WWE Hall Of Famer Criticizes 2003 Triple H Segment

WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley recently shared his take on the highly controversial 2003 segment between Triple H and Booker T, stating it “should have stayed off air”. This has fired up further debate on perhaps the most notorious storyline in WWE history that unraveled within weeks leading to WrestleMania XIX.

The Controversial Segment

During a promo on Booker T by Triple H on Monday Night Raw on March 3, 2003, many critics say a racial rant occurred, which was cut. In that segment he told Booker T, among other things, that:

Telling Booker T that “people like you don’t get to be World Champion”

The comments here, among others, were making racist references to Booker’s hair and pattern of speech.

Suggesting that Booker T was only good for entertaining and making people laugh

Telling Booker T to dance for his amusement

This promo was part of the buildup for their World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania XIX, with Triple H as the defending champion.

Criticism by D-Von Dudley

On a recent video on Maven Huffman’s YouTube channel, D-Von Dudley spoke his mind on the segment.

Something that should not have been put on camera and in an audience as big as this, because we got kids, you know? There’s kids watching. There are, you know, people that are influenced by pro wrestling. So to ever go that route again, we should never, never go back. I don’t think we can, but I don’t think we ever should have in the first place.

Another important point that arises from Dudley’s comments is the responsibility of wrestling promotions in shaping public perceptions and influencing their audience, especially younger viewers.

The Effect upon Booker T

The segment and the storyline afterwards took a lot from Booker T’s career. In the words of Maven Huffman, Booker T was in a “compromising position” and a “no-win situation”3. Had Booker refused to go along with the storyline, he would have risked his job. That is a dilemma many wrestlers face, but particularly the minority, with storylines like this one.

The WrestleMania XIX Match

The payoff to this angle was the World Heavyweight Championship match between Triple H and Booker T at WrestleMania XIX on March 30, 2003. Despite the racially charged build-up, which seemed to position Booker T as the underdog hero, Triple H emerged victorious, retaining his championship.

The result of the match and the match itself were panned universally by the fans and people in the industry. According to many, that was a great missed opportunity since Booker T was supposed to win—a tremendous feel-good moment of triumph over adversity.

Long-term Impact and Discussion

This is a segment and storyline that have been controversial for several years, especially in discussions on how WWE tackles issues on race in storylines and the way WWE portrays their minority wrestlers.

In 2021, it was reported that the infamous segment was pulled from A&E’s Biography series on Booker T10. This would seem to indicate WWE is trying to sweep this portion of its history under the rug.

Triple H’s Creative Control and Backstage Influence

This incident certainly calls into question his creative input and power in the back at this time. Indeed, many have chastised Triple H for his exploitation of his position and relationship with Stephanie McMahon to stay over the card, often to the detriment of more talented performers.

One of the most vocal against him has been former WWE star Scott Steiner. In an interview with a podcast, Steiner accused Triple H of using his relationship with Stephanie McMahon to rise up the ladder in the company.

The Reign of Terror”

To some fans, the period between 2002 and 2005 is Triple H’s “reign of terror”5. For the most part, Triple H was on top of the card, holding the World Heavyweight Championship for a large portion of time, and was engaged in several high-profile feuds. Many critics feel this was especially the period where Triple H utilized his political stroke to keep himself at the top of the card, generally at the expense of up-and-coming talent.

Other Controversial Moments

The Booker T incident isn’t the only one to have raised eyebrows concerning Triple H. Other controversial instances include:

The storyline that had Kane over Katie Vick was distasteful in nature, with the implication of necrophilia.

Teasing Rob Van Dam’s recreational drug use backstage 7.

Insist on always looking strong in the promotion of video games.7.

His leading of The Authority storyline, widely criticized by many fans as frustrating and counteractive to emerging talent.

Triple H’s Legacy and Current Role

Despite these controversies, Triple H has gone on to become a respected figure within the wrestling world. He is currently WWE’s Chief Content Officer and has been praised for his work in developing new talent through NXT4.

Not all critics are convinced that Triple H has learned to share, however. For example, former WWE star Stevie Richards recently called out Triple H for putting himself in too many storylines when he is no longer an active wrestler.

Evolution of the Wrestling Industry

The 2003 controversy, however, together with the continuous topic of discussion, is a sure-shot testimony that definitely something has changed in the way the wrestling world runs when it comes to sensitive topics related to racial issues or any similar things. While those sorts of angles were more commonly accustomed to previous decades, there is visibility in changing tones toward being responsibly and inclusively told in more current years.

Conclusion

The 2003 segment featuring Booker T and Triple H remains a blight on the history of WWE, while recent complaints by D-Von Dudley further give pause to how wrestling promotions exercise their duty concerning shaping and scripting messages and sentiment.

Fair points, since WWE and Triple H have moved forward with treatment, especially over the last couple of years, in regard to talent and giving more inclusive storytelling, yet it remains a talked-about incident due to how it happened. It really shows how some controversy could create lasting impressions that should be highly considered in decision-making, along with careful attention to creative professional wrestling.

While this is still a very sensitive incident and should remain within an evolving context, the only takeaway could be from wrestling promotions in an evolving industry: not to repeat such huge mistakes of the past while focusing on storytelling that will keep them entertaining yet respectful of the uplifting for performers across different walks of life. This further proves the dialogue occurring on the topic of how seriously wrestling is taking itself to hold an entire industry accountable while simultaneously moving in the right direction for the good of change.