Circle of Champions: Triple H grants Kelan's Wish
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Hours before defeating Chavo Guerrero in front of a packed house at the River Center, WWE Champion Triple H made dreams come true for 12-year-old Kelan Timm, who wished to meet his favorite Superstar. Kelan's wish, arranged by the Make-A-Wish Foundation and WWE, was The Game's first since being drafted to SmackDown three weeks ago.
"It's very cool to have been the first [Circle of Champion honoree] he's seen since coming to SmackDown. I was shocked he was drafted, because The Game was a really big Superstar on Raw," Kelan said. "Triple H is such a cool Superstar because he puts on great performances. I like his attitude. He has a nice sense of humor, he's brave and he's a fighter, like me."
The Rapid City, S.D., resident was afraid his wish to meet Triple H was not going to happen. When The Game was drafted to SmackDown, that meant the original plan to have the duo meet before Monday Night Raw in New Orleans needed to be rescheduled. That's when the Make-A-Wish Foundation and WWE worked collectively to accommodate the "True Champ" and move the meeting to Baton Rouge.
Kelan, accompanied by his mother, Amanda Johnson, stepfather, Jeremy Johnson, brother, Tyson, and sister, Aliyah, sat anxiously in his luxury suite for The Game. Then, the moment he'd been waiting for finally came. The Cerebral Assasin, appropriately dressed in his signature blue jeans and maroon button-down designer shirt, strutted into the room.
"Where's my buddy, Kelan?" The Game asked before sitting next to the True Champ.
Kelan couldn't contain his excitement when he saw his favorite Superstar in person for the first time.
"Oh, my god … it's Triple H!" Kelan exclaimed enthusiastically.
Triple H signed autographs, shelled out his new "Triple H Hammer" T-shirts, cap and wristbands, and he posed for photos with the Circle of Champions honoree and his family. With The Game's birthday a few weeks away, Kelan surprised him with Rapid City local sports teams' apparel, a can koozie and a Mt. Rushmore pin. The gifts didn't end. The local Make-A-Wish chapter honored Triple H with Mardi Gras beads and an official alligator head surveyor.
Sometimes, The Game's young fans are so thrilled about seeing him, they forget to ask questions. Kelan gained his composure to ask a series of questions on Triple H's most challenging opponent (Shawn Michaels), toughest match (2000 Street Fight Match at Royal Rumble against Cactus Jack), what career the 12-time champion would've pursued had he not become a professional wrestler (graphic designer or a fitness trainer) and a memorable one that was priceless.
"If you could meet anyone in the whole world, who would it be?" Kelan asked.
"You," Triple H replied with no hesitation.
Also, SmackDown Superstars Big Show and Jeff Hardy stopped by to meet Kelan. However, Triple H left a lasting impression.
"It really made me feel good that over everybody in the world Triple H could meet, he chose me," Kelan explained, with an ear-to-ear grin. "It was nice to learn so much about him. He's a nice guy. I'm telling all my friends how cool Triple H was and how cool SmackDown was, and if they ever get this opportunity in their life to take it."
For Triple H, an international icon, a multiple-time titleholder and one of the biggest Superstars in sports-entertainment history, meeting Kelan was one of the greatest honors of his life.
"The name of the organization says it all -- Make-A-Wish. Kelan had one wish in life and that was to meet me. That's incredible. Everyone talks about what we do from an industry standpoint, but this is really what we do -- take a kid like Kelan and put a smile on his face. Making him smile will be the best thing I do until I meet the next Circle of Champions honoree," Triple H said. "If he could not have come to SmackDown, I would've gone to him. This is the best part of our job, so we do everything possible to accommodate our True Champs."
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