WWE legend addresses speculation he "hates" Triple H
Triple H has worked for WWE in various on-screen and off-screen roles since joining the company in 1995. Legendary commentator Jim Ross recently clarified rumors about his relationship with The Game.
In the late 1990s, Triple H feuded with top stars The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin after becoming WWE's main bad guy. Ross, a play-by-play announcer at the time, often blasted the wrestler's villainous antics while commentating.
Some fans thought Ross legitimately had issues with Triple H due to his character's hatred of The King of Kings. However, the 72-year-old said on the latest episode of Grilling JR that the speculation is false:
"I went on a vendetta [as a television character] about him and tried to make him a bigger heel than he was," Ross stated. "There's still people to this very day think that I hate Triple H and he hates me and all that stuff. It's pro wrestling. Our job is to get talent over and to establish their persona, and I thought we did a nice job of establishing Triple H's persona that followed his lead on how all that stuff worked out." [1:17:22 – 1:17:49]
On August 23, 1999, Triple H won the first of his 14 world titles when he defeated Mankind for the WWE Championship on RAW. More than two decades on, he is WWE's Chief Content Officer and main roster creative figurehead.
Jim Ross on Triple H's rise to become a WWE main-eventer
Steve Austin was written off television for almost a year after Survivor Series 1999 to undergo neck surgery. While The Texas Rattlesnake was absent, Triple H stepped up and cemented his spot in the main-event picture.
Jim Ross thinks the former D-Generation X member was the only person who was ready to become a new top star during that time:
"Triple H just earned the spot. I mean, I don't know who else you would pick out of our roster that was more ready for the spot that Triple H earned than him, than Triple H. He earned his spot and he was really, really good at it." [1:17:00 – 1:17:20]
In the same episode, Ross disclosed details about the AEW star who "alienated a lot of people" due to his comments about Austin.
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Please credit Grilling JR and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.