Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart has never shied away from sharing his unfiltered thoughts on wrestling, both past and present. In a recent documentary series, The Hitman recounted an anecdote about the early days of Triple H and The Rock’s careers, shedding light on their real-life tension.
Triple H made his WWE debut in April 1995, with The Rock following suit in November 1996. The latter quickly garnered backstage heat due to his swift rise up the ranks, which didn’t sit well with some of his more seasoned peers.
The latest episode of A&E’s WWE Rivals delved into the animosity between The Rock and Triple H during the late 1990s. Hart, a luminary of the wrestling world during that era, recalled an instance where Triple H allegedly belittled The Rock during a tour:
“I can remember Triple H on a flight to Dubai talking about Dwayne [Dwayne Johnson, The Rock’s real name], ‘Can you believe this guy? He thinks he’s a superstar.’ Triple H would just pick on him every night.”
In response, Triple H downplayed the extent of his ribbing towards The Rock:
“It’s maybe just my selective memory, but I don’t recall f***ing with him that much.”
Despite their backstage tensions, The Rock and Triple H squared off in the ring over 100 times between 1996 and 2002. Their rivalry began over the Intercontinental Championship before escalating to the main-event scene in the late ’90s.
While The Rock initially faced criticism from fans for his Rocky Maivia persona, leading to a heel turn in 1997, Triple H always saw potential in his future adversary:
“He walks into Madison Square Garden for his first match ever, Survivor Series, that’s the first time I ever saw him. I’m thinking like, ‘That guy’s gonna be a star.’ He just had a look (…) From the day Rock walked in the door, he and I have had this rivalry. I was in that very first match.”
Competing as Rocky Maivia, The Rock made a memorable debut at Survivor Series 1996, emerging as the sole survivor in a team victory alongside Jake Roberts, Marc Mero, and The Stalker against Crush, Goldust, Jerry Lawler, and Triple H.
What are your thoughts on Bret Hart’s recollection of these events?
