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http://www.charleston.net/stories/092103/moo_21wrestle.shtml

Story last updated at 8:39 a.m. Sunday, September 21, 2003 

Triple H may re-emerge on top in WWE 

BY MIKE MOONEYHAM 
Of The Post and Courier Staff 

It may have taken World Wrestling Entertainment six months to deliver
the heavyweight crown to Bill Goldberg, but tonight will mark the
beginning of what should be a closely scrutinized title run.

None will be watching more closely than Vince McMahon and son-in-law
to-be Triple H. Although Hunter Hearst Helmsley is scheduled to drop
his Raw world title to Goldberg at tonight's Unforgiven pay-per-view,
odds are pretty good that Triple H will regain the gold by the
Survivors Series PPV in November.

Timing, of course, is everything. Triple H will get a much-needed rest
as he recovers from a pulled groin, while preparing for his Oct. 25
wedding date with Stephanie McMahon. With Helmsley on the sideline, it
leaves very few credible heel challengers to feed to Goldberg. And
with Monday Night Football back in full swing, numbers for Raw
naturally will be lower than usual.

If ratings show a consistent slide with Goldberg carrying the ball,
the new champ undoubtedly will get the blame and Triple H will
re-emerge as the conquering hero, this time in an on-camera role as a
babyface and a behind-the-scenes position as a bona fide power-broker.

WWE already has made plans to give third-generation star Randy Orton a
mega-push that should start with an upset win over Shawn Michaels at
tonight's PPV. Unless Goldberg is willing to turn heel, a scenario he
was highly uncomfortable with during his latter days in WCW, it's
quite likely that Orton will dethrone him before Triple H gets the
chance to.

Goldberg has begrudgingly agreed to go out on the road as a concession
to McMahon's demands that the top stars work house shows in an attempt
to boost sagging attendance figures.

Too little, too late? Time will tell, but judging from recent shows
and storylines, there just isn't enough compelling material to make
the product appointment viewing as it was only a few short years ago.

-- Triple H (real name Paul Levesque), who has made several trips to
Hollywood over the past year seeking film opportunities, will realize
his goal of big-screen exposure as WWE has commissioned John Milius,
who wrote both "Apocalypse Now" and "Conan the
Barbarian," to write a
movie for him. He will star in "Jornada del Muerte" (Journey of
Death)," a modern-day Western set in the Southwest that involves
motorcycle gangs, drug trafficking and broken codes of honor,
according to the Hollywood Reporter. The film will be the first
theatrical release from the recently formed WWE Films production
banner.

In addition, Helmsley will battle Wesley Snipes in New Line Cinema's
"Blade: Trinity." In "Blade," Triple H will play a
villain who takes
on Snipes' vampire-hunter character in the third installment of the
franchise. The film is being directed by David Goyer.

-- Tuesday night's Smackdown in Raleigh (which aired Thursday) was one
of the strongest in the history of that show. The 60-minute Iron Man
bout between Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar was a match of the year
candidate and the latest in a series of classics between the former
amateur greats. The only complaint -- and it's a minor one -- is that
the string of commercials hampered the flow of the match.

It also might be questioned why the company decided to give the bout
away on free TV rather than save it for a pay-per-view main event. WWE
officials viewed last week's show as an experiment to determine
whether long matches and fewer skits could attract a sizable
viewership. Unfortunately, the rating came in at a below-average 3.2,
which should spell the end for marathon matches on WWE TV. The last
two 60-minute Iron Man bouts in WWE were Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels
in 1996 and The Rock vs. Triple H in 2000.

-- George's Sports Bar and Grill, 1300 Savannah Highway, will air the
Unforgiven pay-per-view tonight beginning at 8 p.m. Cover charge is
$5.

-- Bodybuilding legend Lee Haney and wrestling great Greg "The Hammer"
Valentine will highlight Miles Road Baptist Church's "It's All About
Jesus" crusade today through Wednesday.

Valentine, son of the legendary Johnny "The Champ" Valentine, will
share his life story at Tuesday evening's service. Haney, an
eight-time Mr. Olympia and one of the greatest bodybuilders of all
time, will share his testimony Wednesday. The programs begin at 6 p.m.
today and 7 p.m. the next three evenings. The church is located at 816
Miles Road in Summerville.


--- Internet Rex 2.29