night stand that he's begged him for forever and they get divorced. I'm with Lee as I could see it going either way. It all depends on how Vince takes it, and if the divorce is amicable. If it is, then HHH stays on, maybe gets humiliated a time or two, but for the most part thigns stay the status quo. He's the biggest name in the company. What are you going to let him do, go to TNA?

However if it doesn't end well, then anything could happen. If by some miracle he winds up in TNA, it's a whole new ball game. HHH is a bigger star than Sting right now, and a bigger star than Angle has ever been (I said star, not a better wrestler so don't kill me). It would instantly make TNA look even more legit and a large group of HHH fans would become TNA fans. I'd say Norcal might even watch them. Either way, it would be the most interesting real life thing since Lita/Matt.

 

[samus500]

I think the bottom line is that with Stephanie's influence, its helped him become an 11 time champion. I feel that he would have been a world champion before he got married to SMH, but definately not 11 times. However, if they were to get divorced, the buildup of HHH has already happened as hes already cemented himself as a top title contender so in my mind theres really no way for him to lose that spot unless he would want to give it up. If he remains on Smackdown, they really wouldnt want him to slip to lowercard status, as the contenders for the World Title have already been spread too thin already.