Jim Ross On Backstage Heat On Triple H In 2008, Rivalry With Chris Jericho & Booker T, Triple H’s Legacy

In a recent edition of Grilling JR, Jim Ross discussed backstage heat on Triple H in 2008, his rivalry with Chris Jericho and Booker T, Triple H’s legacy, and much more. You can read his comments below.

Jim Ross on 2008 reports regarding backstage heat on Triple H and his animosity with Booker T and Chris Jericho: “He’s a human being, and I’m sure he made some statements he wish’d he could retract. He was very outspoken. He wasn’t the only one outspoken, but his voice seemed to cut through the clutter more than a lot of people. The Booker T thing – losing a talent like Booker was not good, he’s a quality guy. He can make everybody he worked with better. He’s colorful, exciting, charismatic, and he could wrestle. The Jericho thing I think – Jericho had a load of charisma naturally that Hunter may not have had at that point in time, and the fact that Jericho was under six-foot tall. It’s petty bullshit. You can look at it any way you want to look at it.

“He probably meant what he said. You think a guy was confident in his work ability that he would want great talents surrounding him because they have the ability to make [Hunter] or anyone else look better. I don’t know – people’s age, their maturity, their professional lot in life – all those things come into play. Sometimes it breaks out the blemishes in somebody’s personality. At that point in time, if all these things that Bryan Alvarez is reporting – I’ve got no reason to think Bryan is bullshitting – is probably indicative of Hunter’s attitude at that point in time and maturity and how you handle being a top guy. He’s obviously better at that now than he was then because he’s managing a lot of top talents and doing a good job. It was regrettable, especially when you talk about two guys like Booker T and Jericho. You really make yourself look bad by inferring that they don’t belong for whatever reason.”

On Triple H’s legacy in wrestling: “I think over the long haul – matches come and go, and his entire body of work as a wrestler is very admirable to say the very least. I think his legacy may be a little bit like mine. I’d rather my legacy be for the talent that I signed and the roster that I helped build more than my announcing. But because my announcing is out there and upfront and I have so much exposure as an announcer – Triple H had two or three cameos on the show and maybe one match – and Lawler and I were in every segment. So, the announcing is always probably going to get that nod probably. I think my best work was building my roster. I think Triple H’s best work, at the end of the day, will be building NXT as a third brand in a very crowded space within WWE. That’s just me looking at it from my perspective as a former administrator there.”

If using any of the above quotes, please credit Grilling JR with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.