WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque recently made an appearance on The Roommates Show, offering insights into pivotal moments in wrestling history and his own career trajectory. The interview, geared towards a broader audience, touched on topics ranging from the infamous Montreal Screwjob to his entry into WWE creative.
One of the most discussed moments of the interview was Triple H’s recollection of the events leading up to the Montreal Screwjob. He described a tense phone call involving Vince McMahon and others regarding Bret Hart’s contract situation and refusal to drop the title to Shawn Michaels. “A famous story in our business of a moment in time called the Montreal Screwjob where they flipped the finish of a match on Bret Hart,” Triple H explained. “There was a moment when we were all on the phone together, and Vince had come to us and said, ‘Bret is not gonna not re-signing, and he won’t drop the title to Shawn.’ Survivor Series was booked. We were maybe a week out, or something like that. It was close. The conversation was basically, ‘Here’s what he’s willing to do, and it’s going to kill business.’ There was just silence. Nobody knew what to say. I was probably the least important person on the totem pole at that time, but I was like, I gotta say it. I was like, ‘F*ck that. If he won’t do business, do it for him.’ That started a conversation that led to the Montreal screw job. That’s kind of like a bold move. I guess that paid off.” This revelation sheds light on Triple H’s early involvement in key decision-making processes within WWE.
The interview also delved into Triple H’s unexpected entry into WWE’s creative side. He recounted how the departure of the company’s writing team during the Monday Night Wars left Vince McMahon to shoulder the writing responsibilities alone. Sensing an opportunity, Triple H offered his assistance. “Right n the middle of the Attitude Era, the guy that was writing the shows with Vince McMahon left and took his team with him and signed with WCW, right in the middle of the Monday night wars. So Vince was left to write the shows by himself, which is really a difficult task,” he said. “I was still young, but I knew creatively, Vince and I got along, and I knew creatively, we kind of worked well together. I debated doing it, but I went to him before we left TV that day, and I said, ‘Hey, I’m going home for a few days. I got a couple of days off. Can’t be easy to write these shows on your own with nobody to bounce information off of. I’m home if you need it, and I know you probably won’t call, but I just wanted to say that to you’, and I left. This is way before Stephanie. This is like, he’s just my boss.”
Triple H then described his initial doubts after making the offer: “After I left, I remember driving in the car thinking to myself, what an idiot saying that to him. He was probably like, this kid thinks he can help me. Like, what a moron.” However, his offer was well-received. “The next day, my phone rang. He’s like, ‘Hey, it’s Vince.’ I was like, ‘How’s it going?’ I halfway thought he was going to be like, what are you thinking telling me he’ll help me, or whatever. He was like, ‘I’m writing TV. You got a couple of minutes.’ I was like, ‘Yeah.’ We started talking creative on the phone, and then that led to him down the line saying, ‘Hey, why don’t you start coming to production meetings?’ I wasn’t getting paid to do it. I wasn’t anything else. I’d have to get there four hours earlier than everybody else and I was like, all right. I like that side of the business, so a decision like that, of just taking that gamble, sort of, I’m kind of sitting here today as the Chief Content Officer running the creative because I made that offer.” This anecdote highlights the importance of seizing opportunities and how a simple offer can lead to significant career advancements.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Roommates Show with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
