The worlds of professional football and wrestling have intertwined on a regular basis down the years, which should come as no real surprise. With passionate fan bases immersing themselves in absorbing storylines, and with heroes and villains emerging on an almost daily basis, similarities aplenty can be found between superstars of the pitch and squared circle.
Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney has figured in shows on British soil, former Premier League striker Grant Holt has tried his hand at becoming a wrestler, and many prominent figures within WWE have made no secret of their support for certain teams in soccer circles. Sheamus has his colors nailed firmly to Liverpool’s mast, Drew McIntyre is very much in Rangers’ camp and West Ham can count a certain Triple H among their ever-growing fan base.
The legendary figure inside the ring has followed the Hammers for some time, with the east London outfit selected as his Premier League side of choice long before a potentially productive cross-platform partnership was struck up.
Triple H has said: “West Ham is probably the closest to what we do, with the passion of their fan base and their loyalty, right? That’s the closest to what we do.”
The New Hampshire native has chosen well, with a side currently working under the management of ex-Everton and Manchester United boss David Moyes continuing to figure prominently in football betting markets. The Hammers are currently priced at odds of +1600 for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification in 2022-23, +400 to end the current campaign in sixth spot or higher, and +2000 to savor a first FA Cup triumph since 1980. In addition, they are expected to be competitive on multiple fronts, with those in stands now demanding positive progress.
Triple H will be among those keeping a close eye on events from afar, but when and why did he become so closely associated with a team that operates a long way outside of his own professional sporting circle?
The Game
West Ham’s cross-London neighbors, Arsenal, had taken to playing Triple H’s iconic ‘The Game’ theme tune in a bid to whip up the atmosphere at their Emirates Stadium home. It was, however, in January 2021 that West Ham finally got in on the act.
As the players emerged from the tunnel for the second half of a FA Cup clash with Doncaster Rovers, a Motorhead anthem produced specially for Triple H was blasted out of the London Stadium speaker system. News of said tribute quickly made its way to the United States, where it was warmly embraced. There has been no separating the Hammers and Triple H since then, with regular rounds of social media sparring indulged in by both sides of a happy camp.
Who knows? Maybe that bond will be strengthened in the years to come as wrestling and soccer move ever closer. With Triple H calling the shots, what are the odds of a major event being staged at the London stadium at some point? The Game has joined forces with the Beautiful Game, and that can only be considered a good thing for all concerned.
