Triple H Height, Weight, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Triple H

• Triple H gained interest in wrestling as he used to watch WWF matches organised in his hometown. He especially purchased tickets to watch Chief Jay Strongbow, who played a major role in influencing his decision.

• While studying at Nashua High School in New Hampshire, he was a part of the school’s baseball and basketball teams.
  

  A photo of Triple H taken when he was in high school

• As a child, Triple H was obsessed with wrestlers and wanted to look like them. As a result, he started bodybuilding at the tender age of 14. He soon began participating in numerous body-building competitions and was crowned Teenage Mr. New Hampshire in 1988 at the age of 19.
  

  Young Triple H’s photo taken from his body-building days

• After completing his school education, he joined a gym in his hometown, where he worked as an instructor. While working there, he started training with champion powerlifter and professional wrestler Ted Arcidi, who was working in WWE at the time.

• After several attempts, he successfully convinced Ted to arrange a meeting between him and former professional wrestler Killer Kowalski. This meeting would allow Triple H to train at one of Kowalski’s wrestling schools in Malden, Massachusetts. to prepare for his professional wrestling career.
  

  A photo of Triple H taken in his younger days

• In the year 1990, Hunter started training with Kowalski in Malden. He became close friends with Chyna and Perry Saturn there. He worked with the duo in WWE later.

• Triple H made his pro-wrestling debut in 1992 at the International Wrestling Federation (IWF), where he wrestled under the ring name Terra Ryzing (also referred to as terrorizing). His first match was against Tony Roy, whom he managed to defeat.
  

  A photo of Triple H taken during his wrestling days at the International Wrestling Federation (IWF)

• In July of the same year, he challenged the then-IWF Heavyweight Champion, Mad Dog Richard, and managed to pin him and become the champion.
  

  Triple H wearing his IWF Heavyweight Championship belt around his waist

• Later, John Rodeo, a multimedia baron, took over his Public Relations (PR), with the help of whom Hunter began wrestling at various wrestling stables on the East Coast independent circuit.

• In 1994, he was signed by the World Championship Wrestling (WCW). There, he used to wrestle under the ring name of Terror Risin (spelt as Terra Ryzing). His debut match was against Keith Cole, a member of the famous Keith Brothers team, and he managed to defeat him.
  

  Triple H as Terra Ryzing during his stint at WCW

• Soon, his ring name was changed to Terra Ryzing and, later, to Jean-Paul Lévesque. After he started using the name Lévesque, he was asked by the event organisers to speak in a French tone, which he found difficult to do.
  

  Triple H in his gimmick attire as Jean-Paul Lévesque

• While at WCW, he started using his signature finishing move, the “Pedigree.”
  

  Triple H performing his signature move Pedigree at WCW

• He then formed a tag team partnership with the British wrestler Lord Steven Regal. Outside of the ring, the two developed a close friendship. Their affiliation continued throughout Triple H’s early career in WWE, where Regal served as both a henchman and the right-hand man to him.

• Triple H left WCW in January 1995 after both of them could not negotiate his payment contract.

• Unlike other wrestlers, Hunter had a terrible run at the WCW, to the extent that he could hardly manage a year at the promotion.

• Triple H was signed by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1995.

• In August of the same year, he appeared in his first WWF pay-per-view match in SummerSlam and fought against Bob Holly and defeated him.
  

  Triple H contesting in his first SummerSlam event of the WWF in 1995

• After remaining undefeated for several months, Hunter was defeated for the first time in WWF by The Undertaker in a tag team match.
  

  Triple H in his first match against The Undertaker in 1996

• Despite being promoted extensively by the WWF in the initial days, he failed to gather a considerable amount of fan following.

• Before his first fight, wrestler J. J. Dillon gave him the ring name Reginald DuPont Helmsley, which Hunter did not like. He then approached the management and requested them to give him a ring name with the letter “H.” Therefore, he was given the name Hunter Hearst Helmsley, now commonly known as Triple H.
  

  Triple H as Hunter Hearst Helmsley at WWF

• His first single loss came against Bret Hart in Raw on 4 March 1996.

• In June 1996, he severely wounded the wrestler Marty Garner when Triple H performed a pedigree on him, and he fell on his neck. Garner took months to recover and later sued WWF over the matter; it was later denied by Garner. It is claimed that Hunter played a vital in the settlement of the feud outside the court.
  

  Triple H performing Pedigree on Marty Garner which injured his neck

• Thereafter, he became a member of a backstage group known for its influence over Vince McMahon and WWF’s creative team named The Kliq, which included wrestlers like Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman, and Scott Hall. He and the wrestlers from the group would later become members of several well-known stables together.
  

  From Left to Right – Triple H, Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels, Scott Hall, and Sean Waltman

• Later, in the same year, Triple H was supposed to win the King of the Ring tournament; however, the WWF decided to let Stone Cold Steve Austin win as a punishment for breaking “character” to wish goodbye to The Kliq members Nash and Hall.
  

  Triple H breaking character and wishing goodbye to his colleagues for which he was punished by the WWF

• After the incident, former wrestler and manager Mr. Perfect became his PR-in-charge and manager. With his help, Triple H won his first Intercontinental Championship title after challenging Marc Mero for the title.
  

  A photo of Triple H taken with Mr. Perfect after he won the Intercontinental Championship title after defeating Marc Mero

• His relationship with Mr. Perfect worsened after he attacked him behind the stage; Mr. Perfect left WWF after that. This was reportedly used as a storyline as Mr. Perfect had decided to retire from the wrestling world.

• At Wrestlemania 12, The Ultimate Warrior took only 100 seconds to defeat Triple H.
  

  The Ultimate Warrior standing up after receiving Triple H’s Pedigree

• In February 1997, he lost the championship title to Rocky Maivia, commonly known as The Rock.

• In the same month, Chyna, his wrestling institute’s batchmate, made her wrestling debut on Raw. As per sources, Hunter played a vital role in paving the way for her to debut. She entered WWF as Hunter’s bodyguard.
  

  Chyna and Triple H on the poster of WWF

• On 11 August 1997, Triple H and Chyna teamed up with Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, Road Dogg, and Billy Gunn to form D-Generation X. This stable was formed after the merger of Generation X and New Age Outlaws.
  

  A photo of Triple H taken with all the members of the D-Generation X

• The faction very soon gained prominence and intense fan following, especially with the use of the term “Suck It,” followed by a crotch chop hand gesture.
  

  Triple H and Shawn Michaels performing the Crotch Chop hand gestures

• The fashion style of the stable, a black t-shirt with a leather jacket, etc., gained immense popularity. All these were reportedly the brainchild of Triple H.
  

  Members of the D-Generation X making an entrance into the arena

• In December 1997, Triple H won the European Championship title after defeating Shawn Michaels. Instead of fighting, Michaels laid down in the ring for Hunter to pin him at the beginning of the match. The match ended within a few seconds, making it a record for pinning to win a title.
  

  Shawn Michaels pretending to be knocked out and lying on the mat for Triple H to pin him

• In January 1998, Triple H lost the title to Bret Hart; however, he regained the title for the second time in March 1998. He managed to defend the title against Hart in the same month. He managed to retain the title each time due to interference from his D-Generation X teammates.

• In the same year, Hunter was chosen as the leader of the DX by Shawn Michaels as he was “forced to retire” from wrestling. This was used as a story for Shawn to go on a leave to undergo a back surgery.

• He later came up with the entrance gimmick in which he involved the audience by asking, “Are you ready? I said, are you ready? – Let’s get ready to suck it.” With this, his stable’s popularity increased manifolds.

• One of the most prominent fights he had as a member of the DX was with Kane. He often assisted his teammates in their fight against Kane, costing Kane his matches against them.
  

  A collage of Kane choke-slamming Triple H and Chyna after they interfered in his match against X-Pac

• Soon after, he began an in-ring fight with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who was introduced as a villain who started a stable named Nation of Domination. This rivalry between the duo and their stables gained immense popularity, leading to a significant increase in WWF’s TRP.

• In July 1998, Triple H and D-Lo Brown from the Nation of Domination fought a one-on-one match for the Intercontinental Championship title. Triple H lost the title shot.

• In August of the same year, after D-Lo Brown handed his championship to The Rock, Triple H later challenged him to a title shot and won it.

• Triple H was forced to leave his title as he had to go on leave after he suffered from a knee injury and had to undergo surgery.

• In January 1999, Triple H faced The Rock in an “I Quit” Match for The Rock’s WWF Championship belt. However, Triple H was compelled to submit during the match after Kane threatened to chokeslam his partner Chyna if he did not quit.
  

  Triple H looking at Kane holding Chyna through the titantron screen before performing a Pedigree on The Rock

• After the match, Triple H discovered that Chyna had worked with The Rock against him and deliberately cost him the match. Thereafter, Chyna broke her affiliation with Triple H and attacked him, leaving his stable for another villainous stable, The Corporation.
  

  Chyna performing a low blow on Triple H while Kane distracted him

• In March 1999, Triple H momentarily left his stable and joined The Corporation after he betrayed X-Pac in a match against Shane McMahon. He reportedly did so to gain power and help Shane replace his father Vince McMahon.
  

  Triple H with all the members of the stable, The Corporation

• Triple H then challenged Stone Cold Steve Austin to a triple threat match with Mankind for a shot at his WWF Champion title. Mankind won the match by pinning Austin. By then, Hunter had changed his DX look considerably by changing his attire and shortening his hair, signalling his departure from the DX.
  

  A poster of the Triple Threat match

• A day later, Triple H challenged Mankind for a title rematch; he won the match and won his first WWF Champion title.

• Thereafter, he developed a fight with Vince McMahon, which increased more when Triple H got married to his daughter Stephanie McMahon. Their feud carried on for seventeen months, the longest in the history of WWF.

• Later, Triple H left The Corporation and started a new faction with Stephanie called The McMahon-Helmsley Faction.
  

  Triple H with Stephanie while they both were a part of The McMahon-Helmsley Faction

• WWF Anchor and commentator Jim Ross nicknamed him the Cerebral Assassin due to his ability to turn heel quickly for advancement in his career.

• In January 2000, Triple H won the WWF Champion belt from the Big Show; he had earlier lost it to him in November 1999.
  

  Triple H being slammed into the steel stairs by The Big Show during one of their matches

• In the same year, Triple H and Chyna decided to part ways due to her mental illness.

• Later, he started an in-ring fight with Mick Foley, who challenged him for a title shot. Foley was defeated in a Hell In A Cell match in February 2000 after Triple H performed his signature move twice on him. This forced Mick to seek early retirement from his wrestling career.

• After retaining the title for 118 days, Triple H lost it to The Rock at Backlash in April 2000.

• In the same month, Triple H lost the title to Chris Jericho; however, his win was not recognized by the organisation as they believed referee Earl Hebner counted to three faster than usual due to his enmity with Triple H. Jericho had to return the title to Triple H later.

• He then developed a feud with Kurt Angle after the latter started getting romantically involved with Triple H’s wife, Stephanie. Stephanie was also seen more with Kurt in the matches than with Hunter. Their feud ended in September 2000 after Stephanie turned against Kurt and assisted Hunter in pinning him.

• In February 2001, the feud between Austin and Hunter intensified when they both challenged each other to a brutal Three Stages of Hell match at No Way Out.
  

  Triple H giving a knee lock to Steve Austing during their Three Stages of Hell match at No Way Out

• The match made history as it is considered to be one of the best matches in the history of WWF by the fans. In it, Triple H defeated Austin 2-1. The iconic lifting of Hunter’s car and flipping it onto its roof 10 feet high also took place in the match.

• After ending his feud with Austin, he teamed up with him against The Rock during a steel cage match. They went on to form a tag team later called The Two-Man Power Trip.

• Thereafter, the duo were transferred from Raw to SmackDown! There, he fought against Chris Jericho for a shot at the Intercontinental Championship; Triple H defeated Chris and won the title for the third time.

• His fourth win of the Intercontinental Championship came in April 2001 after he regained the title from Jeff Hardy.
  

  Triple H fighting for a title shot match against Jeff Hardy

• In the same month, he became the WWF World Tag Team Champion for the first time after he and Steve Austin defeated the Brother of Destruction Kane and The Undertaker.
  

  Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H against The Undertaker and Kane for the Tag Team title match

• Since Hunter was already the Intercontinental Champion at that time, he became the seventh WWF wrestler to become a Triple Crown winner and the second Grand Slam winner in WWE history.

• Later, he had to undergo serious surgery after tearing his left quadriceps muscle, which resulted in a dislocated bone and a ruptured muscle. This incident occurred during a tag team match involving him, Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, and Chris Benoit. As a result, he stayed out of the ring for eight months, marking the end of the McMahon-Helmsley Era.

• He received much appreciation from fans for not stopping the match despite his injury and going to the hospital only afterwards. He talked about the injury in an interview and said,
  

  Yeah. It didn’t feel too great. At that point, I tore the muscle. It was completely torn. I was in tremendous pain but I made it through, without stopping the match, for the fans.”

  

  A photo of Triple H taken from the match against Chris Jericho after he tore his left quadriceps muscle

• At the beginning of 2002, Triple H returned to the WWE in the Raw brand and won the Royal Rumble match, becoming an Undisputed WWF Championship contender at WrestleMania X8.

• In March of the same year, he fought against Chris Jericho and defeated him to become the undisputed champion. However, he failed to obtain the title as he was defeated by The Undertaker.

• One of the most popular storylines in his career involved an on-screen conflict with his wife, Stephanie McMahon. It began when Stephanie faked a pregnancy to gain Triple H’s trust. However, when he discovered the truth, he ended their relationship, leading her to ally herself with Chris Jericho.

• The fight amongst the trio concluded when Triple H fought against Chris and Stephanie in a triple threat match and managed to defeat both of them in July 2002.
  

  Stephanie McMahon with Chris Jericho after she aligned herself with him

• According to the renowned Internet Wrestling Database, Triple H has just won around 50% of the 800 matches that he has had at WWE.

• Soon after, he shifted to the SmackDown! from Raw after becoming an exclusive wrestler.

• Thereafter, he and Hulk Hogan fought against one another in a #1 contender match for the WWE Undisputed Championship at King of the Ring against The Undertaker.

• After spending some time in SmackDown!, Triple H rejoined the Raw brand, where he was supposed to join the New World Order (nWo); however, the plan was cancelled after Vince McMahon disbanded the group due to several off-ring complications.

• Thereafter, he feuded with Shawn Michaels after turning heel on him and attacking him with a sledgehammer. Shawn had been Hunter’s best friend since their tenure with the DX. After this, a sledgehammer became his signature weapon, which he used to “illegally” attack wrestlers to win the matches. It used to remain permanently under the wrestling ring mat.
  

  Triple H using a sledgehammer on Shawn Michaels during their match

• In September 2002, Triple H became the first WWE World Champion for the Raw brand after the WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Brock Lesnar became an exclusive SmackDown! Wrestler. Before this, both Raw and SmackDown! had a single universal champion.

• Triple H won the title without any contest as the then-Raw general manager Eric Bischoff handed the belt to Triple H without letting anyone fight for it.
  

  Eric Bischoff handing over the WWE Championship belt to Triple H at an event

• In 2002, he sustained a life-threatening injury when his throat almost got crushed during a match against Rob Van Dam. Despite sustaining the injury, Triple H refused to go to the hospital and only left when the match was over. He talked about it, in an interview, and said,
  

  They needed to keep me overnight because they were afraid that if it swelled any more, my airway would close off, and before I would be able to tell anybody, I would not be able to breathe, and I could die.”

  

  Triple H being taken to a hospital after the injury

• Later, his feud with Kane intensified after he accused Kane of performing necrophilia (an act of intercourse with a dead being) on a woman named Katie Vick after she passed away in a car accident. To make matters worse, Tripe H dressed as Kane with his stolen mask and circulated a video showcasing Kane performing unnatural acts on a mannequin, resembling a dead body.
  

  Triple H dressed as Kane

• This storyline between the two wrestlers became one of the most popular in WWE history. Despite its popularity, Vince McMahon was against this plot as it was “unethical.” However, Hunter managed to persuade him to allow the plot on television.

• He became the first wrestler in Raw to become the World Heavyweight Champion as well as the Intercontinental Champion after he defeated Kane at No Mercy on 20 October 2002.
  

  A photo of Triple H taken during his match with Kane in 2002 at No Mercy

• In November 2002, Shawn defeated Triple H and became the World Heavyweight Champion.

• He later allied with popular wrestlers like Rick Flair, Randy Orton, and Dave Bautista, and in February 2003, the four formed another villainous stable named Evolution.
  

  Triple H with all the members of the Evolution

• The group went on to become one of the most well-performing groups in the history of WWE. All the members of the group won a title at the Armageddon professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event. Triple H regained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship after defeating Kane and Goldberg in a triple-threat match.

• On 22 March 2004, Hunter was once again shifted to the SmackDown! Brand. There, he could not succeed in regaining the World Heavyweight title from Benoit.

• In June 2004, Triple H and Shawn Michaels settled their feud by fighting against one another in a Hell In A Cell match. The match is considered to be the longest one-on-one match that has taken place in the history of WWE. In the same month, WWE recorded the highest TRP in its history as well.
  

  Triple H performing his signature move Pedigree on Shawn Michaels during the Hell In A Cell match

• Thereafter, his stable developed an internal feud after Hunter began challenging Randy Orton after he became WWE’s youngest world champion by asking Batista to slam Randy on the floor while he was celebrating his title win in the ring.
  

  The moment when Triple H asked Dave Batista to slam Randy on the mat

• At the beginning of 2005, Triple H fought in the Elimination Chamber match against Randy Orton after defeating whom he became the World Heavyweight Champion.

• Following his rivalry with Randy, Triple H started a feud with Dave Bautista after failing to convince him to challenge for the WWE Championship title instead of the World Heavyweight Championship.

• Despite Triple H’s wishes, Bautista later turned against him and signed a contract to fight for the World Heavyweight Championship title. Bautista defeated Triple H at Backlash later. He also became the first wrestler to defeat Hunter in a Hell in a Cell match.
  

  A photo of Dave taken after he had slammed Triple H through the table after signing the contract for the WWE Heavyweight Championship match

• In June 2005, Triple H went on an extended leave to seek treatment for his neck muscle injury which he sustained in one of his earlier matches.

• After returning to WWE in October 2005, he was signed into the Raw brand, where he initially teamed up with Ric Flair; however, later, he attacked him with his signature weapon, the sledgehammer, and turned on him.
  

  Triple H attacking Ric Flair with a sledgehammer

• The next year, Triple H laid the foundation for reuniting the members of the D-Generation X on Raw.

• In January 2006, he fought against John Cena for his WWE Championship at WrestleMania 22. He, however, lost the match to him via submission.

• In June of the same year, Shawn was called from his supposed retirement to work with Triple H to reform D-Generation X. The stable’s first match was a 2-on-5 handicap match against The Spirit Squad; Shawn and Hunter managed to defeat them.
  

  Triple H and Shawn Michaels making their return to the WWE as members of the D-Generation X

• Triple H then included The Big Show in the stable and began feuding with Shane and Vince McMahon, Their feud intensified further when Triple H humiliated Vince by forcefully placing his head on The Big Show’s buttocks.

• Thereafter, Triple H and the DX began feuding with Edge and Randy Orton’s tag team Rated-RKO.

• In January 2007, Triple H sustained another major injury when, during a match, he tore his right quadriceps. He had to undergo major surgery following which he took a leave from WWE.

• In August of the same year, Triple H restarted his fight with Randy Orton and challenged him to a title shot for the WWE Championship. Triple H went on to defeat Randy and win the championship. This was his eleventh world championship and sixth WWE Championship.
  

  Triple H against Randy Orton during their WWE Championship title match

• Vince developed a feud with Hunter after he won the title. He started placing wrestlers against him by making all the matches that he fought a title match to strip Hunter of the title.

• He was later defeated by Orton in a title match and the No Mercy event; this became the shortest time for which a wrestler held a title in the history of WWE.

• In April 2008, he tied The Rock’s record for the maximum number of WWE Championships held by a wrestler after he defeated Orton, John Cena, and John “Bradshaw” Layfield in a fatal four-way elimination title match.

• The WWE decided to end Triple H’s fight against Randy Orton in May of the same year after the latter suffered a collarbone injury and had to go on a leave for surgery and rehabilitation.

• After the 2008 WWE Draft, Triple H shifted to SmackDown! from Raw. Following this, he became exclusive to SmackDown! thus allowing him to carry his title from Raw to the other brand. He then managed to keep the belt by defeating John Cena, The Great Khali, and Jeff Hardy.

• He was the only champion to successfully retain his title during Unforgiven’s Championship Scramble matches held in September 2008.

• He lost the title to Edge after keeping it for a record 210 days. He lost the title match after Jeff Hardy mistakenly attacked Triple H instead of Edge.

• In February 2009, he was penalised by the WWE after he reportedly broke character and openly claimed Shane McMahon to be his brother-in-law and Stephanie to be his wife in an interview conducted by Jim Ross.

• In August 2009, Triple H met Shawn, who had reportedly retired from the WWE, to discuss his return to the WWE and the reorganisation of D-Generation X.

• In November 2009, Triple H and Shawn Michaels teamed up against John Cena in a triple threat match to challenge him for his WWE Championship title; however, Cena won and retained his title after he managed to pin Hunter in the match.

• In December 2009, WWE wrestler Hornswoggle filed a complaint against Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and the DX after they did not allow him to join, violating the norms of joining a stable. Later, he joined DX as a mascot but was not allowed to fight.

• At the beginning of 2010, Mike Tyson appeared as a special guest in Raw, where he fought against Triple H and Shawn Michaels with Chris Jericho in his team. Later, Tyson attacked Jericho and began endorsing the DX after a backstage agreement between them.

• In February of the same year, the DX lost its Unified Tag Team Championship belt to the ShowMiz (consisting of The Big Show and The Miz).
  

  Triple H and Shawn Michaels during the Unified Tag Team Championship match against the ShowMiz

• Later, in the same year, Shawn Michaels retired from the WWE, which was considered a major loss to the DX’s fan following.

• In April 2010, Triple H had to take an extended leave from the WWE to undergo another major surgery.

• After ten months, Hunter returned to WWE.

• In 2010, Hunter was allotted an office by the WWE in Connecticut after appointing him as the company’s Executive Senior Advisor. He has also tutored and mentored many wrestling enthusiasts who had joined the WWE wrestling training facility to join the WWE.

• On 18 July 2011, Triple H became a member of the board of directors. He did so to relieve Vince McMahon from his services to the WWE.

• In the same year, the WWE appointed him as the Executive Vice-President of Talent and Live Events.

• Soon after, he took over the post of Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the WWE and was tasked with formalizing matches in the company.

• Hunter had to fire his old friend and former teammate Kevin Nash from the WWE after he interfered in a championship match between CM Punk and John Cena and attacked Punk. Hunter was the officiating referee in the match.
  

  Triple H and Kevin Nash having a heated argument before Nash got fired

• Thereafter, he challenged Punk for a title rematch for which he put a condition that if he lost, he would leave his post as COO; whereas, if Punk lost, he would quit WWE. Triple H won the match and became the WWE Champion.
  

  CM Punk and Triple H fighting for the WWE Championship title

• On 10 October 2011, Triple H was relieved from his duties as the COO by Vince after he returned to the WWE following the passage of a no-confidence motion against him. Despite being relieved from his duties, he maintained his rank of COO.

• In the same month, he went on leave after he injured his neck and vertebrae in a match with CM Punk after Kevin Nash attacked him in the ring.

• In April 2012, Triple H attacked and injured Brock Lesnar’s legal representative after the latter threatened to file a lawsuit against the WWE for not awarding a contract to Brock according to his needs.

• Later, a match between Lesnar and Hunter took place in which Lesnar broke his arm in the storyline leading to Triple H going on leave.
  

  Brock Lesnar body-slamming Triple H on the announcement table

• Triple H formed an alliance with Randy Orton at the beginning of 2013 often assisting him in winning his matches.

• In April 2013, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon established The Authority, a faction that included members of The Shield, consisting of Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins, as its enforcers. Kane, known as Corporate Kane, served as the Director of Operations, while Randy Orton was selected as their handpicked WWE Champion.
  

  Triple H with the members of The Authority

• According to the storyline, Triple H decided to make this stable to cease control over WWE from the McMahon family.

• In the same month, Hunter formed another stable named Evolution with Orton and Batista after Orton was defeated by Daniel, and he became the WWE Champion.

• The Shield left The Authority after they refused to follow Triple H and Stephanie’s instructions to attack Daniel to allow Orton to retain the title and instead attacked the members of The Authority.

• Thereafter, Evolution broke after Triple H did not allow Batista to contest for the WWE Championship, leading to Batista resigning from the WWE.

• Triple H then forged a secret pact with Seth Rollins who turned on his The Shield teammates by attacking them with a steel chair during a match on Hunter’s instructions.
  

  Seth Rollins with Triple H and Randy Orton after attacking the members of The Shield, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose

• In August of the same year, Triple H helped Randy win his WWE Championship title against Daniel Bryan after subduing Bryan by attacking him with a sledgehammer.

• In 2013, he received a promotion in the WWE’s corporate role and became the Executive Vice-President of Talent, Live Events, and Creative. This allowed him to give his input to the creative team for formulating better storylines. He received a total of $1.5 million annually for working in WWE’s corporate role as well as a wrestler. He also acquired stocks worth the same amount in the WWE.

• By the end of 2013, Triple H became one of the few WWE wrestlers who was a part of multiple stables at one time.

• After Seth met with an accident in the ring and injured his knee, he was deemed unfit to wrestle for some time. To fill his place, Hunter aligned with Sheamus and allowed him to take Seth’s WWE Championship title.

• In January 2016, after a brief break from wrestling, Triple H returned to the ring and took part in the Royal Rumble match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. He entered the ring in 30th position and managed to win the title by eliminating the then-title holder Roman Reigns. He won the title for the 14th and final time.

• This decision of the WWE was criticised by the wrestler Brett Hart who believed that someone else should have been given the title as Triple H’s appearance had become rare as compared to the previous times. He talked about it, in an interview, and said,
  

  I did not like the decision that Triple H, surprise, put the belt on himself again … it just showed a real lack of imagination if you ask me.”

  

  Triple H with his World Heavyweight Championship belt after winning the 2016 Royal Rumble

• He held the title for 70 days following which he lost it to Roman Reigns on 3 April 2016 at WrestleMania 32; this marked the last time he held the title.

• Thereafter, The Authority was disbanded and Triple H reduced the on-screen appearance time in the WWE. He, however, continued appearing in the NXT in non-wrestling roles.

• In August 2016, Triple H made a final appearance as a wrestler in WWE, where he feuded with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns by interfering in their WWE Universal Championship matches.

• In November of the same year, he took part in the Raw vs SmackDown! tag team match. During the match, he ended up giving a “Pedigree” to Kurt Angle, his teammate. He, however, won the match for Raw after pinning Shane McMahon from team SmacDown!
  

  Triple H performing his signature move Pedigree on Kurt Angle during Raw vs SmackDown! event

• He participated in his first Saudi pay-per-view event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in the Greatest Royal Rumble in April 2018; he was defeated by John Cena who pinned him.

• His appearance as a wrestler in the WWE and its brands became less frequent thereafter. In 2020, he did not fight any match or contest any title. The appearance reportedly reduced as his health began deteriorating.

• In the same year, WWE appointed him as the Executive Vice-President of Global Talent Strategy and Development. This allowed him to formulate policies for the Talent Search and Acquisition Department. He also started serving as a senior advisor to the CEO for talent strategy.

• In March 2022, he announced his formal retirement from wrestling after he underwent cardiac surgery following which an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) was placed in his chest. He talked about it, in an interview, and said,
  

  I was nose-diving and sort of at the one-yard line of where you don’t want to be really, for your family and your future. […] I will never wrestle again. First of all, I have a defibrillator in my chest, which, you know, probably not a good idea for me to get zapped on live TV. I did everything [he] wanted to do and then some.”

• In April of the same year, Triple H announced his in-ring retirement at WrestleMania 38 by leaving his wrestling boots and microphone in the ring.

• In July 2022, he took over two very important posts in the WWE; he became the Executive Vice-President of Talent Relations and the Head of WWE Creative. He took over the second post after Vince McMahon retired from WWE.

• On 6 September 2022, Hunter was appointed as the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of the WWE. He retained the post even after WWE was sold to Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. Under this role, he looked after creative writing, talent relations, live events, talent development, and creative services departments.

• Sports magazines and websites such as Men’s Journal and news.com.au have claimed him to be the most iconic and successful wrestler of all time. He is most liked for his villainous roles and character portrayal in various WWE storylines. As per sources, his USP to his fans was his ability to turn heel on his friends in the ring.

• Talents like John Cena and Edge have admitted that Triple H, at one point in time, wanted them to be fired.

• Triple H has suffered as many as four to five career-threatening injuries in his career, but he has miraculously recovered from all of them in a few weeks.

• It is believed that Triple H is the real mind behind the foundation and success of WWE NXT, a platform for young aspiring wrestlers. It was established in 2010 by rebranding Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). He also played a vital role in the establishment of the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
  

  A photo of Triple H taken while he was making an announcement at NXT

• His affiliation with the brand came to an end from September 2021 onwards.

• In 2014, Levesque, along with his wife Stephanie, created the “Connor’s Cure” cancer fund in honour of Connor “The Crusher” Michalek, a WWE fan who died of cancer at the age of eight. The organisation had raised approximately $4.5 million to fund research grants and provide family assistance in battling pediatric cancer by May 2024.
  

  A photo of Triple H with Connor Michalek

  

  A photo of Triple H with Stephanie McMahon taken while they were raising funds for their NGO, Connor’s Cure

• Aside from wrestling, Triple H has also acted in many Hollywood films like Blade: Trinity (2004), The Chaperone (2011), Inside Out (2011), etc. After 2011, he decided to quit acting to focus on wrestling, WWE, and his family.
  

  Triple H in a still from the 2011 Hollywood film The Chaperone

• Triple H does not smoke and has never. He, however, used to consume alcohol but left it later.

• According to sources, his father-in-law, Vince McMahon, wanted Hunter and Stephanie to exchange vows with one another on live television; however, Hunter decided against it and got married at a destination wedding attended by close family members.

• In 2022, Triple H announced his retirement as a wrestler from WWE. He, however, stated that he would continue to serve the organisation as a Chief Operations Officer (COO).

• In October 2023, it was announced that Triple H was given the power to oversee WWE’s creative wing while the McMahon family was removed from this position.

• Triple H’s nickname “The Game” was originally made for Owen Hart. However, after Owen passed away in the ring while performing a stunt, Triple H adopted the name as a tribute to him.

• He has often been a subject of criticism from well-known sports magazines which have claimed that Triple H has used his relations with the McMahon family to remain in the spotlight by not allowing younger talents to make their careers.

• He is known to have pioneered the development of women’s professional wrestling.

• In April 2024, his stable, D Generation X, was included in the WWE Hall of Fame.
  

  Members of the D-Generation X at the ceremony where they were included in the Hall of Fame in 2024

• Tripe H was a very close friend of Lemmy Kilmister, the lead singer of the English band Motörhead. It was due to their friendship that Lemmy agreed to sing the entrance theme song, The Game. Hunter did not change his theme song, unlike many wrestlers who frequently change theirs, as a tribute to Lemmy, who passed away in December 2015.
  

  Triple H making an entrance into the arena while Lemmy Kilmister sang his theme song live

• Triple H was inspired by Lemmy’s beard and moustache style, leading him to adopt it for a greater portion of his wrestling career.

• He was once hospitalized after suffering from pneumonia which caused inflamed lungs. His situation worsened over time as his medical condition declined along with the persistent inflation.

• As of February 2025, Triple H has been featured 16 times on the cover of the popular video game WWE.
  

  Triple H and Shawn Michaels on the CD cover of the 2007 video game WWE Raw vs SmackDown!

• He played a vital role in negotiating a deal between WWE and Netflix, allowing WWE to livestream its episodes on the platform.

• According to sources, Tripel H was involved romantically with another girl before the beginning of his career in 1992. He reportedly dated her in the early 1990s. He was about to get married to the girl; however, the relationship ended after Hunter moved to another city to begin his wrestling journey.

• He has often claimed in his interviews that he has been in numerous relationships during the early years of his wrestling career.

• He has published several books based on his wrestling career. These include Making the Game: Triple H’s Approach to a Better Body (2006) and The Unauthorized History of DX (2009).
  

  Cover page of The Unauthorized History of DX

• Triple H has often maintained his plans on expanding the footprints of the WWE in Asia, especially in India. He is also one of the important factors behind the employment of many Indian wrestlers, both males and females, in the WWE.

• Triple H is an avid animal lover and owns two English Mastiffs named Andre, whom he adopted in 2016, and Attila, whom he adopted in 2018.
  

  A picture of Triple H’s English Mastiffs

• He is one of the few wrestlers to have been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame more than once.

• Triple H is well-known among his fans for frequently changing his hair and beard styles. When he began his wrestling career, he was clean-shaven and had long blonde hair. After joining WWF (now WWE), he grew a beard and dyed his hair brown. Once he took on a leadership role within the organization, he maintained his beard, opting for a style that was shorter on the sides and thicker at the chin, while choosing to go bald.
  

  A collage depicting the changes adopted by Triple H to his facial hair