wrestling / Columns
The Contentious Ten 09.19.11: Best Years of Triple H
Hello, and welcome to The Contentious Ten! My name is Nick Bazar, and I thank you for clicking.
Triple H has always been one of my favorites. Certain fans see him in a bad light, but the fact is that he made his way to the top. No matter how he did it, he made it in an industry that sees countless failures. Following his first match back in months at Night of Champions, I thought it would be a good time to look back on his career; to remember all the awesome matches and angles he has been a part of over the years. And so, the Top Ten Best Years Of Triple H…
1996size=6>
Notable Events:
– Defeated Marc Mero to win his first Intercontinental Championshipsize=3>
At first glance, 1996 wasn’t a very good year for Triple H. As the story goes, he was left to take most of the punishment for the Klique’s “Curtain Call” in Madison Square Garden. So, instead of winning the King of the Ring tournament that year as originally planned, he had to pick himself up and prove that he was worthy of whatever push they had in mind for him. I’m including the year 1996 on this list because he was able to do just that. His matches were usually very good no matter the opponent, and he continued to develop his Blueblood character to the point where he had one of the best heel acts in the company. By the end of the year, that act led him to his very first taste of championship gold with the WWF in the form of the Intercontinental Championship, defeating “Wildman” Marc Mero. It was a sign that Triple H’s future was looking up, and, as time has showed, would only get better.
2004size=6>
Notable Events:
– Main Evented Wrestlemania 20
– Concluded feud with Shawn Michaels
– Defeated Randy Orton to win the World Heavyweight Championshipsize=3>
Yes, 2004 was the year that saw Triple H feud with a mentally handicapped wrestler for the better part of the entire summer, but it also gave us many memorable moments in The Game’s career. For starters, he was a part of what is often considered one of the best Triple Threat matches in wrestling history, putting his World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit at Wrestlemania 20. The magic they captured that night would spill over into the following month at Backlash when they met for the rematch in what proved to be another spectacular outing. While Triple H wasn’t successful in winning either of those two matches, he managed to score a huge win over Shawn Michaels in a Hell in a Cell match that finally put an end to their two-year blood feud. From there, he would go on to kick Randy Orton out of Evolution in a very intense Monday Night Raw moment. That wouldn’t be the end of it, as Triple H would add insult to injury by defeating him for his newly won World Heavyweight Championship a few weeks later. After a couple of down years when it came to delivering in the ring, Triple H came back in 2004 with some strong performances.
2009size=6>
Notable Events:
– Won an Elimination Chamber match to win the WWE Championship
– Defeated Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 25
– Won the Unified Tag Team Championship with Shawn Michaelssize=3>
The first few months of 2009 were quite the roller coaster ride for Triple H. While he came up just short of winning the Royal Rumble, he captured the WWE Championship the following month at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, setting a record for most reigns with said championship in the process. He successfully defended the championship against Randy Orton at that year’s Wrestlemania, and while the match itself was a huge letdown, the months of build-up before it gave us some compelling storytelling. Following his feud with Orton, we would be treated to yet another reunion of D-Generation X. I’m not sure how the majority of fans feel about this particular incarnation of the group, but for me, it was their most entertaining run since the original. I found them to be genuinely funny, and the matches they produced tended to exceed my expectations. Remember DX vs. Cody Rhodes/Ted DiBiase at Summerslam? Very good match that doesn’t get the love it deserves. To close out the year, Triple H and Shawn Michaels won the Unified Tag Team Championship for the very first time together, defeating JeriShow in a TLC match.
2002size=6>
Notable Events:
– Won the Royal Rumble
– Defeated Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania 18 to win the Undisputed Championship
– Awarded the World Heavyweight Championship
– Defeated Shawn Michaels to win the World Heavyweight Championshipsize=3>
Triple H kicked off 2002 in a big way, coming back from a lengthy hiatus to a huge reception and show of support from fans on Monday Night Raw. It was one of those moments where you could feel the electricity in the arena from your living room couch. He declared his entry in the Royal Rumble, a match he would go on to win. As a result, he earned a shot at Chris Jericho’s Undisputed Championship at Wrestlemania 18, again, a match he would go on to win. A few months later, he began his memorable program with Shawn Michaels which led to an absolute classic Unsanctioned match at that year’s Summerslam, not to mention, one of my favorite hype videos ever. Even though he came up short in that match, he was awarded the World Heavyweight Championship a month later. After losing it to Shawn Michaels in the very first Elimination Chamber match, he quickly regained it in a brutal 2/3 Falls match. While it can be argued that Triple H had lost a step in 2002 stemming from his quadriceps injury, he still took part in a classic, and his continued main event status for the majority of the year (no matter the reason) can’t be ignored.
2003size=6>
Notable Events:
– Held the World Heavyweight Championship for 75% of the year
– Defeated Booker T at Wrestlemania 19 to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
– Defeated Goldberg and Kane to regain the World Heavyweight Championshipsize=3>
When I think of the year 2003 in wrestling, I think of Triple H single-handedly running through the WCW main event scene. He put away Scott Steiner in two months, crushed Booker T’s dreams at Wrestlemania, took out Kevin Nash and stood up to Goldberg, eventually taking the World Heavyweight Championship back from him by year’s end. At that point, Raw was pretty depleted of main event talent, so they had to continually seek out big-name challengers from the past for Triple H to have his way with. The strategy wasn’t meant with great reviews from critics, but it sure made The Game look like a dominating juggernaut to the casual fan. On top of that, he recruited Batista and Randy Orton to create Evolution, a group that dominated Raw for a couple years and made stars out of the two young wrestlers. Sure, the matches weren’t very good for the most part, but 2003 was a huge year for Triple H.
2008size=6>
Notable Events:
– Won an Elimination Chamber match
– Defeated Randy Orton, John Cena and JBL to win the WWE Championship
– Dominated Smackdownsize=3>
Looking back, 2008 gave Triple H his last lengthy run as champion. It was the last full year he was presented as a main event world champion month after month. He took part in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match at that year’s Backlash, taking the WWE Championship from Randy Orton. After putting Orton away in two straight pay-per-views after that, he was drafted to Smackdown in a move that shocked many. The last time he was drafted to Smackdown, the switch lasted less than a week and he was back on Raw. This time, the move lasted the rest of the year and saw him dominate the brand, defeating guys like Edge, The Great Khali, MVP and Jeff Hardy. In a way, 2008 was a return to form for Triple H, following a few down years in terms of dominance. It also gave us a much better version of Triple H in terms of in-ring skills. Let’s be honest, a lot of his stuff from around mid-2005 to 2007 was subpar to say the least; but in 2008, we were treated to some great Triple H matches again.
1998size=6>
Notable Events:
– Defeated Owen Hart to win the European Championship
– Defeated Owen Hart at Wrestlemania 14 to retain the European Championship
– Took over as leader of D-Generation X
– Defeated The Rock to win the Intercontinental Championshipsize=3>
This was the first year many fans saw Triple H’s real potential as a main event star. He went from being Shawn Michaels’ lackey in D-Generation X to being the leader of the group. He completely abandoned the Blueblood gimmick and got a rebel persona over with fans. Skits and matches he was involved with during this time are still looked back on in various DVD compilations. From the DX army tank invading Monday Nitro and the hilarious mocking of The Nation of Domination to classic bouts like his Ladder match against The Rock at Summerslam, 1998 was a pivotal year in the career of Triple H. It really could have gone either way, and luckily for him, it worked. The year would rank higher on the list, but he was sidelined with a knee injury for the last few months of the year, putting an end to his second Intercontinental Championship reign and slightly slowing his momentum while other rising stars such as The Rock began winning world championships.
1999size=6>
Notable Events:
– Defeated Kane at Wrestlemania 15
– Defeated Mankind to win his first WWF Championship
– Won a Six-Pack Challenge to win the WWF Championshipsize=3>
While 1998 set Triple H up for success, 1999 was the year he made it happen as a main event star. It began with his betrayal of D-Generation X as he joined the evil Corporation. He shifted his character from a comedic rebel to a serious, no nonsense heel; ditched the long tights and began wearing the trunks we see today; and captured his very first WWF Championship. Like Steve Austin and The Rock before him, Triple H was breaking away from the pack and becoming a name in the industry. However, while Austin and Rock transitioned into fan favorites rather quickly, Triple H was more concerned with developing a strong heel character that constantly got real heat. Essentially, Triple H’s actions during the year 1999 laid the framework for the heel persona he used well into the 2000s. By the end of the year, he was in the main event of a pay-per-view, beating Vince McMahon senseless and kick-starting his infamous pairing with Stephanie McMahon.
1997size=6>
Notable Events:
– Defeated Goldust at Wrestlemania 13
– Won the King of the Ring tournament
– Co-founded D-Generation X
– Defeated Shawn Michaels to win the European Championshipsize=3>
1998 and 1999 were two hugely important years for Triple H, but I have to put 1997 ahead of both. Without the events of 1997, nothing would have worked out the way it did for Triple H. His re-building process in late 1996 led to his first Wrestlemania victory in 1997 at Wrestlemania 13. The successes kept coming as he was victorious in the King of the Ring tournament, defeating Mankind in the finals- a man he went on to feud with for the remainder of the summer in a well-received program that gave us numerous great matches. Around the same time, he was partnered with Shawn Michaels in what would become the legendary D-Generation X. In the process, he was slowly beginning to move away from the snobby Blueblood heel and transitioning into a rebel that fans could get behind. Being partnered with Shawn Michaels obviously brought some more attention to his developing character. While Michaels was clearly still the main man of the group, you could see Triple H was being groomed. The group was a hit by year’s end- a group Triple H would take over in a few short months. In short, 1997 let fans see a different, more engaging side of Triple H, and let management see a more marketable character.
2000size=6>
Notable Events:
– Defeated Big Show to win the WWF Championship
– Defeated The Rock, Mankind and Big Show at Wrestlemania 16 to retain the WWF Championship
– Defeated The Rock to win the WWF Championshipsize=3>
Triple H was unstoppable in 2000. Both in the ring and on the mic, Triple H was proving every single night that he deserved his spot on the card and was backing up his “The Game” moniker. I mean, look at the matches he took part in that year: Street Fight and Hell in a Cell vs. Cactus Jack, Ironman vs. The Rock, Last Man Standing vs. Chris Jericho, Summerslam Triple Threat vs. The Rock and Kurt Angle- it’s staggering. He was building a resume of matches in a single year that most wrestlers can’t compete with after an entire career. As if that wasn’t enough, his work on the mic and his pairing with Stephanie McMahon was making him the single most hated man in the entire wrestling business. It is one of the most impressive years any individual wrestler has had in the history of wrestling. 2000 was Triple H’s year, and without a doubt his best.
