As head of WWE creative, Paul Levesque has drawn the adulation of the fanbase for his long-term storytelling and character development. The love for Levesque as a booker, which began in his days as NXT head honcho, has multiplied tenfold now that he’s been entrusted with the entirety of the main roster.
10 Best WWE Storylines Since Triple H Took Over Creative
Triple H became WWE’s Chief Content Officer in September 2022. These are the 10 best storylines since ‘The Game’ took over WWE creative.
But, when it comes to the Cerebral Assassin that is Triple H, a different set of emotions has been elicited throughout the years. Playing the wrestling game with masterful precision, Triple H has effectively drawn massive amounts of heat in his multiple stints as a heel. While actions do speak louder than words, Hunter Hearst Helmsley has proven to be a sinister individual based on some pretty vile things that have come out of his mouth.
Reality Check: Triple H Thought Poorly Of Batista’s Intellect
That’s Why He Felt The Need To “Compel” Dave Towards A Decision Prior To WrestleMania 21
- During The Batista-Triple H Storyline, Fans Wanted Batista To Wake Up To The Reality Of Triple H’s Manipulative Schemes
- At Long Last, He Heard The Truth Coming Out Of The Mouth Of Triple H Himself
There have been a number of occasions when WWE programming was worthy of an Emmy, and the Batista-Triple H storyline was certainly one of those instances. For months, fans desperately wanted Batista to remove the wool from his eyes and see the manipulative schemes of his Evolution mentor. At long last, The Animal confirmed the truth—straight from the horse’s mouth.
On the night that Batista was to decide which world championship he’d go after at WrestleMania 21, he overheard Triple H and Ric Flair conversing in the Evolution locker room. Not knowing that Batista was standing a few feet away, Hunter told Ric, “Sometimes, Dave is not smart enough to know what’s good for him.” While the prior admission of orchestrating the limousine attack on Batista was heinous enough, this statement about his “friend” was utterly condescending—and, perhaps, all the fuel that big Dave needed to face his former mentor head-on.
Instead Of Expressing Sympathy For His Distraught Friend, Triple H Emphasized Shawn Michaels’ Fumble
Apparently, Hunter’s Pride Was Stronger Than His Friendship With Shawn
- During The Initial Run Of D-Generation X, Triple H And Shawn Michaels Were Inseparable
- However, When Michaels Went Down At WrestleMania XIV, Triple H Didn’t Pick Him Back Up
When D-Generation X first raised hell on Monday Night Raw, Shawn Michaels and Triple H were thick as thieves. As bitter rivals and authority figures waged war with the renegade faction, Michaels and Helmsley watched each other’s backs and waved the DX flag with immense pride.
However, when Shawn Michaels hit his lowest point after losing the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XIV, Triple H expressed frustration, not sympathy. Instead of helping his friend back up, he took the opportunity to seize full control of the group they started. The night after WrestleMania XIV, Triple H proclaimed Shawn Michaels’ indictment with these words: “You dropped the ball.” As the new leader of DX, he went on to bolster the group’s ranks by adding X-Pac and The New Age Outlaws.
Triple H Came To Make Money And Win Titles (And Not Necessarily Gain Friends)
He Revealed This Life Mantra To His Former Ward Seth Rollins
- Triple H Has Been Both Mentor And Adversary To Seth Rollins
- Throughout Their Complex Relationship, Rollins Has Learned A Thing Or Two From The Cerebral Assassin
On August 29, 2016, Triple H betrayed yet another superstar when he Pedigreed Seth Rollins and cost him the Universal Championship. This led to a heated rivalry between The Game and The Architect, and even if they hated each other’s guts with a passion, Triple H was still teaching life lessons to his former protege.
“If you ain’t making enemies, you ain’t making money,” said Triple H to Rollins in the lead-up to their WrestleMania 33 match. “If everybody don’t hate you, you’re not living up to your full potential.” Essentially, these lines reveal the depths to which Triple H will go in order to amass wealth and power in the industry.
All Of Seth Rollins’ WrestleMania Matches, Definitely Reviewed
Seth Rollins always steals the show at WrestleMania, putting on some amazing matches at WWE’s biggest show of the year!
Triple H Had Zero Remorse For Masterminding A Vehicular Incident That Severely Hurt Steve Austin
He Was 100% Proud Of This Feat
- At Survivor Series 1999, Steve Austin Was Hit By A Car
- This Took Him Out Of The WWE Championship Match That He Was To Compete In That Night
- About A Year Later, Triple H Admitted To Orchestrating This Attack In Cooperation With Rikishi
It’s one thing to admit to one’s faults and show remorse in the process. It’s another thing to smile and gloat as you provide that admission. This is exactly what Triple H did in the fall of 2000 when he revealed to the world that he had something to do with a 1999 vehicular incident involving Steve Austin.
“Rikishi, who could have come up with an elaborate plan?” said Triple H as he stood side by side with the big Samoan he’d paid to get behind the wheel. “Let me spell it out for you: H…H…H!” Far from making an attempt to apologize, Triple H said these words with utmost pride.
The Cerebral Assassin Always Has A Plan B
It Was The One And Only Dent In The Masterful Run Of The Shield
- Triple H, Batista, And Randy Orton Couldn’t Quite Figure Out How To Take Down The Shield
- Finally, The Game Found A Way To Tear The Group Down—From Within
There have been times in his career when Triple H made empty boasts to intimidate his foes. June 2, 2014 was not one of those times. On that night, Triple H—reeling from a loss to The Shield the night before—got the last laugh as the Hounds of Justice stood their ground in the ring.
“In case you haven’t figured it out yet, what I do better than anybody is adapt,” said Triple H. “There’s always a Plan B.” Seconds later, Seth Rollins blasted Roman Reigns in the back with a steel chair, thereby causing the demise of The Shield and sealing Triple H’s ultimate victory over the trio.
Triple H Showed His True Colors After Teasing A DX Reunion
The Words He Said Must Have Dealt Heartbreak To The Heartbreak Kid
- In 2002, Shawn Michaels Made A Triumphant Return To WWE Programming
- That Same Year, With The Brand Extension Taking Effect, Triple H Officially Moved To Raw
- The Stage Appeared To Be Set For A DX Reunion
For a short while, fans thought that they’d be getting a DX reunion in the summer of 2002. With Shawn Michaels returning from a four-year hiatus and Triple H moving to the Raw brand, the rebirth of DX seemed inevitable. Alas, Triple H dashed those hopes when he blindsided his buddy by dropping HBK with a Pedigree.
Though time tends to heal all wounds, Hunter appeared to still be seething from insecurities and jealousy after all those years. In the aftermath of his cowardly attack on Michaels, The Game spelled it out for all the world to hear: “Shawn Michaels and I were never best friends. I used Shawn Michaels to get to the top, just as Shawn Michaels used me to stay at the top.”
The Game Was A Master Of Gaslighting
Case In Point: He Blamed Randy Orton For Evolution Beating Up Randy Orton
- At SummerSlam 2004, Randy Orton Became The Youngest World Champion In WWE History
- This Did Not Sit Well With Triple H, Who Decided That Orton Had To Leave Evolution
Some of the best heels in wrestling history share the trait of mastering the art of gaslighting to a tee. After delivering a vicious beatdown to Randy Orton in the wake of his 2004 World Title victory, Triple H demonstrated his proficiency in bending objective truth.
“The beating that you took last week was a consequence of the decisions you made,” said Triple H. Apparently, it was Randy Orton’s fault that Randy Orton got pummeled after winning the World Heavyweight Championship fair and square. That’s gaslighting at its worst.
Every Major Randy Orton Feud During WWE’s Ruthless Aggression Era, Ranked Worst To Best
Randy Orton had no shortage of rivalries in WWE’s Ruthless Aggression Era, with the Legend Killer competing against some of the best ever.
No One Is Spared From Triple H’s Relentless Attacks—Not Even His Aging Idol
Somehow, Hunter Found A Way To Justify His Bloody Assault On Ric Flair
- Triple H’s Admiration For Ric Flair Is Well-Documented
- Shockingly, He Attacked His Idol And Mentor After They Won A Tag Match In 2005
- Apparently, Triple H Couldn’t Bear To See The “Newfound Mediocrity” Of Ric Flair
At Raw Homecoming in 2005, Triple H returned from a brief hiatus and won a tag match next to his Evolution buddy Ric Flair. Moments after their victory, Hunter shocked everyone by beating him to a bloody pulp. This left one question in every fan’s mind: Why?
Trust Triple H to come up with some twisted rationale for his actions. Apparently, he was dismayed by the “newfound mediocrity” that his childhood idol had stooped to in recent weeks. “I knew I had to do what only somebody who really cares can do,” said Triple H. “I took the horse out behind the barn…and I pulled the trigger.”
Embroiled In A Feud With Mr. McMahon, Triple H Went For The Heart (In A Manner Of Speaking)
It Was Mr. McMahon’s Daughter Who Supposedly Paid The Price
- In Late 1999, Triple H Was At War With Mr. McMahon
- He Decided To Get Utterly Personal With The Boss
In wrestling lore, there’s been a tried and tested playbook for competitors going up against authority figures. Apparently, one of the entries on this playbook is “Marry the boss’s daughter.” At the turn of the millennium, Triple H pulled this off without a single hitch.
In the middle of the 1999 wedding ceremony of Test and Stephanie McMahon, Triple H came out to play footage of a drugged Steph being married to The Game at a Las Vegas drive-thru. Right after receiving the marriage certificate, Triple H savored his victory over his estranged boss Mr. McMahon by saying these words into camera: “Get a nice shot of the brand new Mr. and Mrs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley!” The cherry on top: Stephanie later revealed that she and Hunter had concocted this scheme to torment her dad.
On March 3, 2003, Triple H Outdid Himself As A Sinister Scumbag
His Words Had Zero Redeeming Value
- To This Day, Fans Cannot Believe That Booker T Did Not Prevail At WrestleMania XIX
- This Is Because Triple H Stooped To Unbelievable Lows During The Buildup To The Match
Peak heel mode is when a wrestler’s words or actions have absolutely no redeeming value, whether or not you put on the lens of kayfabe. On the evening of March 3, 2003, Triple H showed what was perhaps the most sinister version of his villainous persona.
Standing face-to-face with his WrestleMania XIX challenger Booker T, Triple H uttered these words: “Somebody like you doesn’t get to be a world champion.” If the undertones weren’t crystal clear with that line, Triple H made himself perfectly clear when he later said, “Your job is to make people like me laugh. And you’re very good at it, with your nappy hair and your ‘suckas’…” The blatant racism made Triple H a supreme heel that deserved to get his comeuppance on the Grandest Stage of Them All—yet, amazingly, he became an evern bigger villain when this comeuppance didn’t happen.
