"Who are your idols? Who do you look at and say 'that's what I want to do'? Not 'that's the money I want to make', not 'that's the other TV show I want to be in', not 'that's the spot I want to be in on Leno'. That's the yard. That's the business. That's what I want to do. That's the story I want to tell. You can tell a lot about a guy in this business (from) who he looked up to in this business.
(Beat)
Then somebody tells me... one of these guys had a Goldberg poster on his wall that had to be torn off. No big deal to me. I think, 'You know, Goldberg. He's in our business. Hell of an athlete'. The question I ask is: If your biggest idol in this business is a guy that's been in this business for about a year, got everything handed to him, can't have a match longer than four minutes, has not wrestled for probably for more than three months straight because every three months he's got a hangnail, he's got a toothache, he's got a tummy ache, and he's got to take time off, and I wonder where does that mentally put that person? What does that person think about this business? Is it about what we do? Is it about telling a story? Or is it about being a big jacked-up guy that stands in the ring, is fed a bunch of guys who really don't know what they're doing to mow over? He abuses that. What does that say about someone that has no heart for what we do? No guts, no heart. You get injured, you keep going. You get hurt, you keep going.
I've had to be carried to the top of the ramp to go to the ring! I've had to be helped up the stairs because I couldn't walk myself to 'em! And I've walked to that ring and I've wrestled for 45 minutes against Vince McMahon. After he fell thirty-five feet on my leg, his big fat ass almost busted it, and I still went to the ring. I'm not bragging. I'm not that tough. I'm not tougher than anyone else in our business. But I respect our business. I love our business. I put my life on the line every day for our business and I gladly do it, and I'll continue to do it until I can do it no longer. Not for the fame. Not for the glory of it. Not so I can get laid. No other reason than the love of the business.
(...)
But I question the fact that when somebody has a poster of a guy on their wall that can't suck it up enough to continue when he's on top of the business, when he's on top of the company, and they ask him to go, and he says, 'I'm sorry. I can't. I have to sit home for three months. I can't even make it to TV. I'm sorry, I don't like where the storyline's going, so I can't come in.' I have to question that guy's heart! I've got to question that guy's desire! I got to question whether he just thinks, 'Hell, I'm pretty jacked up. I'm just as big as these guys, so I can stand in the ring with them. As long as they put me over, it don't matter, I'll be a big star. I'll make a lot of money, I'll be famous'. You gotta ask yourself inside where to draw the line. When do you take time off? Do you tape it up and you keep going? Or do you call in sick?
(...)
You guys have the greatest opportunity in the world, in my opinion, to be in the greatest business in the world. Do not fuck it up. Do not throw it away, 'cuz if you do, you piss on every single person that's come before you. Every single person that's paid their dues, every person that's busted their ass, every single old timer that's busted up and can barely walk, you piss on them."
(Beat)
Then somebody tells me... one of these guys had a Goldberg poster on his wall that had to be torn off. No big deal to me. I think, 'You know, Goldberg. He's in our business. Hell of an athlete'. The question I ask is: If your biggest idol in this business is a guy that's been in this business for about a year, got everything handed to him, can't have a match longer than four minutes, has not wrestled for probably for more than three months straight because every three months he's got a hangnail, he's got a toothache, he's got a tummy ache, and he's got to take time off, and I wonder where does that mentally put that person? What does that person think about this business? Is it about what we do? Is it about telling a story? Or is it about being a big jacked-up guy that stands in the ring, is fed a bunch of guys who really don't know what they're doing to mow over? He abuses that. What does that say about someone that has no heart for what we do? No guts, no heart. You get injured, you keep going. You get hurt, you keep going.
I've had to be carried to the top of the ramp to go to the ring! I've had to be helped up the stairs because I couldn't walk myself to 'em! And I've walked to that ring and I've wrestled for 45 minutes against Vince McMahon. After he fell thirty-five feet on my leg, his big fat ass almost busted it, and I still went to the ring. I'm not bragging. I'm not that tough. I'm not tougher than anyone else in our business. But I respect our business. I love our business. I put my life on the line every day for our business and I gladly do it, and I'll continue to do it until I can do it no longer. Not for the fame. Not for the glory of it. Not so I can get laid. No other reason than the love of the business.
(...)
But I question the fact that when somebody has a poster of a guy on their wall that can't suck it up enough to continue when he's on top of the business, when he's on top of the company, and they ask him to go, and he says, 'I'm sorry. I can't. I have to sit home for three months. I can't even make it to TV. I'm sorry, I don't like where the storyline's going, so I can't come in.' I have to question that guy's heart! I've got to question that guy's desire! I got to question whether he just thinks, 'Hell, I'm pretty jacked up. I'm just as big as these guys, so I can stand in the ring with them. As long as they put me over, it don't matter, I'll be a big star. I'll make a lot of money, I'll be famous'. You gotta ask yourself inside where to draw the line. When do you take time off? Do you tape it up and you keep going? Or do you call in sick?
(...)
You guys have the greatest opportunity in the world, in my opinion, to be in the greatest business in the world. Do not fuck it up. Do not throw it away, 'cuz if you do, you piss on every single person that's come before you. Every single person that's paid their dues, every person that's busted their ass, every single old timer that's busted up and can barely walk, you piss on them."
— Triple H
