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A lot is made of controversy and real-life heat in the professional wrestling industry, and when it comes to Triple H, there are a whole manner of individuals to choose from when exploring his unpopularity with certain former coworkers, and the legit heat he has with others, including the likes Scott Steiner and CM Punk to name just two. However, it is sometimes also nice to look at the more wholesome side of professional wrestling, and the healthier relationships between veterans of WWE. Two who hold a strong relationship and friendship with one another are Triple H and William Regal, even though they are now on opposing sides of the modern day “wrestling war”.
The Friendship Between Triple H And William Regal Started In WCW
Although Triple H and William Regal worked for several years together in WWE, sharing a good two decades under the same roof, their friendship actually started before either of them had stepped foot in the promotion. Back in the 1990s, William Regal was portraying the “Lord Steven Regal” character, who was an arrogant, posh English aristocrat type of persona, who oozed unlikability. He was great in this role, though he wouldn’t be the only gimmick of this ilk who was in WCW at the time.
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Less than a year into his run with the company, Triple H was repackaged from “Terra Ryzing” and became “Jean-Paul Levesque”. Using his real-life surname with French origins, Triple H also played the role of a snotty aristocrat who used an awful French accent whilst looking down upon everyone else on the roster. Naturally, their similar gimmicks were drawn together, with Regal taking the less experienced star under his wing as the pair formed a tag team.
On his Gentleman Villain podcast, Regal went into the early years of their time together. “We just get on, and he can look at me because of the time we spent together, a short time in WCW. Well a year, just over a year, but we spent time learning our craft together. And me and him could just look at each other from across an arena and I know what he wants and I’ll take care of it.” Unfortunately, their promising alliance would quickly come to an end due to Triple H leaving to join WWE, leading to Regal replacing him with Bobby Eaton, forming The Blue Bloods.
Triple H And William Regal Built NXT Together
Throughout their years as active performers in WWE they didn’t cross paths too often, with perhaps their most notable encounter coming in a First Blood Match on Raw in 2008 during Regal’s rise as King of the Ring and Raw General Manager. They always retained a strong respect for one another though, which stayed true even as they began working together in the revamped WWE developmental system, NXT.
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In many ways, NXT was Triple H’s brain child, but without the influence of William Regal, it likely wouldn’t have become the phenomenon that it did. Although Regal was made the on-screen authority figure and General Manager of NXT, Regal was responsible for a lot of scouting, bringing in some of the best talents from around the world to the ranks of NXT. The system bolstered WWE’s roster in a huge way, with many of the current superstars being the product of Triple H and Regal.
Triple H And William Regal Remain Friends Despite Being In Different Promotions
Their time in NXT together was one which didn’t involve much communication, though it involved a whole lot of trust. Regal further explained on his podcast about this. “When we worked together I was the last person, I probably spoke to him less than anybody else in the entire company. He didn’t need to speak to me, I get it, I sometimes get a one word text, and I will just take care of it… that’s how we work together.” Regal was released from WWE in 2022, with Triple H likely to have been gutted by this decision.
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Regal is now in AEW, and Triple H is now at the head of WWE’s main roster creative team due to Vince McMahon stepping down, so they talk to each other even less, unfortunately. However, with a friendship like this, it is one in which they will be able to spend years away from each other and pick up from where they left off whenever they see each other again. They share the odd text and interaction, but they are both busy individuals, especially in their respective promotions. It should also be noted that both Triple H and William Regal are big fans of Motorhead, and have clicked over their music taste in the past.
