Triple H
Encyclopedia
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler
, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name
Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Triple H currently appears on WWE programming as the Chief Operating Officer of WWE and as a semi-active wrestler.
Levesque began his wrestling career in the International Wrestling Federation as Terra Ryzing before joining World Championship Wrestling
(WCW) in 1994. After briefly using the Ryzing name, he changed his character to Jean-Paul Lévesque, a French-Canadian aristocrat which would be similar to his character Hunter Hearst Helmsley, that he used in his early years with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1995 onward. He later abbreviated his name to Triple H and adopted an alternative image in the stable D-Generation X
(DX). After the dissolution of DX, Triple H was pushed as a main event wrestler, winning several singles championships. As part of a storyline Triple H married Stephanie McMahon, who later became his real-life spouse. In 2003, Triple H formed another stable known as Evolution
, and reformed DX
with Shawn Michaels
in 2006 and 2009.
Overall, Levesque has won 23 championships in WWE, including 13 World Championships, having won the WWF/E Championship
eight times, and the World Heavyweight Championship
five times. He has the highest total number of world title reigns sanctioned in WWE. In addition, Helmsley won the 1997 King of the Ring
, the 2002 Royal Rumble
, and was the second Grand Slam Championship winner. Outside of wrestling, Helmsley has made numerous guest appearances in film and on television.
. In his youth, he was a fan of professional wrestling and his favorite wrestler was Ric Flair
. Levesque became aware of bodybuilding
at the age of fourteen; after graduating from high school in 1987, Levesque entered several bodybuilding competitions. He was crowned Teenage Mr. New Hampshire in 1988.
(WCW). In his first televised match, Levesque debuted as a villain
named Terror Risin' and defeated Keith Cole
. His ring name was soon modified to Terra Ryzing, which he used until mid-1994, when he was renamed Jean-Paul Lévesque. This gimmick referred to his surname's French origins and he was asked to speak with a French accent, as he could not speak French. During this time, he began using his finishing maneuver, the Pedigree.
Levesque had a brief storyline feud
with Alex Wright
that ended at Starrcade 1994 with Wright pinning him. Between late 1994 and early 1995, Levesque briefly teamed with Lord Steven Regal, whose snobby British persona was similar to Levesque's character. The team was short-lived, however, as Levesque left for the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF) in January 1995 after WCW turned down his request to be pushed as a singles competitor.
Blueblood
" Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Levesque appeared in taped vignettes, in which he talked about how to use proper etiquette, up until his wrestling debut on the April 30, 1995 episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge
.
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Although he was heavily pushed in the first few months after his debut, Levesque's career stalled during 1996, starting off with being mired in a feud with Duke "The Dumpster" Droese
following a loss during the Free for All
at 1996 Royal Rumble
. Up until that event, his angle included appearing on television each week with a different female valet (which included Playboy Playmates Shae Marks
and Tylyn John). Sable was his valet at WrestleMania XII
, and after his loss to Ultimate Warrior
, as part of the storyline, he took his aggressions out on her. The debuting Marc Mero
—her real-life husband—came to her rescue, starting a feud between the two wrestlers.
During 1996, Helmsley appeared on an episode of WWF Superstars
in a match against Marty Garner
. When Levesque attempted to perform the Pedigree, Garner mistook the maneuver for a double underhook suplex and tried to jump up with the move, causing him to land squarely on top of his head and suffer neck damage. Garner sued the WWF, eventually settling out of court and later discussed the incident in an appearance on The Montel Williams Show
.
Levesque was known backstage as one of the members of The Kliq, a group of wrestlers including Shawn Michaels
, Kevin Nash
, Sean Waltman
and Scott Hall
, who were known for influencing Vince McMahon and the WWF creative team. It has been claimed that he was scheduled to win the 1996 King of the Ring
tournament, but the victory was instead awarded to Stone Cold Steve Austin
after the Madison Square Garden Incident, in which the Kliq broke character after a match to say goodbye to the departing Nash and Hall. Despite the punishment, Helmsley did have several successes following the MSG Incident. Mr. Perfect
became his manager
and he won the WWF Intercontinental Championship
for the first time on October 21, 1996, defeating Marc Mero. When Mr. Perfect left the WWF, his departure was explained to be a result of Helmsley turning his back on his manager as soon as he won the Intercontinental Championship. Levesque held the belt for nearly four months before dropping it to Rocky Maivia on the February 13, 1997 special edition of Monday Night Raw, called Thursday Raw Thursday. For a very brief time, Helmsley was accompanied by Mr. Hughes
, who was his storyline bodyguard. After losing the Intercontinental title, he feuded with Goldust, defeating him at WrestleMania 13
. During their feud, Chyna debuted as his new bodyguard.
tournament by defeating Mankind
in the finals. Later that year, Shawn Michaels, Helmsley, Chyna and Rick Rude formed D-Generation X (DX). This stable later became known for pushing the envelope, as Michaels and Helmsley made risqué promos—spawning the catchphrase "Suck It", using a "crotch chop" hand motion, and sarcastically deriding Bret Hart
and Canada. By that point, Helmsley had fully dropped the "blueblood snob" gimmick, appearing in T-shirts and leather. During this period, his ring name was shortened to simply Triple H. Even after the DX versus Hart Foundation
storyline ended, Helmsley continued to feud with the sole remaining member Owen Hart
over the WWF European Championship
. This ended in a match between the two at WrestleMania XIV
, with the stipulation that Chyna had to be handcuffed to then-Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter
. Helmsley won after Chyna threw powder into Slaughter's eyes, momentarily "blinding" him and allowing her to interfere in the match.
After WrestleMania, Michaels was forced into temporary retirement due to a legitimate back injury sustained at the Royal Rumble
, with Triple H taking over the leadership position in DX, claiming that his now-former associate had "dropped the ball". He introduced the returning X-Pac
the night after WrestleMania and joined forces with the New Age Outlaws
. As 1998 went along, D-Generation X became more popular, turning the group from villains
to fan-favorites
. It was also during this time that Triple H began a feud with the leader of the Nation of Domination
and rising WWF villain
, The Rock. This storyline rivalry eventually led to a feud over the Intercontinental Championship, which Triple H won in a ladder match
at SummerSlam
. He did not hold the title long, however, as he was sidelined with a legitimate knee injury. When The Rock won the WWF Championship
at Survivor Series
, the rivalry between the two continued, as DX fought The Corporation
stable, of which The Rock was the main star. Triple H received a shot at the WWF Championship on the January 25, 1999 edition of Raw in an "I Quit" match against The Rock, but the match ended when Triple H was forced to quit or see his aide Chyna chokeslam
med by Kane
. This began a new angle for Triple H, as Chyna betrayed him by attacking him after the match and joining The Corporation.
At WrestleMania XV
, Triple H beat Kane with the aid of Chyna, who was thought to have rejoined DX. Later on in the night, he betrayed his long-time friend and fellow DX member X-Pac by helping Shane McMahon
retain the European Championship and joined The Corporation. turning heel
in the process. After Triple H's heel turn in early 1999, he moved away from his DX look, taping his fists for matches, sporting new and shorter wrestling trunks, and adopting a shorter hairstyle. Levesque's gimmick changed as he fought to earn a WWF title shot. After numerous failed attempts at winning the championship, Triple H and Mankind challenged WWF Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin
to a Triple Threat match at SummerSlam
, which featured Jesse "The Body" Ventura
as the special guest referee. Mankind won the match by pinning Austin. The following night on Raw, Triple H defeated Mankind to win his first WWF Championship.
Triple H dropped the WWF Championship to Vince McMahon on the September 16, 1999 edition of SmackDown! before regaining it at Unforgiven
in a Six-Pack Challenge that included Davey Boy Smith, Big Show, Kane, The Rock, and Mankind. He defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin at No Mercy
before dropping the title to Big Show at Survivor Series
. Triple H then continued his feud with Vince McMahon by marrying his daughter, Stephanie McMahon. He then defeated McMahon at Armageddon
. As a result of the feud, an angle with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon began which carried the WWF throughout the next seventeen months; together they were known as the "McMahon-Helmsley Faction
".
. On the January 3 edition of Raw is War, Triple H defeated The Big Show to win his third WWF championship.
Triple H feuded with Mick Foley
in early 2000. They both fought at the Royal Rumble
in a Street Fight Match for the WWF Championship, which Triple won after doing two pedigrees on Foley. The storyline would come to an end at No Way Out
in a Hell in a Cell where if Mick Foley lost he would have to retire. Triple H retained his title at the PPV and thus ending Mick Foley's fifteen year career. Triple H pinned The Rock at WrestleMania 2000
to retain the title, but lost it at Backlash
to The Rock. He regained it three weeks later, in an Iron Man match
at Judgment Day
, only to lose it back to The Rock at King of the Ring
. Triple H then entered a storyline feud with Chris Jericho
, which culminated in a Last Man Standing match at Fully Loaded.
A later storyline feud between Triple H and Steve Austin started when it emerged that Triple H had paid off Rikishi to run down Austin at Survivor Series
, causing him to take a year off. In reality, Austin's previous neck injuries started bothering him again, forcing him to have surgery. In 2000, Triple H and Austin had a match at Survivor Series
that ended when Triple H tried to trick Austin into coming into the parking lot to run him over again, only to have Austin lift his car up with a forklift and flip the car onto its roof 10 feet high. Triple H returned a few weeks later and attacked Austin. The feud continued into 2001 and ended in a Three Stages of Hell match in which Helmsley defeated Austin. In 2001, Triple H also feuded with The Undertaker, who defeated him at WrestleMania X-Seven
. The night after WrestleMania, Triple H interfered in a steel cage match between Austin (who had just won the WWF Championship) and The Rock where he joined forces with Austin and double teamed on The Rock, forming a tag team called The Two-Man Power Trip. Triple H then defeated Chris Jericho
for his third Intercontinental Championship on the April 5 edition of SmackDown!, and won it for a fourth time two weeks later by defeating Jeff Hardy
. Triple H then became a tag team champion for the first time at Backlash
when he and Austin defeated Kane and The Undertaker
in a winner-take-all tag match. As Triple H was still Intercontinental Champion, the win made him a double champion.
During the May 21, 2001 episode of Raw, he suffered a legitimate and career-threatening injury. In the night's main event, he and Austin were defending the Tag Team Championship against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit
. At one point, Jericho had Austin trapped in the Walls of Jericho. Triple H ran in to break it up, but just as he did, he suffered a tear in his left quadriceps muscle, causing it to come completely off the bone. Despite his inability to place any weight on his leg, Triple H was able to complete the match. He even allowed Jericho to put him in the Walls of Jericho, a move that places considerable stress on the quadriceps. The tear required an operation, which was performed by orthopedic surgeon
Dr. James Andrews
. This injury brought an abrupt end to the McMahon-Helmsley Era, as the rigorous rehabilitation
process kept Triple H out of action for over eight months, completely missing The Invasion storyline.
as a face
on January 7, 2002 at Madison Square Garden
. He won the Royal Rumble
and received an Undisputed WWF Championship
match at WrestleMania X8
. At WrestleMania X8, Triple H beat Chris Jericho for the Undisputed Championship. After holding the title for a month, Helmsley dropped it to Hulk Hogan
at Backlash
. Triple H then became exclusive to the SmackDown! roster due to the WWF Draft Lottery
and continued to feud with Jericho, culminating in a Hell in a Cell match at Judgment Day
. On June 6, Triple H defeated Hogan in a Number One Contenders match for the Undisputed Championship at the King of the Ring
against The Undertaker but was unsuccessful at the event.
In the interim, between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, the McMahon-Helmsley Faction was brought to an official on-screen conclusion. By the time he returned, Triple H's on-screen marriage to Stephanie McMahon was on the rocks, so Stephanie faked a pregnancy in order to get him back on her side. When he learned that it was fake, he dumped her publicly on Raw when they were supposed to renew their wedding vows. Stephanie aligned with Jericho afterward, but she was forced to leave after losing a Triple Threat match on Raw the night after WrestleMania when she was pinned by Triple H. The divorce, and thus the storyline, was finalized at Vengeance
.
Meanwhile, Shawn Michaels had made his return to WWE and joined the New World Order
(NWO). Michaels and Kevin Nash planned to bring Triple H over to Raw in order to put him into the group. Vince McMahon, however, disbanded the nWo following several backstage complications and brought in Eric Bischoff
as the Raw brand's new general manager. One of Bischoff's first intentions was to follow up on the nWo's plan and bring Triple H over to the Raw roster. Triple H did indeed go to the Raw brand, reuniting with Shawn Michaels, but on July 22 he turned on Michaels by performing a Pedigree on him during what was supposed to be a DX reunion, turning heel
once again. The following week, Triple H smashed Michaels' face into a car window to prove that Michaels was weak. These events led to the beginning of a long storyline rivalry between the former partners and an eventual "Unsanctioned Street Fight" at SummerSlam
, in which Michaels came out of retirement to win. Afterwards, however, Triple H attacked him with a sledgehammer
, and Michaels was carried out of the ring.
Before September 2, 2002, WWE recognized only one champion for both the Raw and SmackDown! brands. After SummerSlam, champion Brock Lesnar
became exclusive to SmackDown!, leaving Raw without a champion. Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff then awarded Triple H the Big Gold Belt
(which had been used for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
and WCW World Heavyweight Championship
) making him the first World Heavyweight Champion
of the WWE brand. Triple H retained his title against Rob Van Dam
at Unforgiven
when Ric Flair hit RVD with a sledgehammer.
In October 2002, Triple H began feuding with Kane, leading to a match at No Mercy on October 20 in which both Kane's Intercontinental Championship and Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship
were at stake. In the weeks preceding the match, Triple H claimed that, several years earlier, Kane had an unrequited
relationship with a woman named Katie Vick. He went on to claim that, after Vick was killed in a car crash
, Kane (the driver) rape
d her corpse. Triple H later threatened to show video footage of Kane committing the act in question; however, the footage that finally aired showed Triple H (dressed as Kane) simulating necrophilia
with a mannequin
in a casket
; Kane's tag team partner The Hurricane responded the following week by showing a video of Triple H (rather, someone wearing a Triple H series of masks) getting an enema
. The angle was very unpopular with fans, and was de-emphasised before the title match. Triple H went on to defeat Kane at No Mercy, unifying the two titles.
Triple H eventually lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Shawn Michaels in the first Elimination Chamber
match, at Survivor Series
. He defeated RVD for the title shot at Armageddon
with Michaels as special referee. He regained the title from Michaels in a Three Stages of Hell match at Armageddon.
, Randy Orton
, and Batista. Triple H and Ric Flair challenged RVD and Kane for the World Tag Team Titles, but they lost the match. The group was pushed on Raw from 2003 to 2004. The height of their dominance occurred after Armageddon
when every member of Evolution left the pay-per-view holding a title. Triple H held the World Heavyweight Championship for most of 2003 until Unforgiven
, losing the title to Bill Goldberg
. After a failed attempt to win back the title from Goldberg in a rematch at the Survivor Series
, he finally regained the championship against Goldberg in a triple threat match at Armageddon which also involved Kane. At the 2004 Royal Rumble
, Triple H and Shawn Michaels fought in a Last Man Standing match to a double countout, so Triple H retained the title as a result. Triple H dropped the title to Chris Benoit at WrestleMania XX
, and he was unable to reclaim the belt from Benoit in subsequent rematches, including a rematch from WrestleMania between Triple H, Benoit, and Shawn Michaels at Backlash
.
He then ended his feud with Michaels, defeating him in a Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood
. After another failed attempt, losing to Benoit at Vengeance
, he focused on Eugene
, beating him at SummerSlam
. Triple H then regained the title from former associate Randy Orton at Unforgiven
. Following a Triple Threat World Heavyweight title defense against Benoit and Edge on the November 29, 2004 episode of Raw, the World Heavyweight Championship became vacant for the first time. At New Year's Revolution
, Triple H won the Elimination Chamber to begin his tenth world title reign. At WrestleMania 21
, Triple H lost the championship to Batista, and subsequently lost two rematches at Backlash
and Vengeance
. After Vengeance, Triple H took hiatus from WWE due to suffering from his minor neck problems.
After four month hiatus, Triple H returned to Raw on October 3, 2005 as part of WWE Homecoming. He teamed with fellow Evolution member Flair to defeat Chris Masters
and Carlito
. After the match, Triple H turned on Flair hitting Flair with a sledgehammer, sparking a feud between the duo. Flair defeated Triple H in a Steel cage match at Taboo Tuesday
for Flair's Intercontinental Championship
. Subsequently, Triple H defeated Flair in a non-title Last Man Standing match at Survivor Series
to end their feud.
, another championship opportunity arose for Triple H in the Road to WrestleMania Tournament. He won the tournament, granting him a match for the WWE Championship
at WrestleMania 22
. At WrestleMania, Triple H and John Cena
fought in the main event for the title, which Triple H lost via submission. Later that month at Backlash
, Triple H was involved in another WWE Championship match, fighting Edge and Cena in a Triple Threat match, where he lost again. In an act of frustration, a bloodied Triple H used his sledgehammer to attack both Edge and Cena and then performed a number of DX crotch chops. Triple H unsuccessfully attempted to win the WWE title from Cena on numerous occasions, blaming his shortcomings on Vince McMahon, which eventually led to a feud between the McMahons and Triple H.
Shawn Michaels returned on the June 12 edition of Raw and soon reunited with Triple H to reform D-Generation X, turning Triple H into a fan-favorite
once again for the first time since 2002. DX defeated the Spirit Squad
at Vengeance
in a 5-on-2 handicap match. They continued their feud with Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon and the Spirit Squad for several weeks. They then defeated the Spirit Squad again on the July 18, 2006 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event in a 5-on-2 Elimination match. They then again defeated the McMahons at SummerSlam
, withstanding the attack of several handpicked WWE superstars by Vince McMahon. At Unforgiven
, D-Generation X overcame the odds once again, defeating The McMahons and ECW World Champion
Big Show in a Hell in a Cell match. During the match, DX embarrassed Vince by shoving his face in between Big Show's buttocks, and DX won when Triple H broke a sledgehammer over the shoulders of Vince McMahon after Michaels performed Sweet Chin Music on him.
At Cyber Sunday
during DX's feud with Rated-RKO
, special guest referee Eric Bischoff allowed the illegal use of a weapon to give Rated-RKO the win. At Survivor Series
, DX got their revenge when their team defeated Edge and Orton's team in an Elimination Match. In January 2007, at New Year's Revolution
, DX and Rated-RKO fought to a no-contest after Triple H suffered a legitimate torn right quadriceps (similar to the one he suffered in 2001 but in the other leg) fifteen minutes into the match. Surgery was successfully performed on January 9, 2007 by Dr. James Andrews.
Triple H made his return at SummerSlam
, where he defeated King Booker. After his return, he won the WWE Championship
at No Mercy
after beating the newly named Champion, Randy Orton, making Triple H an eleven-time world champion. In the same event, Triple H also defeated Umaga
in his first title defense after Mr. McMahon declared his already-scheduled bout with Umaga, a title match. McMahon then announced, Orton would receive a title rematch in a Last Man Standing match in the final match of the event, which Orton won after an RKO onto the announcer's table, thus ending Triple H's 11th title reign. Triple H's title reign at No Mercy is the fifth shortest reign in WWE history, only lasting through the duration of the event. After winning the Raw Elimination Chamber at No Way Out
, Triple H gained a WWE Championship match, by outlasting five other men, last eliminating Jeff Hardy after a Pedigree on a steel chair. However, at WrestleMania XXIV, Randy Orton retained after punting Triple H and pinning John Cena following Triple H's Pedigree on Cena. A month later, at Backlash
, Triple H won the title in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match against Orton, Cena, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield
, tying the record for most WWE Championship reigns with The Rock. Triple H then retained the title against Orton at Judgment Day
in a Steel Cage match and again at One Night Stand
in a Last Man Standing match. Orton suffered a legitimate collarbone
injury during the match, thus ending the feud prematurely.
On June 23, 2008 edition of Raw, Triple H was drafted to the SmackDown brand as a part of the 2008 WWE Draft
, in the process making the WWE Championship exclusive to SmackDown. He defended the championship over the summer and was the only champion to retain his title at Unforgiven's
Championship Scramble matches. After this he defended it against Jeff Hardy, who was in the Unforgiven match.
At Survivor Series, Triple H was scheduled to defend the championship against Vladimir Kozlov and Hardy, however Hardy was kept out of the match after a scripted attack and injury. During the match, Smackdown General Manager Vickie Guerrero
announced that Edge had returned and introduced him into the contest. Jeff Hardy interfered and hit Triple H with a steel chair meant for Edge, thus costing him the title and resulting in Edge winning his sixth World Title. Triple H entered seventh in the 2009 Royal Rumble
, but was last eliminated by Randy Orton. In February at Elimination Chamber, Triple H won the WWE Championship in the SmackDown Chamber match, setting the record for most reigns at eight. That record stood until 2011 when John Cena won his ninth WWE Championship.
On the February 16, 2009 episode of Raw, Triple H made an appearance aiding Stephanie and Shane McMahon
, after they were attacked by Randy Orton. On the February 20 episode of SmackDown, Triple H was interviewed by Jim Ross
, in the interview, footage was shown highlighting the events that occurred on the February 16 episode of Raw. Ross asked Triple H how he felt seeing that footage, in response, he broke character (after 5 years of marriage) by admitting that Vince McMahon
is his father-in-law, that Shane is his brother-in-law, and that Stephanie is his wife, thus creating a rivalry between Triple H and Orton. On the February 23 episode of Raw, Triple H confronted Orton, before attacking him, Ted DiBiase
, and Cody Rhodes (a group known as The Legacy
) with a sledgehammer and chasing them from the arena. Weeks later, it was announced that Triple H would defend the WWE championship against Orton at WrestleMania XXV
. At the event, Triple H defeated Orton to retain the title.Triple H would later face Orton and Legacy in a six man tag team match with Shane McMahon and Batista for the WWE championship at Backlash (2009)
. Triple H lost the title after trying to stop Batista from hitting Cody Rhodes with a chair then being hit with a RKO by Orton followed by the running punt to the head, allowing Orton to win the WWE championship and putting Hunter out of action for six weeks. At The Bash, Triple H would lose to Orton in a Three Stages of Hell match for the WWE Title. At Night of Champions
, Triple H would again lose to Orton in a match for the WWE Championship, this time in a Triple Threat match, also involving John Cena.
On the August 10, 2009 episode of Raw, video segments aired in which Triple H met with Michaels at an office cafeteria in Texas where he was working as a chef; throughout the segments, Triple H would try to convince Michaels return to WWE from hiatus. After several incidents during the segments (including a grease grill burgers on fire and Shawn shouting at a little girl), Michaels agreed to team with Triple H to face The Legacy at SummerSlam
, superkicking the girl, and quitting from his chef job in the process.
On the August 17 episode of Raw, in St. Louis, MO, Michaels and Triple H officially reunited as DX, but as they were in the process of their in-ring promo, Legacy attacked them both. Their first match after reuniting was against Legacy at SummerSlam
, which they won. At Breaking Point
, however, they lost to Legacy in the first ever Submissions Count Anywhere match in WWE history.
At the October pay-per-view Hell in a Cell, DX defeated Legacy in a Hell in a Cell match. DX would challenge John Cena for the WWE Championship in a triple threat match at Survivor Series
with both men failing to win the title, although they were able to retain their friendship and tag team partnership. On December 13 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, DX defeated Chris Jericho and The Big Show to win the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship
in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
; the first tag team championship reign for Michaels and Triple H as a tag team.
On December 21, Triple H announced that Hornswoggle was the new DX mascot. This came about after Hornswoggle sued DX for emotional and physical distress due to them not allowing him to join DX. After being taken to court where they were ruled guilty by a jury and judge consisting of dwarves
, Michaels told Triple H that Hornswoggle could be the mascot. Triple H agreed to it only if the charges were dropped, which Hornswoggle agreed to. On January 11 Mike Tyson, who was the Raw guest host for the night, teamed with Jericho to face DX; however, at the end of the bout, Tyson turned on Jericho and aligned himself with Michaels and Triple H. On the February 8, 2010 episode of Raw, DX lost their Unified Tag Team Titles to ShoMiz (The Miz and The Big Show) in a Triple Threat Elimination Tag Team match also featuring The Straight Edge Society (CM Punk
and Luke Gallows
.) On the March 1 episode of Raw they lost their rematch for the titles which would be their last televised match before Michaels retired. Michaels and Triple H had a non-wrestling reunion at the 2010 Tribute to the Troops
.
On February 21, Triple H eliminated WWE Champion Sheamus in an Elimination Chamber match, though he would not win the title himself. Sheamus attacked him weeks later, setting up a match between the two at WrestleMania XXVI
, where Triple H was victorious. Also at WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels lost to The Undertaker and was forced to retire, but while giving a farewell speech the next night, Sheamus attacked him. This would set up a rematch at Extreme Rules
where Sheamus attacked Triple H at the start of the show ahead of a win in their scheduled contest to allow Triple H time off to recover from injuries. Triple H made an untelevised appearance on October 30 at the WWE Fan Appreciation Event and also at the 2010 Tribute to the Troops
.
On the February 21, 2011, episode of Raw
, Triple H made his return to the WWE by interrupting the return of The Undertaker, where he challenged him to a match at WrestleMania XXVII
, to which Undertaker accepted. The match would later be revealed to be a No Holds Barred match. On the February 28 episode of Raw, Triple H attacked Sheamus and put him through the announcer table, which Sheamus had done to him at Extreme Rules
, ten months prior. On the March 28 episode of Raw, Shawn Michaels
returned to address both men about the match. The night before WrestleMania, Triple H inducted Michaels into the Hall of Fame
. At WrestleMania 27, Triple H lost to The Undertaker, extending the Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak to 19-0.
of his duties. This was followed by the announcement that he had been assigned to take over as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the WWE. This was during a storyline where CM Punk had won the WWE Championship and left the company. Though a new champion was crowned, Triple H helped resign CM Punk and upheld both championship reigns. He announced he would referee a match to unify both WWE Championships at SummerSlam
. Although he counted a pinfall for CM Punk to win, John Cena's leg was on the ropes which would break the pin. Regardless, Triple H's longtime friend Kevin Nash
attacked Punk immediately after the match to allow Alberto Del Rio to become champion. Though Nash and Punk demanded a match against each other, Triple H fired Nash for insubordination and booked himself in a "No Disqualification" match at Night Of Champions
with his position of COO on the line. He won the match despite interference from John Laurinaitis
, Nash, The Miz and R-Truth
. After repeated attacks from these wrestlers in various matches, the majority of WWE's on-screen staff gave Triple H a vote of no confidence. Mr. McMahon
returned to relieve him of his duties on Raw though he remained COO. He was replaced by Laurinaitis on Raw, who booked him in a tag team match against Miz and R-Truth at Vengeance
. During the match, Nash once again attacked him and did so the following night, hospitalizing him. WWE later announced that Triple H sustained a fractured vertebrae which would remove him from television for at least one month.
. Levesque was named Executive Vice President, Talent in 2011. In this role he oversees the talent relations and talent development departments, training of performers and management of worldwide recruitment. In addition to his talent duties, Levesque has worked as a director and producer of the creative direction and storylines of WWE’s programming.
He has a sister named Lynn.
In late 2004, Levesque released a book titled Making the Game: Triple H's Approach to a Better Body. Mostly devoted to bodybuilding advice, the book also includes some autobiographical
information, memoirs, and opinions.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Triple H currently appears on WWE programming as the Chief Operating Officer of WWE and as a semi-active wrestler.
Levesque began his wrestling career in the International Wrestling Federation as Terra Ryzing before joining World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW) in 1994. After briefly using the Ryzing name, he changed his character to Jean-Paul Lévesque, a French-Canadian aristocrat which would be similar to his character Hunter Hearst Helmsley, that he used in his early years with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1995 onward. He later abbreviated his name to Triple H and adopted an alternative image in the stable D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
(DX). After the dissolution of DX, Triple H was pushed as a main event wrestler, winning several singles championships. As part of a storyline Triple H married Stephanie McMahon, who later became his real-life spouse. In 2003, Triple H formed another stable known as Evolution
Evolution (professional wrestling)
Evolution was a villainous professional wrestling stable on WWE's Raw brand between 2003 and 2005. At the height of its existence, the group consisted of Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, Batista and briefly Eugene....
, and reformed DX
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
with Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
in 2006 and 2009.
Overall, Levesque has won 23 championships in WWE, including 13 World Championships, having won the WWF/E Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
eight times, and the World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
five times. He has the highest total number of world title reigns sanctioned in WWE. In addition, Helmsley won the 1997 King of the Ring
King of the Ring (1997)
King of the Ring was the fifth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Federation. The event took place on June 8, 1997 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island....
, the 2002 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2002)
Royal Rumble was the fifteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 20, 2002 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia...
, and was the second Grand Slam Championship winner. Outside of wrestling, Helmsley has made numerous guest appearances in film and on television.
Early life
Paul Levesque was born in Nashua, New HampshireNashua, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,719.9 people per square mile . There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 per square mile...
. In his youth, he was a fan of professional wrestling and his favorite wrestler was Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
. Levesque became aware of bodybuilding
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
at the age of fourteen; after graduating from high school in 1987, Levesque entered several bodybuilding competitions. He was crowned Teenage Mr. New Hampshire in 1988.
World Championship Wrestling (1994–1995)
In early 1994, Levesque signed a one year contract with World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW). In his first televised match, Levesque debuted as a villain
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
named Terror Risin' and defeated Keith Cole
Cole Twins
The Cole Twins were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of twin brothers Kent and Keith Cole. They competed in North American regional and independent promotions, however the twins were best known for their stint in World Championship Wrestling during the early 1990s...
. His ring name was soon modified to Terra Ryzing, which he used until mid-1994, when he was renamed Jean-Paul Lévesque. This gimmick referred to his surname's French origins and he was asked to speak with a French accent, as he could not speak French. During this time, he began using his finishing maneuver, the Pedigree.
Levesque had a brief storyline feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Alex Wright
Alex Wright
Alex Wright is a German-British former professional wrestler. He wrestled professionally in Germany and Japan before signing with World Championship Wrestling in 1994...
that ended at Starrcade 1994 with Wright pinning him. Between late 1994 and early 1995, Levesque briefly teamed with Lord Steven Regal, whose snobby British persona was similar to Levesque's character. The team was short-lived, however, as Levesque left for the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF) in January 1995 after WCW turned down his request to be pushed as a singles competitor.
The Connecticut Blueblood (1995–1997)
As a continuation of his gimmick in WCW, Levesque started his WWF career as the "ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
Blueblood
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
" Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Levesque appeared in taped vignettes, in which he talked about how to use proper etiquette, up until his wrestling debut on the April 30, 1995 episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge
WWF Wrestling Challenge
WWF Challenge is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It was syndicated weekly and aired from 1986 to 1996. The show premiered as WWF Wrestling Challenge and became simply known as WWF Challenge in 1995. The show featured matches, pre-match...
.
Mike Droese
Michael "Mike" Droese is a retired American professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1994 and 1996 under the ring name Duke "The Dumpster" Droese.-Career:Droese was trained as a professional wrestler by Bobby Wales...
following a loss during the Free for All
WWE Free For All
WWE Free for All is a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It serves as a thirty minute preview show to the promotion's monthly events on pay-per-view , and as such airs freely on PPV channels a half-hour before the actual pay-per-view event starts...
at 1996 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (1996)
Royal Rumble was the ninth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 21, 1996 at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California....
. Up until that event, his angle included appearing on television each week with a different female valet (which included Playboy Playmates Shae Marks
Shae Marks
Christy Shae Marks is an American model and actress of Cherokee, Irish, and French heritage.-Early years:Shae Marks was born in New Orleans, Louisiana where she spent most of childhood. According to her Playmate Profile, she was a tomboy growing up. Soon after her tenth birthday, Marks's family...
and Tylyn John). Sable was his valet at WrestleMania XII
WrestleMania XII
-Other on-screen talent:-External links:**...
, and after his loss to Ultimate Warrior
Warrior (wrestler)
Also see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior...
, as part of the storyline, he took his aggressions out on her. The debuting Marc Mero
Marc Mero
Marc Mero is an American retired amateur boxer and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Marc Mero and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Johnny B. Badd...
—her real-life husband—came to her rescue, starting a feud between the two wrestlers.
During 1996, Helmsley appeared on an episode of WWF Superstars
WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It debuted on September 6, 1986...
in a match against Marty Garner
Marty Garner
Marty Garner is an American professional wrestler most noted for his appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment and his time in Extreme Championship Wrestling...
. When Levesque attempted to perform the Pedigree, Garner mistook the maneuver for a double underhook suplex and tried to jump up with the move, causing him to land squarely on top of his head and suffer neck damage. Garner sued the WWF, eventually settling out of court and later discussed the incident in an appearance on The Montel Williams Show
The Montel Williams Show
The Montel Williams Show is a syndicated talk show hosted by Montel Williams. On January 30, 2008 it was announced that The Montel Williams Show would stop production on new episodes at the end of the 2007-2008 television season after seventeen years...
.
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
, Kevin Nash
Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. As of 2011, Nash is signed to a five year contract with WWE under their WWE Legends program and appears as part of their Raw brand roster...
, Sean Waltman
Sean Waltman
Sean Michael Waltman is an American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE in their developmental program. He wrestled there under the ring names 1–2–3 Kid and X-Pac off and on from 1993–2002, World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Syxx, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ...
and Scott Hall
Scott Hall
Scott Hall is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation in the early and mid 1990s under the ring name Razor Ramon, as well as for his period in the mid 1990s and early 2000s with World Championship Wrestling under his real name...
, who were known for influencing Vince McMahon and the WWF creative team. It has been claimed that he was scheduled to win the 1996 King of the Ring
King of the Ring (1996)
King of the Ring was the fourth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Federation . The event took place on June 23, 1996 from the MECCA Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin....
tournament, but the victory was instead awarded to Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
after the Madison Square Garden Incident, in which the Kliq broke character after a match to say goodbye to the departing Nash and Hall. Despite the punishment, Helmsley did have several successes following the MSG Incident. Mr. Perfect
Curt Hennig
Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
became his manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
and he won the WWF Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
for the first time on October 21, 1996, defeating Marc Mero. When Mr. Perfect left the WWF, his departure was explained to be a result of Helmsley turning his back on his manager as soon as he won the Intercontinental Championship. Levesque held the belt for nearly four months before dropping it to Rocky Maivia on the February 13, 1997 special edition of Monday Night Raw, called Thursday Raw Thursday. For a very brief time, Helmsley was accompanied by Mr. Hughes
Curtis Hughes
Curtis Hughes is an American professional wrestler, better known under the ring name Mr. Hughes. He is best known for his stints in the World Wrestling Federation. In addition to the WWF, Hughes has also worked for World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, the American...
, who was his storyline bodyguard. After losing the Intercontinental title, he feuded with Goldust, defeating him at WrestleMania 13
WrestleMania 13
WrestleMania 13 was the thirteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
. During their feud, Chyna debuted as his new bodyguard.
D-Generation X (1997–1999)
Helmsley's push resumed in 1997, when he won the 1997 King of the RingKing of the Ring (1997)
King of the Ring was the fifth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Federation. The event took place on June 8, 1997 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island....
tournament by defeating Mankind
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
in the finals. Later that year, Shawn Michaels, Helmsley, Chyna and Rick Rude formed D-Generation X (DX). This stable later became known for pushing the envelope, as Michaels and Helmsley made risqué promos—spawning the catchphrase "Suck It", using a "crotch chop" hand motion, and sarcastically deriding Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
and Canada. By that point, Helmsley had fully dropped the "blueblood snob" gimmick, appearing in T-shirts and leather. During this period, his ring name was shortened to simply Triple H. Even after the DX versus Hart Foundation
The Hart Foundation
The Hart Foundation referred to several teams or stables in the World Wrestling Federation , usually consisted of members or close friends of the Hart wrestling family from Canada....
storyline ended, Helmsley continued to feud with the sole remaining member Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
over the WWF European Championship
WWE European Championship
The WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. A coveted singles title of the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was held by superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, and was...
. This ended in a match between the two at WrestleMania XIV
WrestleMania XIV
WrestleMania XIV was the fourteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on March 29, 1998 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts....
, with the stipulation that Chyna had to be handcuffed to then-Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter
Sgt. Slaughter
Robert Remus , better known by his ring name Sgt. Slaughter, is an American former WWE personality and semi-retired professional wrestler. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Slaughter had success in the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and World Wrestling...
. Helmsley won after Chyna threw powder into Slaughter's eyes, momentarily "blinding" him and allowing her to interfere in the match.
After WrestleMania, Michaels was forced into temporary retirement due to a legitimate back injury sustained at the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (1998)
Royal Rumble was the eleventh annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 18, 1998 at the San Jose Arena in San Jose, California....
, with Triple H taking over the leadership position in DX, claiming that his now-former associate had "dropped the ball". He introduced the returning X-Pac
Sean Waltman
Sean Michael Waltman is an American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE in their developmental program. He wrestled there under the ring names 1–2–3 Kid and X-Pac off and on from 1993–2002, World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Syxx, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ...
the night after WrestleMania and joined forces with the New Age Outlaws
New Age Outlaws
The New Age Outlaws, later known as the James Gang and the Voodoo Kin Mafia, were a professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Federation, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , Jersey All Pro Wrestling, and Maryland Championship Wrestling consisting of B.G...
. As 1998 went along, D-Generation X became more popular, turning the group from villains
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
to fan-favorites
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
. It was also during this time that Triple H began a feud with the leader of the Nation of Domination
Nation of Domination
The Nation of Domination was a professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Federation from November 18, 1996 to November 28, 1998. The Rock was a 1 time Intercontinental Champion and D'Lo Brown was a 2 time European Champion while in the group.-United States Wrestling Association :The...
and rising WWF villain
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
, The Rock. This storyline rivalry eventually led to a feud over the Intercontinental Championship, which Triple H won in a ladder match
Ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...
at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (1998)
SummerSlam was the eleventh annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 30, 1998 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York....
. He did not hold the title long, however, as he was sidelined with a legitimate knee injury. When The Rock won the WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (1998)
Survivor Series was the twelfth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on November 15, 1998 at the Kiel Center in St...
, the rivalry between the two continued, as DX fought The Corporation
The Corporation (professional wrestling)
The Corporation was a heel stable in the late 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation .-History:The group was put together and led by WWF Chairman Vince McMahon in an attempt to secure control of the WWF and "crush the rebels" that were popping up on the WWF landscape...
stable, of which The Rock was the main star. Triple H received a shot at the WWF Championship on the January 25, 1999 edition of Raw in an "I Quit" match against The Rock, but the match ended when Triple H was forced to quit or see his aide Chyna chokeslam
Chokeslam
A chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera...
med by Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
. This began a new angle for Triple H, as Chyna betrayed him by attacking him after the match and joining The Corporation.
At WrestleMania XV
WrestleMania XV
WrestleMania XV was the fifteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on March 28, 1999 at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, Triple H beat Kane with the aid of Chyna, who was thought to have rejoined DX. Later on in the night, he betrayed his long-time friend and fellow DX member X-Pac by helping Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon
Shane Brandon McMahon is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former US Senate candidate Linda...
retain the European Championship and joined The Corporation. turning heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
in the process. After Triple H's heel turn in early 1999, he moved away from his DX look, taping his fists for matches, sporting new and shorter wrestling trunks, and adopting a shorter hairstyle. Levesque's gimmick changed as he fought to earn a WWF title shot. After numerous failed attempts at winning the championship, Triple H and Mankind challenged WWF Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
to a Triple Threat match at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (1999)
SummerSlam was the twelfth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 22, 1999 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Results:Tag Team Turmoil...
, which featured Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
as the special guest referee. Mankind won the match by pinning Austin. The following night on Raw, Triple H defeated Mankind to win his first WWF Championship.
Triple H dropped the WWF Championship to Vince McMahon on the September 16, 1999 edition of SmackDown! before regaining it at Unforgiven
Unforgiven (1999)
Unforgiven was the second Unforgiven professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Federation . The event took place on September 26, 1999 at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina....
in a Six-Pack Challenge that included Davey Boy Smith, Big Show, Kane, The Rock, and Mankind. He defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin at No Mercy
No Mercy (1999)
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on October 17, 1999 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio....
before dropping the title to Big Show at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (1999)
Survivor Series was the thirteenth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
. Triple H then continued his feud with Vince McMahon by marrying his daughter, Stephanie McMahon. He then defeated McMahon at Armageddon
Armageddon (1999)
Armageddon was the first Armageddon professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Federation. It took place on December 12, 1999 at the National Car Rental Center in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Sunrise, Florida....
. As a result of the feud, an angle with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon began which carried the WWF throughout the next seventeen months; together they were known as the "McMahon-Helmsley Faction
McMahon-Helmsley Faction
The McMahon-Helmsley Faction was a large heel stable in the World Wrestling Federation which was founded in late 1999, had mostly faded away by early 2001 and finally ended in mid-2002...
".
McMahon–Helmsley Era (2000–2001)
By January 2000, Triple H dubbed himself "The Game," implying that he was on top of the wrestling world and was nicknamed "The Cerebral Assassin" by Jim RossJim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
. On the January 3 edition of Raw is War, Triple H defeated The Big Show to win his third WWF championship.
Triple H feuded with Mick Foley
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
in early 2000. They both fought at the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2000)
Royal Rumble was the thirteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 23, 2000 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York....
in a Street Fight Match for the WWF Championship, which Triple won after doing two pedigrees on Foley. The storyline would come to an end at No Way Out
No Way Out (2000)
No Way Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on February 27, 2000 at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut...
in a Hell in a Cell where if Mick Foley lost he would have to retire. Triple H retained his title at the PPV and thus ending Mick Foley's fifteen year career. Triple H pinned The Rock at WrestleMania 2000
WrestleMania 2000
WrestleMania 2000 was the sixteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 2, 2000 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California...
to retain the title, but lost it at Backlash
Backlash (2000)
Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation promotion, which took place on April 30, 2000 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C.. It was the second event under the Backlash chronology...
to The Rock. He regained it three weeks later, in an Iron Man match
Iron Man match
An Iron Man match is a professional wrestling match type that is set to go a specific amount of time, usually 30 or 60 minutes, with the competitor with the most falls at the end of that time named the victor...
at Judgment Day
Judgment Day (2000)
Judgment Day was the second annual Judgment Day professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on May 21, 2000 at the Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky....
, only to lose it back to The Rock at King of the Ring
King of the Ring (2000)
King of the Ring was the eighth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Federation...
. Triple H then entered a storyline feud with Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
, which culminated in a Last Man Standing match at Fully Loaded.
A later storyline feud between Triple H and Steve Austin started when it emerged that Triple H had paid off Rikishi to run down Austin at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (1999)
Survivor Series was the thirteenth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
, causing him to take a year off. In reality, Austin's previous neck injuries started bothering him again, forcing him to have surgery. In 2000, Triple H and Austin had a match at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2000)
Survivor Series was the fourteenth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on November 19, 2000 at the Ice Palace in Tampa, Florida....
that ended when Triple H tried to trick Austin into coming into the parking lot to run him over again, only to have Austin lift his car up with a forklift and flip the car onto its roof 10 feet high. Triple H returned a few weeks later and attacked Austin. The feud continued into 2001 and ended in a Three Stages of Hell match in which Helmsley defeated Austin. In 2001, Triple H also feuded with The Undertaker, who defeated him at WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven was the seventeenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 1, 2001 at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Texas...
. The night after WrestleMania, Triple H interfered in a steel cage match between Austin (who had just won the WWF Championship) and The Rock where he joined forces with Austin and double teamed on The Rock, forming a tag team called The Two-Man Power Trip. Triple H then defeated Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
for his third Intercontinental Championship on the April 5 edition of SmackDown!, and won it for a fourth time two weeks later by defeating Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
. Triple H then became a tag team champion for the first time at Backlash
Backlash (2001)
Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation promotion, which took place on April 29, 2001 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. It was the third event under the Backlash chronology...
when he and Austin defeated Kane and The Undertaker
Brothers of Destruction
The Brothers of Destruction was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of The Undertaker and Kane, both currently wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment on its SmackDown roster.-History:...
in a winner-take-all tag match. As Triple H was still Intercontinental Champion, the win made him a double champion.
During the May 21, 2001 episode of Raw, he suffered a legitimate and career-threatening injury. In the night's main event, he and Austin were defending the Tag Team Championship against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
. At one point, Jericho had Austin trapped in the Walls of Jericho. Triple H ran in to break it up, but just as he did, he suffered a tear in his left quadriceps muscle, causing it to come completely off the bone. Despite his inability to place any weight on his leg, Triple H was able to complete the match. He even allowed Jericho to put him in the Walls of Jericho, a move that places considerable stress on the quadriceps. The tear required an operation, which was performed by orthopedic surgeon
Orthopedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system...
Dr. James Andrews
James Andrews (physician)
James Rheuben Andrews, M.D., born 1942 in Homer, Louisiana, is an orthopedic surgeon who practices at the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He also practices in Birmingham, Alabama at the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center located at St....
. This injury brought an abrupt end to the McMahon-Helmsley Era, as the rigorous rehabilitation
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
process kept Triple H out of action for over eight months, completely missing The Invasion storyline.
Return from injury and Shawn Michaels feud (2002)
Triple H returned to RawWWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
as a face
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
on January 7, 2002 at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. He won the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2002)
Royal Rumble was the fifteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 20, 2002 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia...
and received an Undisputed WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
match at WrestleMania X8
WrestleMania X8
WrestleMania X8 was the eighteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 17, 2002 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. The event marked the final WrestleMania event under the WWF name...
. At WrestleMania X8, Triple H beat Chris Jericho for the Undisputed Championship. After holding the title for a month, Helmsley dropped it to Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
at Backlash
Backlash (2002)
Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation promotion, which took place on April 21, 2002 at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The event starred talent from the Raw and SmackDown! brands. It was the fourth event under the Backlash...
. Triple H then became exclusive to the SmackDown! roster due to the WWF Draft Lottery
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
and continued to feud with Jericho, culminating in a Hell in a Cell match at Judgment Day
Judgment Day (2002)
Judgment Day was the fourth annual Judgment Day professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on May 19, 2002, at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee. It featured talent from the Raw and SmackDown! brands...
. On June 6, Triple H defeated Hogan in a Number One Contenders match for the Undisputed Championship at the King of the Ring
King of the Ring (2002)
King of the Ring was the tenth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on June 23, 2002 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio...
against The Undertaker but was unsuccessful at the event.
In the interim, between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, the McMahon-Helmsley Faction was brought to an official on-screen conclusion. By the time he returned, Triple H's on-screen marriage to Stephanie McMahon was on the rocks, so Stephanie faked a pregnancy in order to get him back on her side. When he learned that it was fake, he dumped her publicly on Raw when they were supposed to renew their wedding vows. Stephanie aligned with Jericho afterward, but she was forced to leave after losing a Triple Threat match on Raw the night after WrestleMania when she was pinned by Triple H. The divorce, and thus the storyline, was finalized at Vengeance
Vengeance (2002)
Vengeance was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on July 21, 2002 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. It was the second annual Vengeance produced by WWE. Professional wrestling is a type of sports entertainment in which...
.
Meanwhile, Shawn Michaels had made his return to WWE and joined the New World Order
New World Order (professional wrestling)
The New World Order was a professional wrestling stable that originally wrestled for World Championship Wrestling . The group later appeared in the World Wrestling Federation after the purchase of WCW by the WWF...
(NWO). Michaels and Kevin Nash planned to bring Triple H over to Raw in order to put him into the group. Vince McMahon, however, disbanded the nWo following several backstage complications and brought in Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
as the Raw brand's new general manager. One of Bischoff's first intentions was to follow up on the nWo's plan and bring Triple H over to the Raw roster. Triple H did indeed go to the Raw brand, reuniting with Shawn Michaels, but on July 22 he turned on Michaels by performing a Pedigree on him during what was supposed to be a DX reunion, turning heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
once again. The following week, Triple H smashed Michaels' face into a car window to prove that Michaels was weak. These events led to the beginning of a long storyline rivalry between the former partners and an eventual "Unsanctioned Street Fight" at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2002)
SummerSlam was the fifteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 25, 2002 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York....
, in which Michaels came out of retirement to win. Afterwards, however, Triple H attacked him with a sledgehammer
Sledgehammer
A sledgehammer is a tool consisting of a large, flat head attached to a lever . The head is typically made of metal. The sledgehammer can apply more impulse than other hammers, due to its large size. Along with the mallet, it shares the ability to distribute force over a wide area...
, and Michaels was carried out of the ring.
Before September 2, 2002, WWE recognized only one champion for both the Raw and SmackDown! brands. After SummerSlam, champion Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog...
became exclusive to SmackDown!, leaving Raw without a champion. Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff then awarded Triple H the Big Gold Belt
Big Gold Belt
The Big Gold Belt is a historic professional wrestling championship belt that has represented multiple world championships throughout its history. It was originally designed in 1985 by silversmith Charles Crumrine and commissioned by Jim Crockett Promotions for NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric...
(which had been used for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
and WCW World Heavyweight Championship
WCW World Heavyweight Championship
The World Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation . It existed within WCW between 1991 and 2001. Following the acquisition of WCW by World Wrestling...
) making him the first World Heavyweight Champion
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
of the WWE brand. Triple H retained his title against Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
at Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2002)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that took place on September 22, 2002, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California...
when Ric Flair hit RVD with a sledgehammer.
In October 2002, Triple H began feuding with Kane, leading to a match at No Mercy on October 20 in which both Kane's Intercontinental Championship and Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
were at stake. In the weeks preceding the match, Triple H claimed that, several years earlier, Kane had an unrequited
Unrequited love
Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. The beloved may or may not be aware of the admirer's deep affections...
relationship with a woman named Katie Vick. He went on to claim that, after Vick was killed in a car crash
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
, Kane (the driver) rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d her corpse. Triple H later threatened to show video footage of Kane committing the act in question; however, the footage that finally aired showed Triple H (dressed as Kane) simulating necrophilia
Necrophilia
Necrophilia, also called thanatophilia or necrolagnia, is the sexual attraction to corpses,It is classified as a paraphilia by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. The word is artificially derived from the ancient Greek words: νεκρός and φιλία...
with a mannequin
Mannequin
A mannequin is an often articulated doll used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, and others especially to display or fit clothing...
in a casket
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
; Kane's tag team partner The Hurricane responded the following week by showing a video of Triple H (rather, someone wearing a Triple H series of masks) getting an enema
Enema
An enema is the procedure of introducing liquids into the rectum and colon via the anus. The increasing volume of the liquid causes rapid expansion of the lower intestinal tract, often resulting in very uncomfortable bloating, cramping, powerful peristalsis, a feeling of extreme urgency and...
. The angle was very unpopular with fans, and was de-emphasised before the title match. Triple H went on to defeat Kane at No Mercy, unifying the two titles.
Triple H eventually lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Shawn Michaels in the first Elimination Chamber
Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE promotion. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure or "chamber" which encloses the ring. The chamber's floor is platformed over the ringside area which elevates it to ring level and within...
match, at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2002)
Survivor Series was the sixteenth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on November 17, 2002 from Madison Square Garden in New York, New York and featured talent from both the Raw and SmackDown! brands...
. He defeated RVD for the title shot at Armageddon
Armageddon (2002)
Armageddon was the third Armageddon professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on December 15, 2002 at the Office Depot Center in the Ft...
with Michaels as special referee. He regained the title from Michaels in a Three Stages of Hell match at Armageddon.
Evolution (2003–2005)
In January 2003, Triple H formed a stable known as Evolution with Ric FlairRic Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
, Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
, and Batista. Triple H and Ric Flair challenged RVD and Kane for the World Tag Team Titles, but they lost the match. The group was pushed on Raw from 2003 to 2004. The height of their dominance occurred after Armageddon
Armageddon (2003)
Armageddon was the fourth Armageddon professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on December 14, 2003 at the TD Waterhouse Centre in Orlando, Florida and was a Raw brand-exclusive event...
when every member of Evolution left the pay-per-view holding a title. Triple H held the World Heavyweight Championship for most of 2003 until Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2003)
Unforgiven was the sixth annual Unforgiven professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on September 21, 2003 from the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania....
, losing the title to Bill Goldberg
Bill Goldberg
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
. After a failed attempt to win back the title from Goldberg in a rematch at the Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2003)
Survivor Series was the seventeenth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
, he finally regained the championship against Goldberg in a triple threat match at Armageddon which also involved Kane. At the 2004 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2004)
Royal Rumble was the seventeenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 25, 2004 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, Triple H and Shawn Michaels fought in a Last Man Standing match to a double countout, so Triple H retained the title as a result. Triple H dropped the title to Chris Benoit at WrestleMania XX
WrestleMania XX
WrestleMania XX was the twentieth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York....
, and he was unable to reclaim the belt from Benoit in subsequent rematches, including a rematch from WrestleMania between Triple H, Benoit, and Shawn Michaels at Backlash
Backlash (2004)
Backlash was the sixth annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 18, 2004 at the Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta and was a Raw brand-exclusive event...
.
He then ended his feud with Michaels, defeating him in a Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood
Bad Blood (2004)
Bad Blood was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 13, 2004 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. It was the third and final annual Bad Blood event....
. After another failed attempt, losing to Benoit at Vengeance
Vengeance (2004)
Vengeance was the fourth annual Vengeance professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by American promotion, World Wrestling Entertainment...
, he focused on Eugene
Nick Dinsmore
Nicholas "Nick" Dinsmore , better known by his ring names Eugene and U-Gene, is an American professional wrestler...
, beating him at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2004)
SummerSlam was the seventeenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
. Triple H then regained the title from former associate Randy Orton at Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2004)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 12, 2004 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. It was the sixth annual Unforgiven event. The show's seven matches showcased prominent WWE wrestlers, who acted...
. Following a Triple Threat World Heavyweight title defense against Benoit and Edge on the November 29, 2004 episode of Raw, the World Heavyweight Championship became vacant for the first time. At New Year's Revolution
New Year's Revolution (2005)
New Year's Revolution was the first annual New Year's Revolution pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment. It took place on January 9, 2005 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This event was the first pay-per-view event produced by WWE to be held in Puerto...
, Triple H won the Elimination Chamber to begin his tenth world title reign. At WrestleMania 21
WrestleMania 21
WrestleMania 21 was the twenty-first annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 3, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It started off with an interpormotional battle royal, for which Booker T...
, Triple H lost the championship to Batista, and subsequently lost two rematches at Backlash
Backlash (2005)
Backlash was the seventh annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on May 1, 2005 at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. The show's six matches showcased prominent WWE wrestlers, who acted out...
and Vengeance
Vengeance (2005)
Vengeance was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 26, 2005 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the fifth annual Vengeance event. Professional wrestling is a type of sports entertainment in which...
. After Vengeance, Triple H took hiatus from WWE due to suffering from his minor neck problems.
After four month hiatus, Triple H returned to Raw on October 3, 2005 as part of WWE Homecoming. He teamed with fellow Evolution member Flair to defeat Chris Masters
Chris Masters
Christopher Todd Mordetzky is an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Chris Masters. He is best known for his tenure with WWE.-Early career:...
and Carlito
Carly Colon
Carlos Edwin "Carly" Colón, Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known internationally by his ring name Carlito. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Entertainment , but was released from his contract on May 21, 2010. In his native Puerto Rico, he is known as both...
. After the match, Triple H turned on Flair hitting Flair with a sledgehammer, sparking a feud between the duo. Flair defeated Triple H in a Steel cage match at Taboo Tuesday
Taboo Tuesday (2005)
Taboo Tuesday was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on November 1, 2005 at the iPayOne Center in San Diego, California. It was the second annual Taboo Tuesday event in which the fans were given the chance to vote on...
for Flair's Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
. Subsequently, Triple H defeated Flair in a non-title Last Man Standing match at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2005)
Survivor Series was the 19th annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
to end their feud.
D-Generation X reunion (2006–2007)
Although Triple H failed to win the Royal Rumble match at the Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble (2006)
Royal Rumble was the nineteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 29, 2006 in the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida and featured talent from the Raw and SmackDown! brands...
, another championship opportunity arose for Triple H in the Road to WrestleMania Tournament. He won the tournament, granting him a match for the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
at WrestleMania 22
WrestleMania 22
Notes: .The predominant feud on the SmackDown! brand was between Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton over the World Heavyweight Championship. Mysterio won the 2006 Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Orton, to earn a World Championship match at WrestleMania. At No Way Out, Orton defeated...
. At WrestleMania, Triple H and John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
fought in the main event for the title, which Triple H lost via submission. Later that month at Backlash
Backlash (2006)
Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 30, 2006 at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky...
, Triple H was involved in another WWE Championship match, fighting Edge and Cena in a Triple Threat match, where he lost again. In an act of frustration, a bloodied Triple H used his sledgehammer to attack both Edge and Cena and then performed a number of DX crotch chops. Triple H unsuccessfully attempted to win the WWE title from Cena on numerous occasions, blaming his shortcomings on Vince McMahon, which eventually led to a feud between the McMahons and Triple H.
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
once again for the first time since 2002. DX defeated the Spirit Squad
Spirit Squad
The Spirit Squad was a professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment and Ohio Valley Wrestling that consisted of Kenny, Johnny, Mitch, Nicky, and Mikey. The team's ring personas were those of an all-male cheerleading squad....
at Vengeance
Vengeance (2006)
Vengeance was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 25, 2006 at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was the sixth annual Vengeance event. Eight professional wrestling matches were featured on the...
in a 5-on-2 handicap match. They continued their feud with Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon and the Spirit Squad for several weeks. They then defeated the Spirit Squad again on the July 18, 2006 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event in a 5-on-2 Elimination match. They then again defeated the McMahons at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2006)
SummerSlam was the nineteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 20, 2006 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, and featured performers from the Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW brands...
, withstanding the attack of several handpicked WWE superstars by Vince McMahon. At Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2006)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 17, 2006 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. It was the eighth annual Unforgiven event. The show's seven matches showcased prominent WWE wrestlers, who...
, D-Generation X overcame the odds once again, defeating The McMahons and ECW World Champion
ECW World Heavyweight Championship
The Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
Big Show in a Hell in a Cell match. During the match, DX embarrassed Vince by shoving his face in between Big Show's buttocks, and DX won when Triple H broke a sledgehammer over the shoulders of Vince McMahon after Michaels performed Sweet Chin Music on him.
At Cyber Sunday
Cyber Sunday (2006)
Cyber Sunday was the first annual Cyber Sunday professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on November 5, 2006 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, with 7,000 fans attending...
during DX's feud with Rated-RKO
Rated-RKO
Rated-RKO was a villainous professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Entertainment based on the Raw brand. The team consisted of Edge, Randy Orton, and Lita, their valet...
, special guest referee Eric Bischoff allowed the illegal use of a weapon to give Rated-RKO the win. At Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2006)
Survivor Series was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It was the twentieth annual Survivor Series event, and it took place on November 26, 2006 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.The main match on the SmackDown brand was King...
, DX got their revenge when their team defeated Edge and Orton's team in an Elimination Match. In January 2007, at New Year's Revolution
New Year's Revolution (2007)
New Year's Revolution was the third annual and final New Year's Revolution professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 7, 2007 at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri and featured wrestlers and other talent from WWE's Raw brand...
, DX and Rated-RKO fought to a no-contest after Triple H suffered a legitimate torn right quadriceps (similar to the one he suffered in 2001 but in the other leg) fifteen minutes into the match. Surgery was successfully performed on January 9, 2007 by Dr. James Andrews.
Record breaking WWE Champion (2007–2009)
SummerSlam (2007)
SummerSlam was the twentieth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 26, 2007 at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey and featured talent from each of WWE's three brands: Raw,...
, where he defeated King Booker. After his return, he won the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
at No Mercy
No Mercy (2007)
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 7, 2007 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois...
after beating the newly named Champion, Randy Orton, making Triple H an eleven-time world champion. In the same event, Triple H also defeated Umaga
Eddie Fatu
Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga...
in his first title defense after Mr. McMahon declared his already-scheduled bout with Umaga, a title match. McMahon then announced, Orton would receive a title rematch in a Last Man Standing match in the final match of the event, which Orton won after an RKO onto the announcer's table, thus ending Triple H's 11th title reign. Triple H's title reign at No Mercy is the fifth shortest reign in WWE history, only lasting through the duration of the event. After winning the Raw Elimination Chamber at No Way Out
No Way Out (2008)
No Way Out was the ninth annual No Way Out professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on February 17, 2008 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada...
, Triple H gained a WWE Championship match, by outlasting five other men, last eliminating Jeff Hardy after a Pedigree on a steel chair. However, at WrestleMania XXIV, Randy Orton retained after punting Triple H and pinning John Cena following Triple H's Pedigree on Cena. A month later, at Backlash
Backlash (2008)
Backlash was the tenth annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 27, 2008 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland...
, Triple H won the title in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match against Orton, Cena, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
, tying the record for most WWE Championship reigns with The Rock. Triple H then retained the title against Orton at Judgment Day
Judgment Day (2008)
Judgment Day was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on May 18, 2008 at the Qwest Center Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska...
in a Steel Cage match and again at One Night Stand
One Night Stand (2008)
One Night Stand was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that took place on June 1, 2008 at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California. It was the fourth and final event promoted under the One Night Stand name...
in a Last Man Standing match. Orton suffered a legitimate collarbone
Clavicle
In human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is a long bone of short length that serves as a strut between the scapula and the sternum. It is the only long bone in body that lies horizontally...
injury during the match, thus ending the feud prematurely.
On June 23, 2008 edition of Raw, Triple H was drafted to the SmackDown brand as a part of the 2008 WWE Draft
2008 WWE Draft
The 2008 World Wrestling Entertainment Draft Lottery took place at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas on June 23, 2008. The Draft took place live for three hours on WWE's flagship program, Raw on USA Network. For the second consecutive year, the Draft took place among WWE's three brands: Raw,...
, in the process making the WWE Championship exclusive to SmackDown. He defended the championship over the summer and was the only champion to retain his title at Unforgiven's
Unforgiven (2008)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 7, 2008 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
Championship Scramble matches. After this he defended it against Jeff Hardy, who was in the Unforgiven match.
At Survivor Series, Triple H was scheduled to defend the championship against Vladimir Kozlov and Hardy, however Hardy was kept out of the match after a scripted attack and injury. During the match, Smackdown General Manager Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Lynn Guerrero is an American professional wrestling personality, manager, shifting authority figure and occasional wrestler. She is the widow of professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand...
announced that Edge had returned and introduced him into the contest. Jeff Hardy interfered and hit Triple H with a steel chair meant for Edge, thus costing him the title and resulting in Edge winning his sixth World Title. Triple H entered seventh in the 2009 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2009)
Royal Rumble was the twenty-second annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 25, 2009 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
, but was last eliminated by Randy Orton. In February at Elimination Chamber, Triple H won the WWE Championship in the SmackDown Chamber match, setting the record for most reigns at eight. That record stood until 2011 when John Cena won his ninth WWE Championship.
The Legacy feud and DX farewell (2009–2011)
Shane McMahon
Shane Brandon McMahon is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former US Senate candidate Linda...
, after they were attacked by Randy Orton. On the February 20 episode of SmackDown, Triple H was interviewed by Jim Ross
Jim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
, in the interview, footage was shown highlighting the events that occurred on the February 16 episode of Raw. Ross asked Triple H how he felt seeing that footage, in response, he broke character (after 5 years of marriage) by admitting that Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
is his father-in-law, that Shane is his brother-in-law, and that Stephanie is his wife, thus creating a rivalry between Triple H and Orton. On the February 23 episode of Raw, Triple H confronted Orton, before attacking him, Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase, Jr.
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with WWE, where he appears on its SmackDown brand...
, and Cody Rhodes (a group known as The Legacy
The Legacy (professional wrestling)
The Legacy was a villainous alliance of professional wrestlers in World Wrestling Entertainment. The group was led by Randy Orton and contained the tag team of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase....
) with a sledgehammer and chasing them from the arena. Weeks later, it was announced that Triple H would defend the WWE championship against Orton at WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXV was the twenty-fifth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 5, 2009 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas...
. At the event, Triple H defeated Orton to retain the title.Triple H would later face Orton and Legacy in a six man tag team match with Shane McMahon and Batista for the WWE championship at Backlash (2009)
Backlash (2009)
Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 26, 2009 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The 11th and final event under the Backlash banner, it featured talent from all three WWE brands: Raw,...
. Triple H lost the title after trying to stop Batista from hitting Cody Rhodes with a chair then being hit with a RKO by Orton followed by the running punt to the head, allowing Orton to win the WWE championship and putting Hunter out of action for six weeks. At The Bash, Triple H would lose to Orton in a Three Stages of Hell match for the WWE Title. At Night of Champions
Night of Champions (2009)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on July 26, 2009 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the second annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the...
, Triple H would again lose to Orton in a match for the WWE Championship, this time in a Triple Threat match, also involving John Cena.
On the August 10, 2009 episode of Raw, video segments aired in which Triple H met with Michaels at an office cafeteria in Texas where he was working as a chef; throughout the segments, Triple H would try to convince Michaels return to WWE from hiatus. After several incidents during the segments (including a grease grill burgers on fire and Shawn shouting at a little girl), Michaels agreed to team with Triple H to face The Legacy at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2009)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 23, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It was the 22nd annual SummerSlam event and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands...
, superkicking the girl, and quitting from his chef job in the process.
On the August 17 episode of Raw, in St. Louis, MO, Michaels and Triple H officially reunited as DX, but as they were in the process of their in-ring promo, Legacy attacked them both. Their first match after reuniting was against Legacy at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2009)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 23, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It was the 22nd annual SummerSlam event and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands...
, which they won. At Breaking Point
WWE Breaking Point
Breaking Point was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 13, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands. The name of the event was voted by fans via...
, however, they lost to Legacy in the first ever Submissions Count Anywhere match in WWE history.
At the October pay-per-view Hell in a Cell, DX defeated Legacy in a Hell in a Cell match. DX would challenge John Cena for the WWE Championship in a triple threat match at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2009)
Survivor Series was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on November 22, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.. It was the 23rd annual Survivor Series event. It featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
with both men failing to win the title, although they were able to retain their friendship and tag team partnership. On December 13 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, DX defeated Chris Jericho and The Big Show to win the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
A Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, often abbreviated as a TLC, is a type of professional wrestling match originated within WWE, but can be seen under different variations in other wrestling promotions....
; the first tag team championship reign for Michaels and Triple H as a tag team.
On December 21, Triple H announced that Hornswoggle was the new DX mascot. This came about after Hornswoggle sued DX for emotional and physical distress due to them not allowing him to join DX. After being taken to court where they were ruled guilty by a jury and judge consisting of dwarves
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
, Michaels told Triple H that Hornswoggle could be the mascot. Triple H agreed to it only if the charges were dropped, which Hornswoggle agreed to. On January 11 Mike Tyson, who was the Raw guest host for the night, teamed with Jericho to face DX; however, at the end of the bout, Tyson turned on Jericho and aligned himself with Michaels and Triple H. On the February 8, 2010 episode of Raw, DX lost their Unified Tag Team Titles to ShoMiz (The Miz and The Big Show) in a Triple Threat Elimination Tag Team match also featuring The Straight Edge Society (CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
and Luke Gallows
Drew Hankinson
Andrew "Drew" Hankinson is an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment , where he appeared under the ring names Festus and Luke Gallows...
.) On the March 1 episode of Raw they lost their rematch for the titles which would be their last televised match before Michaels retired. Michaels and Triple H had a non-wrestling reunion at the 2010 Tribute to the Troops
WWE Tribute to the Troops
WWE Tribute to the Troops is an annual event held by WWE together with Armed Forces Entertainment in December around Christmas since 2003 as a way of honoring the men and women of the United States armed forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Selected WWE wrestlers and employees travel to the said...
.
On February 21, Triple H eliminated WWE Champion Sheamus in an Elimination Chamber match, though he would not win the title himself. Sheamus attacked him weeks later, setting up a match between the two at WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI was the twenty-sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on March 28, 2010 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. This was the fourth WrestleMania to...
, where Triple H was victorious. Also at WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels lost to The Undertaker and was forced to retire, but while giving a farewell speech the next night, Sheamus attacked him. This would set up a rematch at Extreme Rules
Extreme Rules (2010)
Extreme Rules was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 25, 2010 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the second event promoted under the Extreme Rules name...
where Sheamus attacked Triple H at the start of the show ahead of a win in their scheduled contest to allow Triple H time off to recover from injuries. Triple H made an untelevised appearance on October 30 at the WWE Fan Appreciation Event and also at the 2010 Tribute to the Troops
WWE Tribute to the Troops
WWE Tribute to the Troops is an annual event held by WWE together with Armed Forces Entertainment in December around Christmas since 2003 as a way of honoring the men and women of the United States armed forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Selected WWE wrestlers and employees travel to the said...
.
On the February 21, 2011, episode of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, Triple H made his return to the WWE by interrupting the return of The Undertaker, where he challenged him to a match at WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVII was the twenty-seventh annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , held on April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
, to which Undertaker accepted. The match would later be revealed to be a No Holds Barred match. On the February 28 episode of Raw, Triple H attacked Sheamus and put him through the announcer table, which Sheamus had done to him at Extreme Rules
Extreme Rules (2010)
Extreme Rules was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 25, 2010 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the second event promoted under the Extreme Rules name...
, ten months prior. On the March 28 episode of Raw, Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
returned to address both men about the match. The night before WrestleMania, Triple H inducted Michaels into the Hall of Fame
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
. At WrestleMania 27, Triple H lost to The Undertaker, extending the Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak to 19-0.
Chief Operating Officer (2011)
At the end of the July 18, 2011 episode of Raw, Triple H returned on behalf of WWE's board of directors to relieve his father-in-law Vince McMahonVince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
of his duties. This was followed by the announcement that he had been assigned to take over as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the WWE. This was during a storyline where CM Punk had won the WWE Championship and left the company. Though a new champion was crowned, Triple H helped resign CM Punk and upheld both championship reigns. He announced he would referee a match to unify both WWE Championships at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2011)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on August 14, 2011. For the third consecutive year, SummerSlam was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, and it was the 24th annual SummerSlam event...
. Although he counted a pinfall for CM Punk to win, John Cena's leg was on the ropes which would break the pin. Regardless, Triple H's longtime friend Kevin Nash
Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. As of 2011, Nash is signed to a five year contract with WWE under their WWE Legends program and appears as part of their Raw brand roster...
attacked Punk immediately after the match to allow Alberto Del Rio to become champion. Though Nash and Punk demanded a match against each other, Triple H fired Nash for insubordination and booked himself in a "No Disqualification" match at Night Of Champions
Night of Champions (2011)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on September 18, 2011 at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. It was the 4th annual WWE Night of Champions event and the 11th in the WWE Vengeance overall timeline. Seven matches took...
with his position of COO on the line. He won the match despite interference from John Laurinaitis
John Laurinaitis
John Joseph Laurinaitis is the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations for WWE and appears on WWE's Raw Brand as interim General Manager. He was previously a professional wrestler under the ring name Johnny Ace, and wrestled for such promotions as the National Wrestling Alliance and All...
, Nash, The Miz and R-Truth
Ron Killings
Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...
. After repeated attacks from these wrestlers in various matches, the majority of WWE's on-screen staff gave Triple H a vote of no confidence. Mr. McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
returned to relieve him of his duties on Raw though he remained COO. He was replaced by Laurinaitis on Raw, who booked him in a tag team match against Miz and R-Truth at Vengeance
Vengeance (2011)
Vengeance was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE that took place on October 23, 2011 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. It is the 12th event under the Vengeance/Night of Champions chronology and the first event under the Vengeance name since the 2007 edition...
. During the match, Nash once again attacked him and did so the following night, hospitalizing him. WWE later announced that Triple H sustained a fractured vertebrae which would remove him from television for at least one month.
WrestleMania record
| WrestleMania | Year | Wrestler | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| XII WrestleMania XII -Other on-screen talent:-External links:**... |
1996 | The Ultimate Warrior Warrior (wrestler) Also see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior... |
Singles match |
| 13 WrestleMania 13 WrestleMania 13 was the thirteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation... |
1997 | Goldust | Singles match |
| XIV WrestleMania XIV WrestleMania XIV was the fourteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on March 29, 1998 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts.... |
1998 | Owen Hart Owen Hart Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The... |
Singles match for WWF European Championship |
| XV WrestleMania XV WrestleMania XV was the fifteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on March 28, 1999 at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.... |
1999 | Kane Kane (wrestler) Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury.... |
Singles match |
| 2000 WrestleMania 2000 WrestleMania 2000 was the sixteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 2, 2000 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California... |
2000 | The Rock, Mick Foley Mick Foley Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he... , The Big Show |
Fatal Four-Way Elimination match for the WWF Championship WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963... |
| X-Seven WrestleMania X-Seven WrestleMania X-Seven was the seventeenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 1, 2001 at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Texas... |
2001 | The Undertaker | Singles match |
| X8 WrestleMania X8 WrestleMania X8 was the eighteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 17, 2002 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. The event marked the final WrestleMania event under the WWF name... |
2002 | Chris Jericho Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer... |
Singles match for Undisputed WWF Championship |
| XIX WrestleMania XIX WrestleMania XIX was the nineteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 30, 2003 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Washington, and the first... |
2003 | Booker T | Singles match for World Heavyweight Championship World Heavyweight Championship (WWE) The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand... |
| XX WrestleMania XX WrestleMania XX was the twentieth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York.... |
2004 | Chris Benoit Chris Benoit Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide... , Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December... |
Triple Threat match for World Heavyweight Championship World Heavyweight Championship (WWE) The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand... |
| 21 WrestleMania 21 WrestleMania 21 was the twenty-first annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 3, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It started off with an interpormotional battle royal, for which Booker T... |
2005 | Batista | Singles match for World Heavyweight Championship World Heavyweight Championship (WWE) The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand... |
| 22 WrestleMania 22 Notes: .The predominant feud on the SmackDown! brand was between Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton over the World Heavyweight Championship. Mysterio won the 2006 Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Orton, to earn a World Championship match at WrestleMania. At No Way Out, Orton defeated... |
2006 | John Cena John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand.... |
Singles match for WWE Championship WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963... |
| XXIV WrestleMania XXIV WrestleMania XXIV was the twenty-fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . The event took place on March 30, 2008, at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida and was the first WrestleMania to be held in the state of Florida... |
2008 | Randy Orton Randy Orton Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand... , John Cena John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand.... |
Triple Threat match for WWE Championship WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963... |
| XXV WrestleMania XXV WrestleMania XXV was the twenty-fifth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 5, 2009 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas... |
2009 | Randy Orton Randy Orton Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand... |
Singles match for WWE Championship WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963... |
| XXVI WrestleMania XXVI WrestleMania XXVI was the twenty-sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on March 28, 2010 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. This was the fourth WrestleMania to... |
2010 | Sheamus | Singles match |
| XXVII WrestleMania XXVII WrestleMania XXVII was the twenty-seventh annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , held on April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia... |
2011 | The Undertaker | No Holds Barred match |
Backstage roles
In 2010, Levesque's role as an Executive Senior Advisor was officially formalized as he was given an office at WWE headquarters in Stamford, ConnecticutStamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
. Levesque was named Executive Vice President, Talent in 2011. In this role he oversees the talent relations and talent development departments, training of performers and management of worldwide recruitment. In addition to his talent duties, Levesque has worked as a director and producer of the creative direction and storylines of WWE’s programming.
Personal life
In 2000, Levesque began dating Stephanie McMahon and they married on October 25, 2003. He had previously been in a long-term relationship with former WWE wrestler Chyna. He and McMahon have three daughters. On January 8, 2006, WWE announced that McMahon and Levesque were expecting their first child, due on July 27, 2006. Stephanie McMahon continued to work and travel with WWE throughout her pregnancy, giving birth to an 8 lb, 7 oz (3.8 kg) baby girl, Aurora Rose Levesque, on July 24, 2006. The couple had their second daughter, Murphy Claire Levesque, on July 28, 2008. The couple welcomed their third daughter, Vaughn Evelyn Levesque, on August 24, 2010.He has a sister named Lynn.
In late 2004, Levesque released a book titled Making the Game: Triple H's Approach to a Better Body. Mostly devoted to bodybuilding advice, the book also includes some autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
information, memoirs, and opinions.
Filmography
| Year | Film/TV series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Pacific Blue Pacific Blue (TV series) Pacific Blue is an American crime drama series about a team of police officers with the Santa Monica Police Department who patrolled its beaches on bicycles. The show ran for five seasons on the USA Network, from March 2, 1996 to April 9, 2000, with a total of one hundred and one episodes... |
Triple H | |
| 1998 | The Drew Carey Show The Drew Carey Show The Drew Carey Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004. The show was set in Cleveland, Ohio, and revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the actor.... |
The Disciplinarian | |
| 2001 | MADtv MADtv MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first... |
Himself | |
| 2004 | Blade: Trinity Blade: Trinity Blade: Trinity is a 2004 American superhero vampire action film, written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the screenplays to the first two Blade films... |
Jarko Grimwood | |
| 2005 | The Bernie Mac Show The Bernie Mac Show The Bernie Mac Show is an American sitcom featuring comic actor Bernie Mac and his wife Wanda raising his sister's three kids: Jordan, Bryana and Vanessa. The show aired for five seasons , concluding with a half-hour series finale on Fox.... |
Triple H | |
| 2006 | Relative Strangers Relative Strangers -Plot:Thirty-four year old psychologist, Richard Clayton parents reveal to him that he was adopted. He then sets out to find out who his biological parents are, but disaster ensues when it turns out that his parents, Frank and Agnes Menure , are crude, lower class carnies... |
Wrestler | Uncredited |
| 2011 | The Chaperone The Chaperone (film) The Chaperone is a 2011 film by WWE Studios starring WWE wrestler Triple H, Yeardley Smith, Ariel Winter, Kevin Corrigan, José Zúñiga, Kevin Rankin, Enrico Colantoni, and Israel Boussard.-Plot:... |
Raymond "Ray Ray" Bradstone | |
| Inside Out Inside Out (2011 film) Inside Out is a 2011 crime-drama film directed by Artie Mandelberg. The film features Triple H, Michael Rapaport, Parker Posey, Michael Cudlitz, Julie White, Bruce Dern and Jency Griffin. It was released on September 9, 2011.-Synopsis:... |
Arlo "A.J." Jayne |
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
-
- Inverted Indian deathlock – WCWWorld Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
; used rarely as a regular move thereafter in WWE - Pedigree (Double underhook facebuster)
- Inverted Indian deathlock – WCW
- Signature moves
- Abdominal stretch
- Blatant choke
- Chop block
- Facebreaker knee smash, often as a back body drop counter
- Figure four leglock
- Flowing DDTDDT (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling a DDT is any move in which the wrestler has the opponent in a front facelock, and falls down or backwards to drive the opponent's head into the mat...
- High knee
- Jumping knee drop
- Mounted punches
- Running clothesline
- Running neckbreaker
- Sleeper hold
- Spinning spinebuster
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Chyna
- Ric FlairRic FlairRichard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
- Rick Rude
- Mr. HughesCurtis HughesCurtis Hughes is an American professional wrestler, better known under the ring name Mr. Hughes. He is best known for his stints in the World Wrestling Federation. In addition to the WWF, Hughes has also worked for World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, the American...
- Mr. PerfectCurt HennigCurtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
- Stephanie McMahon–Helmsley
- Vince McMahonVince McMahonVincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
- Shawn MichaelsShawn MichaelsMichael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
- Lord Steven Regal
- Sable
- Nicknames
- The Connecticut Blueblood
- The Cerebral Assassin
- The Game
- The King of Kings
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
-
- World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment
- "Blue Blood" by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(April 28, 1995 – December 15, 1996) - "Symphony No. 9 (Fourth movement)" by Ludwig van BeethovenLudwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
(December 15, 1996 – November 10, 1997) - "Break It Down" by The DX BandChris Warren (musician)Christopher Warren is an American musician who has performed in numerous bands. He is currently the singer in...
(November 17, 1997 – April 5, 1999) - "Corporate Player" by Jim Johnston (April 25, 1999 – May 10, 1999)
- "Higher Brain Pattern" by Jim Johnston (May 16, 1999 – June 21, 1999)
- "My Time" by The DX BandChris Warren (musician)Christopher Warren is an American musician who has performed in numerous bands. He is currently the singer in...
(June 27, 1999 – December 10, 2000) - "The Game" by Motörhead (January 8, 2001–present)
- "The Game" by Drowning PoolDrowning PoolDrowning Pool is a four-piece alternative metal band from Dallas, Texas.-Early days :Drowning Pool rose to fame while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during an Ozzfest tour. Their 2001 debut album, Sinner was certified platinum within six weeks...
(used for advertising promos; March 2002 – March 2011) - "King of Kings" by Motörhead (used for promos and as prelude to "The Game"; April 2, 2006–Present)
- "For Whom the Bell TollsFor Whom the Bell Tolls (Metallica song)"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the third and final single from their second album, Ride the Lightning....
" by MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
(WrestleMania XXVIIWrestleMania XXVIIWrestleMania XXVII was the twenty-seventh annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , held on April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
prelude to "The Game")
- "Blue Blood" by Jim Johnston
- World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment
Championships and accomplishments
- Independent Wrestling FederationIndependent Wrestling FederationThe Independent Wrestling Federation is a professional wrestling promotion based in Woodland Park, New Jersey. The IWF features upcoming talent, in some cases, which have made it to the World Wrestling Entertainment . Along with producing live events for the public, the IWF also gives youth...
- IWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI Feud of the Year (2000) vs. Kurt AngleKurt AngleKurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
- PWI Feud of the Year (2004) vs. Chris BenoitChris BenoitChristopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
- PWI Feud of the Year (2009) vs. Randy OrtonRandy OrtonRandal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
- PWI Match of the Year (2004) vs. Shawn MichaelsShawn MichaelsMichael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
and Chris Benoit at WrestleMania XXWrestleMania XXWrestleMania XX was the twentieth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York.... - PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2003–2005)
- PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Decade (2000–2009)
- PWI Wrestler of the Year (2008)
- PWI Wrestler of the Decade (2000–2009)
- PWI ranked him #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2000 and 2009
- PWI ranked him #139 in the PWI Years in 2003
- PWI Feud of the Year (2000) vs. Kurt Angle
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWF/E ChampionshipWWE ChampionshipThe WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
(8 times) - World Heavyweight ChampionshipWorld Heavyweight Championship (WWE)The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
(5 times) - WWF European ChampionshipWWE European ChampionshipThe WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. A coveted singles title of the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was held by superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, and was...
(2 times) - WWF/E Intercontinental ChampionshipWWE Intercontinental ChampionshipThe WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
(5 times) - WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Steve AustinStone Cold Steve AustinSteve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
(1) and Shawn Michaels (1) - WWE Tag Team ChampionshipWWE Tag Team ChampionshipThe WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
(1 time) – with Shawn MichaelsShawn MichaelsMichael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
(1) - King of the RingKing of the RingKing of the Ring is a professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by WWE. The tournament was held annually from 1985 to 2002, with the exception of 1990 and 1992, and from 1993 to 2002 the tournament was produced as a pay-per-view event....
(1997King of the Ring (1997)King of the Ring was the fifth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Federation. The event took place on June 8, 1997 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island....
) - Royal RumbleRoyal RumbleThe Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced every January by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 1988, with its inaugural event taking place on January 24, 1988 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario...
(2002Royal Rumble (2002)Royal Rumble was the fifteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 20, 2002 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia...
) - Second Grand Slam Championship
- Seventh Triple Crown Champion
- Slammy Award for Best Hair (1997)
- WWF/E Championship
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Feud of the Year (2000)
- Feud of the Year (2004)
- Feud of the Year (2005)
- Most Overrated (2002–2004, 2009)
- Readers' Least Favorite Wrestler (2002, 2003)
- Worst Feud of the Year (2002)
- Worst Feud of the Year (2006)
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (2003)
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (2008)
- Wrestler of the Year (2000)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 2005)