411’s WWE Greatest Moments Report: Triple H

-Written: 7.5.26
-Source: A&E
-Run Time: 30 minutes (w/ commercials)

-Plug: NXT Unstoppable

-WWE’s ultimate power couple gets the Greatest Moments treatment tonight and HHH is up first.

-Michael Cole is our host and narrator!

10. The New Class
-RAW: March 30, 1998

-The night after Mania XIV and it’s a new day for DX as Shawn is gone and HHH is given the lead. He adds a returning X-Pac to the team and it’s a big deal as someone made the jump back to WWF from WCW and it was a member of the nWo. Later in the night, The New Age Outlaws join and DX has new life. DX eventually turns face because they are so entertaining.

9. 3 Stages of Hell
-No Way Out 2001

-This match was awesome! Austin wins the first fall in a regular match, HHH wins the second fall in a street fight and then gets lucky enough to fall on Austin inside the cage to win the match. Again, amazing show on an amazing show and it seemingly was setting up HHH as Austin’s first challenger post Mania, but they had other plans.

8. King of The Ring
-Royal Rumble 2014

-This match is more remembered for AJ Styles making his WWE debut, but there was a lot more in this match. Roman was the WWE Champion and had to defend it in The Rumble. HHH uses his power to enter at #30 and after eliminating Reigns, he eliminates Ambrose to win his final WWE/World Championship and gets one last Mania Main Event.

-Commercials!

7. Line in The Sand
-RAW: Feb. 3, 2003

-EVOLUTION IS A MYSTERY! HHH gets his own Four Horseman faction and they knock it out of the park as it turned Orton and Batista into megastars. Thankfully, they play the music! That song is a true BANGER! Orton and Batista both say HHH made their careers. HHH certainly made Batista a top star with the three matches then had in 2005. It’s why Batista wanted his last match to be against HHH and losing to him.

6. Going for The Gold
-RAW: Aug 23, 1999

-HHH becomes WWE Champion for the first time as he beats Mick Foley. Interesting that HHH getting the Title was always the plan, but Austin didn’t want to lose to him, so Foley got a 24 hour title reign to be a transition champion. That’s the rumor at least and it does seem to be more than plausible. I cheered like crazy at home because I was on the HHH bandwagon at that point.

-Commercials!

5. House Call
-March 9, 2009

-Fun stuff here as Randy Orton is fresh off hitting Steph with a DDT and kissing her, so HHH is out for blood and shows up at Orton’s door. They have a brawl in the house and the police get involved. Not sure this moment should be higher than winning your first WWE Title, but not my list.

4. Straight to Hell
-No Way Out 2000

-Mick Foley helped make HHH a main event fixture in back to back shows and this one is Mick’s last match if he loses. We had fire in this match and Mick getting backdropped through the top of The Cell. They gimmicked the ring this time at least. HHH gets to retire Mick and we never saw him wrestle again. Cough!

3. The Game Begins
-Sunday Night Heat: July 25,1999

-Sunday Night Heat makes one of these lists. This is the famous interview JR did with HHH and he dropped the now famous, “I am the fucking game,” line. A catchphrase and moniker were born. HHH says he knew that interview was critical because he had to get across what he wanted to do in the business.

-Commercials!

2. The Deadman and The Assassin
–WrestleMania XXVIII

-I LOVE THIS MATCH! End of an Era as HHH and Taker deliver an all time classic with Shawn giving a tremendous performance as an emotionally wrecked referee. HHH says it was one his favorite moments of his entire career. Just a beautiful match. We get the image of HHH, Shawn, and Taker on top of the ramp.

1. The King Has Returned
-RAW: Jan 7, 2002

-Amazing pop from the crowd at MSG for HHH’s return from tearing his quad. Great moment, but I don’t think it should top winning any world titles. Unfortunately for HHH, his triumphant return as a beloved face was short lived as he had Hulk Hogan steal the show at Mania and then take his title the following month. HHH was back to being a heel by July. Great reaction from the MSG crowd though.

-Good stuff with the nostalgia I need from this show. You can quibble with the placement, but with such a long career there are bound to be moments left out. I would have included the Ladder Match with Rock as that match turned both men into stars and they took off from there. The match was eclipsed by Rock/Hogan, but HHH winning the WWE Title in the Main Event of Mania probably should have been on here as well. Marrying Stephanie (on and off screen) was a great moment as well I would say.

-Thanks for reading!