Matt Hardy Thinks The Curtain Call Changed Triple H’s Mindset In WWE

Triple H was famously punished for being part of the controversial “Curtain Call” in 1996, and Matt Hardy believes it changed The Game’s mindset about his career. The kayfabe-breaking moment at a WWE Madison Square Garden live event in 1996 saw Shawn Micheals, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Triple H break kayfabe by celebrating together after a match, and Triple H punished for the moment which was caught on camera by fans in the arena.

Hardy spoke about the moment on the latest episode of The Exteme Life of Matt Hardy, noting that it was a “gutsy” moment for the now-WWE CCO and likely changed how Triple H thought about his career going forward. You can see some highlights below, per Wrestling Inc:

On Triple H’s involvement in the moment: “It was gutsy for Trips to be involved in the Curtain Call… He ends up taking all the heat for it, and he was in the doghouse for so long. That’s almost like a defining point for Triple H… I know he held that deep.”

On how it changed Triple H: “That’s probably why he was such a driven political figure [backstage] once he gained that power. He was like, ‘No, I’ve been f***ed over, I will not get f***ed over again’… That’s probably a big motivating factor behind why he became who he became.”