"I was scared of him" - WWE Hall of Famer on his relationship with Vince McMahon compared to Triple H (Exclusive)
Brian James, also known as Road Dogg, has explained the difference between working for Triple H and Vince McMahon in WWE.
James has been friends with Triple H since their days together as members of the legendary D-Generation X faction in the 1990s. Over the last decade, the Hall of Famer often interacted with The Game and Vince McMahon in behind-the-scenes creative roles.
Speaking on Sportskeeda’s “The Wrestling Outlaws” show, James was asked to compare the McMahon family members as leaders.
“To be quite honest, I call him Hunter… I'm sorry, he hates it, but everybody calls him Triple H,” James said. “I think he learned how to be the boss from Vince, so I think it’s gonna be interesting to see, with Vince gone, what his leadership style morphs into a little bit. What the difference for me was... he was my friend, but from the get-go he drew the line, like a good leader would draw the line.” [1:07-1:39]
McMahon retired last month amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon are WWE’s new co-CEOs, while Triple H has taken over from his father-in-law as the head of creative.
James went on to explain how The King of Kings separated business and friendship when they worked together.
“I said, ‘Hey, dude, can I come to you and ask you if I want more money, blah blah blah, I can come to you, right?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, as long as you don’t mind me saying no.’ And so that was literally the first conversation we had when he was the boss and I was the employee. It was very respectful and very to the point and drew the line.” [1:39-1:58]
While James had no issues communicating with Triple H, he sometimes felt “scared” when he spoke to McMahon.
“I responded to the two individuals differently,” James added. “Vince terrifies me. He’s a terrifying man because his presence, he demands respect in a way without saying it. I don’t know to tell you the truth, but I was scared of him like I was scared of no man. Not even my father. That’s weird, but it affected me like that. He also outworked me.” [2:00-2:30]
Watch the video above to hear more stories from James and former WWE writer Vince Russo about Triple H and Vince McMahon’s contrasting styles.
Brian James on Triple H’s task after replacing Vince McMahon
#SummerSlam week was a great demonstration of teamwork across @WWE. Thank you to all who participated in the #WWETryouts and to the greatest talent in the world who put on an unbelievable show @NissanStadium!
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Within two weeks, Triple H has made it clear that RAW and SmackDown will have a different feel to when Vince McMahon ran both shows. Several former NXT talents have appeared on the main roster since The Game replaced McMahon, including Dakota Kai, IYO SKY, and Karrion Kross.
Brian James was SmackDown’s lead writer between 2016 and 2019 before working in a backstage role in NXT. He reiterated that Triple H was easier to approach with creative ideas than McMahon.
“I wasn’t scared of Hunter,” James said. “I could approach him. I was scared to approach Vince sometimes. Again, that was me. That was the difference in me working for the two of them. I don’t know what the difference between the two will be until Hunter finds his footing and sees what that looks like for him personally and professionally.” [2:33-2:54]
James became a WWE Hall of Famer alongside Triple H in 2019. Fellow D-Generation X members Billy Gunn, Chyna, Sean Waltman, and Shawn Michaels were also part of the 2019 Hall of Fame class.
Have you enjoyed the new Triple H era of RAW and SmackDown so far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
Please credit Sportskeeda’s “The Wrestling Outlaws” and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.