Triple H has taken part in over 20 WrestleManias, and he has he prepares for his next big match at WWE WrestleMania 34, let’s take a look back at the history of The Game on the Grandest Stage of them All.
The King of Kings, the Cerebral Assassin, The Game, Triple H has had one of the longest and most memorable careers in the history of WWE.
When Triple H first arrived in the industry, it was impossible to predict the success he would go on to have, and his incredible WWE WrestleMania appearance record is getting close to topping that of even The Undertaker.
The current CEO of the company has missed only one WrestleMania (WrestleMania 23) since making his debut on the grandest stage of them all, and he has had a variety of opponents along the way.
This year we will see Triple H take part in his first ever tag team match at the showcase of the immortals, as he partners up with his wife Stephanie McMahon to take on the team of Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey.
While the quality of the upcoming bout may still be up for judgment, the match is likely to be one of the key attractions of the night, and Hunter will want to bring his A game and provide fans with another memorable WrestleMania performance.
Of course, anyone who has appeared at WrestleMania as many times as Triple H is likely going to have experienced both good and bad Mania encounters. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look back at all of Triple H’s WrestleMania appearances, and rank them from worst to best.
Source: WWE.Com
21: Hunter Hearst Helmsley Vs The Ultimate Warrior- WrestleMania 12
Triple H’s match with The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 12 is a bit of an anomaly in the career of the future CEO of the company, in that instead of burying another performer, he himself was buried at WrestleMania.
It seems hard to imagine now, but Triple H has not always been as highly viewed in the company as he is now. Performing under his original Hunter Hearst Helmsley gimmick, Triple H was disposed of inside 90 seconds here by the returning Warrior, and given the future of both men in the company, this makes for rather surprising viewing these days.
There’s not a lot that can be said about the match quality here, with Triple H barely getting in any offense, and Warrior even no selling the pedigree. This was barely a match, but it is worth a revisit just because of how surprising it is now.
This was a total misjudgment on the part of the WWE, and while Triple H has gone on to have one of the best WWE careers of all time, this match will be forever remembered as his WrestleMania debut. Warrior’s run with the company with the company would only go on to last a few months as well, which makes this seem even more baffling today.
Source: WWE.Com
20: Triple H Vs Goldust- WrestleMania 13
Sadly for The Game, he didn’t perform much better in his second WrestleMania outing. As Triple H WrestleMania matches go, this one is probably the most forgettable. WrestleMania 13 was far from a great WrestleMania (aside from that match between Austin and Hart- wow), and this mid-card match, which features two superstars who are still active over 20 years later, is really not that noteworthy.
This was very early in Triple H’s career and he hadn’t quite worked out all of the elements that would later make him a star here, while Goldust is, well, still Goldust.
The in-ring work is average at best and the match doesn’t really generate much excitement. For those out there who really want to go and revisit all of Triple H’s WrestleMania outings, then this match will inevitably be watched, for everyone else though, there is really very little of note going on here. Like with all of Triple H’s early matches, there are some shenanigans going out around the ring with Chyna, only this time with the addition of Goldust’s Marlena.
Triple H picked up his first win on the Grandest Stage of them when he pinned Goldust after a pedigree, but this match has very little to do with the evolution of the Triple H we all know and love.
Source: WWE.Com
19: Triple H Vs Roman Reigns- WrestleMania 32
By the time WrestleMania 32 rolled around in April 2016, fans had more than had enough of Roman Reign’s never-ending push.
Main eventing his second consecutive WrestleMania, Roman Reigns was greeted in the ring by a barrage of boos, with the commentators desperately trying to justify them by claiming, as they do now, that Roman is a divisive figure.
Staunch defenders of Roman Reigns, myself included, would even struggle to defend what was happening at the start of 2016. The company had been so transparent in their booking of Reigns, and the fans were sick of it.
Triple H, the big heel of the piece, was greeted with cheers every time he landed a punch on Reigns, and the in-ring performance from both men did little to turn the crowd to Roman’s side. Not even Stephanie McMahon being put through a table by the former Shield member could win the fans over.
Reigns inevitably won the match and the show’s closing moments, which saw Reigns holding the belt above his head celebrating, while the whole arena booed, are some of the most painful to watch in the history of the event.
18: Triple H Vs Kane- Wrestlemania 15
Triple H and Kane were both hot properties back in 1998, and the two met for the first time at WrestleMania 15. The match, which was focused around Chyna turning her back on Triple H, was an instantly forgettable affair, one which there is very little need to go and rewatch.
The in-ring work is slow and clunky, and the match never really gets out of first gear. Kane won the match as a result of a DQ when Chyna came down to the ring and attacked Kane with a chair, making this Triple H’s only WrestleMania match without a proper finish.
The match has attitude era written all over it, and its sole reason for existence was to continue an on-going storyline, something that, in my opinion, WrestleMania should never really be used to do.
Still, it always brings a wry smile to my face seeing Teddy Long referee a match, so there is that, I guess. This match is barely referenced when the WWE is talking about Triple H’s WrestleMania performances, and that’s nothing to do with the fact that Chyna (don’t google search her name, kids) was involved, but rather that it was just pretty darn poor by both men’s standards.
17:Triple H Vs Randy Orton- WrestleMania 25
Triple H Vs Randy Orton at WrestleMania 25 was one of the most disappointing main event matches in the history of the whole show.
Two of the company’s most prestigious talents, given a solid runtime, wrestling each other on the 25th anniversary of the industry’s biggest show, with a well-documented history between the pair, should have been a lot better than the snoozefest that it was.
Orton and Triple H are both great in-ring performers but both men’s styles can be grating against the wrong opponent. In what should have been the most exciting match on the show, the two former Evolution teammates worked a slow, and plodding bout, which never managed to get the crowd excited. The two exchanged holds for a long time, and the match lacked any excitement or drama.
Triple H winning the match was not the right decision either, with many fans feeling distinctly underwhelmed with the company’s decision to have Triple H winning the belt and closing the show on such a historic occasion. It certainly didn’t help the match that it had to follow perhaps the greatest match in Mania history, Shawn Michaels Vs The Undertaker, but either way, this was a major disappointment on what should have been a hugely memorable night.
Source: WWE.Com
16: Triple H Vs Sheamus- Wrestlemania 26
Triple H Vs Sheamus at WrestleMania 26, also known as, that match you had totally forgotten about.
When this match took place in 2010, Sheamus had a rocket strapped to his back and the company was determined to get him over at all costs, and the fact that he was gym buddies with Triple H certainly didn’t do him any damage when it came to climbing up the ranks in the WWE.
The match between the two men was far from bad, but like a lot of Sheamus’ run as a main event player, it was largely forgettable. Triple H did, as he always does, bring a good psychology to the bout and Sheamus, despite still being relatively green in the eyes of some fans, certainly rose to the occasion, but the match lacked any bite, and history has not been kind to it.
Sharing a card with Shawn Michael’s retirement match, this match never managed to capture the imagination of the audience, and despite being considered by many to be Sheamus’ big moment, Triple H walked away from the match victorious.
Going just over 10 minutes, the most notable element of this encounter was its well-executed finish, which saw Triple H surprise Sheamus with a pedigree to pick up the clean victory.
Source: WWE.Com
15: Triple H Vs Batista- WrestleMania 21
WrestleMania 21 was a passing of the torch moment for the company. With Brock Lesnar off the scene, the company was ready to put all of their cards on the table and invest in John Cena and Batista as the new faces of the WWE, despite their hilariously unforgettable botched finish to the end of the Royal Rumble in 2005.
Batista had been on a slow rise up the company in the 12 months leading up to WrestleMania 21, and all that was stopping him from grabbing that mythical brass ring, was his former Evolution mentor, Triple H.
WrestleMania 21 was on course to go down as the greatest night in the event’s history, with an excellent match between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio opening the show, the first ever Money in the Bank match taking place, and a classic between Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle taking place later in the night. The show was derailed at the last though, with John Cena and Batista’s title victories coming in matches that could be described as mediocre at best.
Of the two matches, Batista’s bout with Triple H was undeniably the strongest, but the match was lacking in excitement due to the predictable nature of its result, and the match did very little to try and convince the fans that it was ever going to go the other way.
In the long run, the match can be considered a success, with Batista going on to be one of the company’s biggest stars of the noughties, but viewed in this isolation, this match was a very average encounter.
Source: WWE.Com
14: Triple H VS Sting- WrestleMania 31
One thing that is surprising rewatching this match, was just how much the crowd loved it. My memories of this match were not too positive, but rewatching it for the sake of this list, I was pleasantly surprised at how fun it was.
The match, of course, is best remembered for its result, which basically saw Triple H and the WWE stick a big finger up at WCW, fourteen years after they forced the company out of business.
Heading into the event, nobody believed that Triple H stood a chance here, but as the day got closer, rumours began to surface online and all of it a sudden, it became incredibly apparent that Triple H was not got to roll over for a huge WCW star, and certainly not on the grandest stage of all.
The result of the match left a sour taste in the mouth of many fans, but the bout itself is fairly fun. The nostalgia pops for the arrival of the NWO and DX are great, and Sting’s dive to the outside is excellent. The stuff with the baseball bat and sledgehammer is fun as well, and the crowd chanting this is awesome, and eating up every near-fall makes it an enjoyable rewatch.
Had the result gone the other way, this match likely would have been better remembered, and as a result, higher up this list. Though, I doubt Triple H is going to be losing any sleep over that anytime soon.
13: Triple H Vs Owen Hart- WrestleMania 14
Due to the fact that Triple H would go on to become one of the biggest stars in the history of the industry, a lot of his earlier WrestleMania outings are forgotten about. In the case of Triple H Vs Owen Hart at WrestleMania 14, that’s a real shame as it is one of his more solid earlier outings.
Triple H was really growing into his heel persona at the time, and Owen Hart was the perfect babyface to counter this. There was also the added element of Chyna in this match, who was prevented from entering the ring for the majority of the match’s runtime.
The two men put on a great mid-card match, with plenty of nice in-ring work. While it was not as great as a later match between the pair could have been, Owen Hart was one of the most consistent workers of his era and he helped Triple H a lot in the ring here.
Triple H would pick up the victory after Chyna hit a low blow on Owen, and Triple H would go on to take over DX after Shawn Michaels left the industry at WrestleMania 14, and would find himself in the main event of WrestleMania only two years later.
12: Triple H Vs Booker T- WrestleMania 19
Triple H has always had a reputation among fans for having one of the biggest egos in the ring in the WWE, and his infamous ‘shovel’ was perhaps never more on display than it was at WrestleMania 19.
Triple H was at the height of his heel powers back in 2003, he was in the middle of a lengthy World Heavyweight Title reign, and had been victorious in feuds with Shawn Michaels and Scott Steiner in the month’s prior.
Booker T, on the other hand, was being abused, rather controversially, week in week out, by Triple H, and many fans expected him to finally overthrow Triple H on the grandest stage of them all.
Sadly for Booker, and for the fans, Triple H walked out victorious at WrestleMania, in what remains as one of the most controversial booking decisions in the history of the event. I’m not going to dwell too much on the build-up to this match here because everything that can be said has already been said, but Triple H’s infamous ‘people like you’ promo was a big part of the controversy.
The match itself, is fairly solid from an in-ring standpoint, and Triple H’s heel work is, as always, pitch perfect, but like a few other matches on this list (notably, against another former WCW star) Triple H’s victory leaves quite a sour taste in the mouth.
Source: WWE.Com
11: Triple H Vs John Cena- WrestleMania 22
Ten years before he would square off with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 32, Triple H found himself on the end of another surprising crowd reaction against one of the company’s hand-picked golden boys in the shape of John Cena at WrestleMania 22.
Unlike Reigns, however, Cena had gotten off to a good start when he won the belt for the first time at WrestleMania 21, with the fans lapping up his first ever title victory. Fast forward 12 months, though, and fans had soured on Cena as the top dog in the company, with many tiring with his super-Cena inspired victories month in, month out.
While Cena had briefly lost his belt to Edge at New Year’s Revolution in January 2006, he had effectively held the belt for a year by the time WrestleMania 22 rolled around and the fans went full anti-Cena for his match with Triple H.
The fans booed Cena every time he hit a move, in an indication of what was to come for the next decade for the former Dr of Thuganomics. Triple H tried his hardest to direct some of the heat onto himself, but to no avail.
Ultimately, it’s the crowd that makes this match feel like such a letdown, because the in-ring work, while not being up to either man’s best, is still fairly solid throughout. Cena making Triple H tap really didn’t do much to calm the crowd down either.
Source: WWE.Com
10: Triple H Vs Brock Lesnar- WrestleMania 29
Brock Lesnar Vs Triple H at WrestleMania 29 was a match that should have felt bigger than what it was. Sandwiched between Triple H’s classic double against The Deadman, and Brock Lesnar’s iconic streak-breaking victory at WrestleMania 30, this match has struggled for relevance amid such classic matches and moments.
The stipulation of the match was that if Triple H was defeated, then he would retire. This felt like a clear attempt by the company to grab viewers interests, needless to say, it failed. What actually happened was that this stipulation just removed all sense of tension and drama from the bout.
Triple H was not going to retire, fans knew that, and as a result, they mockingly cheered Lesnar, who was supposed to be the heel, and turned on Triple H. Mixed crown reactions are extremely common at Mania, as we’ve discovered already on this list, and often they just serve as a huge distraction. They are the fans way of telling the company that they have messed up their booking on the biggest night of the year, and it can often ruin matches that would have otherwise been good.
The in-ring work here is good, and Brock’s desperate attempts to rip Triple H’s arm from its socket make for some good story-telling. It’s just a shame that the result was so predictable and that the crowd failed to buy into the match.
Source: WWE.Com
9: Triple H Vs The Big Show Vs Mick Foley Vs The Rock- WrestleMania 16
If you think the WWE’s reliance on authority figures is a problem now, then rewind to the year 2000, when you couldn’t switch on a television without being greeted by one of the McMahon clan.
The main event of WrestleMania 16, Triple H’s first time in the closing match at Mania, was the first, and currently the only, fatal 4-way main event on the grandest stage of them all. This wasn’t all that made the match notable though, not only was it a fatal 4 way, but each superstar also had a McMahon in their corner.
That’s right, the whole McMahon family were out at ringside for this one, and as you can imagine, the match, at times, is a bit of an overbooked mess. While it is not without its moments, the majority of the match was chaotic and is probably the reason why we have never seen a fatal 4-way headline the show since.
There were several saving graces here though. The closing 15 or so minutes, which saw The Rock and Triple H going one on one, effectively giving us a match within the match, is an exciting and well-executed showdown, and the post-match assault on the McMahons and Triple H by The Rock at least ends the night on a high note, even if Triple H had been victorious in the match. This also led to one hell of a match between The Rock and Triple H at Backlash the following month, so we have that to be thankful for.
Source: WWE.Com
8: Triple H Vs John Cena Vs Randy Orton- WrestleMania 24
One of two triple threat matches to take place at WrestleMania involving Triple H, The King of King’s encounter with Randy Orton and John Cena at WrestleMania 24 was a fun encounter which took place towards the end of a fun, and often underappreciated WrestleMania.
Triple H and John Cena were both gunning for Randy Orton’s WWE title here, and the match, which only went for 15 minutes, was an intense and jam-packed encounter, which saw plenty of exciting near falls, and some excellent moments.
Triple H locking in the STFU on Cena, who had already locked it in on Randy Orton, was a memorable visual, and the match’s ending, which saw Triple H hit the pedigree on Cena, only for Orton to run in, punt Triple H and steal the pinfall was perfectly executed. It was a surprising finish, and it also marked the first time that Big Match John was defeated on the grandest stage of them all.
This is an often forgotten match, due to the fact that it took place on the same card as Ric Flair’s excellent retirement match with Shawn Micheals, but it’s a fun bout that definitely deserves a revisit.
7: Triple H Vs Chris Jericho- WrestleMania 18
More than perhaps any match in the history of WrestleMania, Triple H’s match with Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 18 was a victim of poor placement.
Taking place on the same card as the iconic first-time showdown between The Rock and Hulk Hogan, the company foolishly decided to put the match on last, meaning that it had to follow what was always going to be a blockbuster match between the two industry legends.
To their credit, Triple H and Jericho put on a thoroughly entertaining match, that would likely be better remembered had it taken place earlier on in the card.
The match had some nice in-ring action, and while the Stephanie McMahon element of the match is not really worthy of a mention, the two men put on a good show that deserves more recognition than it gets.
Triple H would win the belt off Jericho here, though his victory would be short-lived as the title was passed around fairly carelessly in the early stages of 2002, with no less than three champions holding the gold until Lesnar bought some stability to it at Summerslam.
Following on from Hogan and The Rock was always going to be a thankless task and Jericho Vs Triple H is always going to be remembered as the Mania main event that shouldn’t have headlined the show.
6: Triple H Vs Seth Rollins- WrestleMania 33
Triple H’s most recent outing at WrestleMania was, in my opinion, one of his stronger performances at the showcase of the immortals. WrestleMania 33 was an excellent night to be a wrestling fan, it featured some excellent matches, the return of the Hardyz, and what should have been the final farewell to one of the company’s most iconic wrestlers.
In the midst of all of this, it is easy to forget what a great match Triple H and Seth Rollins worked on the show. The match was a slow methodical affair, but it was one that worked nicely, and the finish, which saw Seth Rollins put down his former mentor with his own finishing move, was a nice way to draw a line under the feud.
While there are many who found this match boring but there is some excellent storytelling on display here and the match does a good job of filling its rather lengthy 25-minute run-time, slowly building the tension as it comes to its climax. With a year having passed since this match, many fans have forgotten that it happened but for me, this was one of the better Triple H performances in recent memory. This also saw Triple H take over Shawn Michaels for having lost the most amount of matches at WrestleMania. So much for that shovel, eh?
Source: WWE.Com
5: Triple H Vs The Undertaker- WrestleMania 17
The first of the iconic Triple H Vs The Undertaker WrestleMania trilogy took place on what many fans consider to be the greatest PPV ever held by the WWE, WrestleMania 17. Back in 2001, the company was at the peak of their popularity and this show was seen as a fitting tribute to that golden age.
Back at WrestleMania 17, The Undertaker’s streak was not the selling point it would later become. Before this event, The Undertaker was only at 8-0, and therefore, he was much more likely to be on the end of a defeat, especially at the hands of one of the company’s biggest stars.
While the match wasn’t booked as such, it effectively became a no-DQ match because the ref was out for so long, and this allowed the two men to brawl into the crowd and get some weapons involved.
The wrestling side of things was incredibly entertaining as well, with plenty of near falls coming before Taker picked up the victory. Up until Taker’s incredible run at WrestleMania approaching the end of his streak, this was one of the streak’s better outings and a match that feels like a huge part of the greatest Mania of all time.
Source: WWE.Com
4: Triple H Vs The Undertaker- WrestleMania 27
Hot off the heels of his classic double with Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker stepped foot in the ring with Triple H, 10 years after the duo’s original WrestleMania encounter.
Both men rolled the back the years at WrestleMania 27, delivering a match that many consider to be better than the duo’s previous encounter.
The result of the match was never in question, but that didn’t stop the two men putting on one hell of a performance. While Taker’s matches with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25 and 26 were arguably better, this match was a hard-hitting encounter that went a full 30 minutes and never let it up, which is an impressive achievement considering the age of both performers.
The storytelling was excellent here as well, with Triple H trying to break down Taker, only for Taker to force Triple H into submission in the dying moments of the match. Triple H has been involved in many classic matches at WrestleMania, and this one ranks up there with the best of them.
The two men would go on to have one more match against each other, a Hell in a Cell match one year later, and the discussion over which of the two matches is the best will no doubt rage on for a very long time.
Source: WWE.Com
3: Triple H Vs The Undertaker: Hell in a Cell- WrestleMania 28
Back in 2012, the idea of The Undertaker’s streak ever being broken was ludicrous. The streak was one of the biggest selling points for the show and the idea that Triple H, one of the most established performers in the history of the company, would break it was unfathomable.
Triple H and The Deadman had met on the grandest stage of them all twice already by this point, and there were few people heading into this match that thought the outcome wouldn’t be any different third time around.
What made this match so special to watch at the time, was that for a few split seconds, you forgot about how unstoppable Taker was, and genuinely believed that Triple H was going to be the one to end his legendary run. Given Triple H’s renowned ego, it suddenly became incredibly plausible that the company may just book him to be the one to do it.
These two men put on one of the most brutal, and memorable hell in a cell matches of all time at WrestleMania 28, and the addition of Shawn Michaels as special referee only made the match more memorable. Undertaker’s kick out after HBK hits him with the sweet-chin music may be one of the best near falls of all time, and the closing shot, which saw The Undertaker being carried to the back by Triple H and Michaels, is one of the most iconic in the history of the event.
2: Triple H Vs Daniel Bryan- WrestleMania 30
The first thing most fans think of when they think of WrestleMania 30 is Daniel Bryan’s victory in the night’s main event against Randy Orton and Batista. It was a crowning moment for the leader of the ‘Yes Movement’ and was something fans had been desperate to see for a long time.
It’s easy to forget that Bryan pulled off one of the most impressive displays of double duty that night, as not only did he pull off the match of the night when he won the title in the main event, but he also took part in an excellent opening match against Triple H to seal his spot in that match.
The tension between Triple H and Daniel Bryan had been built expertly heading into the event, and the two men put on a real showcase inside the ring. The storytelling here was excellent, with both men making the other look excellent.
Triple H has always had an in-ring psychology, and he was perfect here- making the fans think that maybe, just maybe, he was going to squash their dreams in front of their very eyes.
Of course, Bryan went on to win the match after hitting The Game with a running knee, and this match will rightfully go down as one of the best opening matches in the history of the show, and one of each man’s best ever at WrestleMania. This also gave us perhaps the best video package of the last 10 years, with Daniel Bryan’s incredible ‘Monster’ package before the match.
1: Triple H Vs Chris Benoit Vs Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania 20
Up until this point, the only triple threat main event in the history of WrestleMania, Triple H’s world title defense against Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels is not only the greatest Mania match of Triple H’s career but arguably, one of the best main events the showcase of the immortals has ever given us.
Like many great Mania moments involving Benoit, this match has been largely ignored by the WWE, but the quality of the bout is unquestionable.
These three men put on an incredible performance at WrestleMania 20, one which the crowd was fully invested in, and the closing moments, which saw Benoit finally capture the World Heavyweight Title were, at the time at least, some of the most memorable in the history of the event.
Triple H and Shawn Michaels had been raging war for quite some time by the time this match rolled around, and the two men had an incredible chemistry in the ring together. Adding Chris Benoit, one of the most gifted performers of all time, to that mix was only ever going to be a recipe for success.
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Of course, watching the match back is difficult, especially knowing what was to come, and the show’s closing moments, which see Eddie Guerrero and Benoit embracing in the ring while confetti rains down are extremely heartbreaking now, but as far as Mania matches go, Triple H has never been able to top this one.