“Time to Play the Game”
Triple H is easily in contention to be the greatest World Heavyweight Champion of the WWE era, having been involved in over 20% of all the title matches since the “big gold belt” became exclusive to the Raw brand in 2002. In fact, between 2002 and “The Animal” Batista entering the world title picture in 2005, Triple H competed in a staggering 74% of all World Heavyweight title bouts.
The Game was brought back to Monday Night Raw on the order of Raw general manager Eric Bischoff, in order to reunite with long-time Degeneration X member Shawn Michaels. Triple H turned on Michaels, however, leading to a lengthy feud that resulted in an unsanctioned street fight at SummerSlam, the first ever Elimination Chamber at Survivor Series, and a Three Stages of Hell war at Armageddon. Triple H then created Evolution, a stable consisting of himself as champion, the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair as his legendary manager, and up-and-comers Randy Orton and Batista as the next generation and “evolution” of pro wrestling. The group allowed Hunter to hold his title for most of 2003, with a brief bump in the road coming in the form of WCW juggernaut Bill Goldberg, who had made his WWE debut earlier in the year.
In 2004, Triple H began the process of giving back to the WWE roster, after enjoying years of success on top. This began with dropping the belt to Chris Benoit, a veteran in the business that had been chasing a true world championship win his entire career – Benoit was given the WCW Heavyweight Championship in an attempt to keep him with the company, but left the next day for greener pastures instead. It took him four years, but the “Rabid Wolverine” won WWE’s biggest prize on the biggest stage of them all (Madison Square Garden), and carried it through the summer. This led to the first dissension in the Evolution ranks, as Randy Orton would go on to defeat Chris Benoit, becoming the youngest world champion in wrestling history. Triple H and his protege would feud for several months, until New Year’s Revolution 2005 when Batista became the next Evolution rookie to step out of line. “The Animal” defeated Triple H for the World Championship at WrestleMania XXI, marking the start of a new generation – John Cena won his first WWE Championship on the same night – and the last time the self-proclaimed “King of Kings” would ever see the “big gold belt” around his waist.
In a new century, at the dawning of a brand new era for the WWE, The Game personified dominance on Monday Night Raw, and for over two years his name became synonymous with the phrase “World Heavyweight Champion.” But it wasn’t only his time atop WWE’s flagship show that made Triple H such a great title holder. The way you lose can be equally as important as the way you win, and each of Hunter’s five World Heavyweight Championship reigns – lasting a record holding 616 combined days – crashed and burned in a huge way. Whether it was the return of the Heart Break Kid in 2002, the rise of Chris Benoit to the title at WrestleMania XX, or putting his own Evolution partners in Batista and Randy Orton on the map, not only did Triple H carry Raw as champion, but his losses set up the future of the industry.
Don’t Miss These Matches:
…vs. Rob Van Dam (Unforgiven 2002)
…vs. Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Chris Jericho, Kane and Booker T (Survivor Series 2002)
…vs. Shawn Michaels (Armageddon 2002)
…vs. Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit (WrestleMania 20)
…vs. Randy Orton, Batista, Edge, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho (New Year’s Revolution 2005)
