WWE SummerSlam’s Greatest Ever Performers
WWE.com
8. Triple H
Record: 8 wins, 5 losses, 5 Title Matches, 4 Main Events
Memorable Moment: Street fight with Shawn Michaels in 2002
As one of the most enduring and committed performers in WWE history, Triple H has competed at many SummerSlams over the years, the second-most in history in fact. His everlasting appeal transitioning from midcard entertainer to main event stalwart all the way to company executive was greatly enhanced by his strong relationship to the biggest show of the summer. On that stage he has experienced championship glory, emotional returns and the glory of the main event spotlight, and that legacy still has room to grow in the coming years.
As the American Blue-Blood Hunter Hearst Helmsley, he made his first foray onto the SummerSlam card with a victory over Bob Holly, and after these inauspicious beginnings, the Game would make a lasting impression going forward. Triple H had a grueling encounter with the deranged Mankind inside a steel cage in 1997, before another stipulation match earmarked him as a main event star of the future, as he defeated the Rock for the Intercontinental Championship in a memorable ladder match. It wouldn’t take long for him to ride this momentum into the main event, as he headlined the 1999 and 2000 shows in triple threat matches for the WWE Championship, falling short on both occasions.
Triple H’s next appearance at SummerSlam was particularly memorable, as he and Shawn Michaels began an epic rivalry that would span the next two years in HBK’s return match, a deeply personal street fight. From that point on the Cererbral Assassin would enjoy a triumphant winning run at the biggest party of the summer, starting by retaining his World Heavyweight Championship inside the Elimination Chamber in 2003. This was followed by victories over Eugene, the McMahons (alongside Michaels), Booker T, a WWE title defense against the Great Khali and Legacy. However, Triple H’s most recent contest at SummerSlam was far less enjoyable, as he found himself locked in the brutal Kimura of Brock Lesnar.
Next: Bret Hart