Support NeoGAF

[ManaByte]

'Game' over: WWE's Triple H retires from action

Wrestling star Triple H, a 14-time WWE world champion who underwent heart surgery in September, on Friday told ESPN's First Take that he is retiring as an in-ring performer.

www.espn.com

The WWE legend, whose real name is Paul Levesque, went into heart failure last September following a bout with viral pneumonia, he said, and there were moments that he was not sure if he would make it. Levesque, 52, made his WWE debut in 1995 and is a 14-time world champion.

"I will never wrestle again," Levesque, who is also an executive vice president with WWE, said. "First of all, I have a defibrillator in my chest, which, you know, probably not a good idea for me to get zapped on live TV."

Levesque told ESPN's First Take that he was suffering from viral pneumonia in September and his wife, WWE chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon, noticed he was coughing up blood. He went to the hospital, where doctors discovered fluid in his lungs and around his heart.

Levesque said doctors told him his heart was working at a fraction of full strength and he was in "bad" heart failure.

"I was nose-diving and sort of at the 1-yard line of where you don't want to be really, for your family and your future," Levesque said Friday. "There's moments in there when they're putting you out for stuff and you think, 'Is this it? Do you wake up from this?' That's tough to swallow and makes you think differently."

 

[WoJ]

I know a lot of people do not like Triple H for various reasons, but he has always been one of my favorites. Fantastic heel and one of the all time greats. I hope we get to see him as some type of on screen role in the future.

 

[HellforLeather]

steroids are bad for you

 

[LiquidMetal14]

The shame he didn't get a proper send-off match but he has done a lot for the industry and has been one of the upstanding people. I don't get into the politics of it all but you will not find a lot of harder working people despite the stigma of in marrying the bosses daughter. I'll leave that for the immature people to argue about.

 

[March Climber]

I know a lot of people do not like Triple H for various reasons, but he has always been one of my favorites. Fantastic heel and one of the all time greats. I hope we get to see him as some type of on screen role in the future.

I've always been mixed on the guy because of the behind the scenes stories regarding how he aggressively clawed his way to the top, regardless of who he might have helped or ultimately hurt. However, at the same time Vince and the top crew were the reason for that type of garbage locker room structure so he was mainly playing their game(no pun intended) the way it was already rigged up, just better than the others were.

 

[haxan7]

I guess pushing your body that far really takes its toll. Seems like a lot of these guys pay the price. Glad he pulled through.

 

[ManaByte]

The shame he didn't get a proper send-off match but he has done a lot for the industry and has been one of the upstanding people. I don't get into the politics of it all but you will not find a lot of harder working people despite the stigma of in marrying the bosses daughter. I'll leave that for the immature people to argue about.

If it wasn't for him and the Curtain Call punishment, we probably wouldn't have gotten Stone Cold and that kick off of the Attitude Era at King of the Ring. And he ate that Curtain Call punishment without bitching out to WCW, so he kind of earned his place in the end.

 

[AJUMP23]

steroids are bad for you

Too many steroids are, but in certain cases they can help you.


Glad Paul caught it in time and recovered.

 

[StormCell]

I think the problem that developed for some of us regarding Triple H was the way in which WWF/E spammed us with him. When somebody gets romantically involved and basically into the family it seems like a conflict of interest to have the son-in-law paradingaround 6 times, 7 times, no 8 times... with the championship belt. Eventually he held it 9 times. Only John Cena has been spammed worse, but who could blame them when anyone worth a damn jumps ship for holywood, and all you've got are aging stars and one John Cena. The other guys like Orton are fine, but it takes a great stable from one end to the other to keep a show interesting.

But I agree that without Triple H, the Attitude era maybe never kicks off. He is an inseparable part of the history.

 

[TGO]

What a shame, but it's understandable.
I always enjoyed his performances in the 2000's, hell WWE was straight up better then.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Steroid abuse often leads to heart problems correct?

 

[TGO]

Double post

 

[Melon Husk]

Steroid abuse often leads to heart problems correct?

Also simply too much strength training and not enough aerobic training is bad for your heart