WrestleMania 21 was the twenty-first annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It took place on April 3, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.^[2]

The event was a joint-promotion pay-per-view, featuring performers from the Raw and SmackDown brands. The main match on the Raw brand was Triple H versus Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship, which Batista won by pinfall after executing a Batista Bomb.^[2][3] The predominant match on the SmackDown brand was John "Bradshaw" Layfield versus John Cena for the WWE Championship, which Cena won by pinfall after performing an FU.^[2][3] Another primary match was an interpromotional match between The Undertaker versus Randy Orton, which Undertaker won by pinfall after performing a Tombstone Piledriver. The featured matches on the undercard were Kurt Angle versus Shawn Michaels and a Money in the Bank ladder match.^[2] The event also featured the return of Stone Cold Steve Austin who started his part time appearances with WWE at this event.

WrestleMania 21 was the first WrestleMania held at the Staples Center, but the fifth to take place in the Southern California metropolitan area (following WrestleMania 2, WrestleMania VII, WrestleMania XII, and WrestleMania 2000). Tickets sold out in less than one minute for the event, making it the fastest ticket sell-out in the company's history as well as the fastest ticket sell-out at the Staples Center.^[4][5] The event drew a Staples Center record attendance of 20,193 people from 14 countries and 48 states and grossed more than $2.1 million in ticket sales, making it the highest grossing WWE event ever at the Staples Center, and the highest grossing of the five WrestleManias held in California. In addition to those in attendance, the event was seen by millions of fans in more than 90 countries.^[6]

Background[link]

Triple H as the World Heavyweight Champion.

The main rivalry heading into WrestleMania on the Raw brand was between Triple H and Batista, with the two feuding over the World Heavyweight Championship. At New Year's Revolution, on January 9, Triple H won an Elimination Chamber match to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H won the match by last eliminating Randy Orton following outside interference from Evolution members Batista and Ric Flair. Three weeks later at the Royal Rumble, Triple H successfully defended the World title over Randy Orton at the same event where Batista won the 2005 Royal Rumble match, by last eliminating John Cena, earning the right to participate in the main event of WrestleMania 21 against the champion of his choice.^[7] On the February 8 edition of Raw, Triple H defeated Edge to retain the World title due to Batista's interference. Afterwards, as Batista raised Triple H's hand and World Championship, Batista got a close look at the World Championship, then stared Triple H down, looking as if he was thinking about challenging Triple H for the World Championship. In an attempt to persuade Batista to challenge WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield rather than Triple H at WrestleMania, Triple H concocted a scheme to have Batista run over by a limousine resembling the one used by Layfield.^[8] Initially, Batista did not want help from Evolution and wanted to confront JBL by himself. Triple H insisted that Evolution accompany Batista anyway, saving him from the oncoming limousine.^[9] Batista became aware of the plot while eavesdropping on fellow Evolution members and signed a contract guaranteeing him a match with World Champion Triple H at WrestleMania, thus leaving Evolution and officially turning into a fan favorite.^[9] Batista pretended to sign with the SmackDown brand, giving Triple H and Flair the "thumbs up", but turned it into a "thumbs down" (alluding to the way Randy Orton was kicked out of Evolution after winning the world title at SummerSlam 2004) before attacking the pair. This led to Batista's departure from the stable.^[9]

The main feud heading into WrestleMania on the SmackDown brand was between John "Bradshaw" Layfield and John Cena, with the two battling over the WWE Championship. At No Way Out, Cena defeated Kurt Angle to earn a spot in the SmackDown main event at WrestleMania. During the latter event, JBL successfully defended the WWE title against The Big Show in a Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match.^[10] As a result of Cena's win, he began a feud with John "Bradshaw" Layfield and his Cabinet. On the February 25 edition of SmackDown, Cena and The Big Show defeated JBL and Orlando Jordan.^[11] The following week, JBL cut a promo on Cena, and insulted him, while Cena defended his United States title against Jordan.^[12] Jordan won the match after the Basham Brothers distracted the referee, and JBL hit Cena with the WWE Championship belt.^[12] They then blew up Cena's customized design of the United States Championship, and replaced it with the original one.^[13] Later that night, Cena brought a steel lead pipe to the ring with him and ordered JBL to come out to the ring and fight him, only to have the SmackDown General Manager, Theodore Long make his way to the ring and inform Cena that he had to wait until WrestleMania to get his hands on JBL. Cena then gave the ultimatum for Long to be part of a solution or part of the problem. Cena then stated "Since you're not going to bring JBL out here, then you're part of then problem." Cena then nailed Teddy Long with an FU and was thrown out of the arena.^[13] During JBL's match that night, Cena returned and attacked The Cabinet.^[13] The next week, Long announced that if Cena laid a hand on JBL, apart from in matches, he would lose his WrestleMania match.^[14] In a Six-Man Tag Team match that night, John Cena and the WWE Tag Team Champions, Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio defeated JBL and the Basham Brothers, but Cena had to stop himself from attacking JBL after the bell had rung.^[14] On a later edition of SmackDown!, Long clarified that if JBL physically provoked Cena, then Cena could retaliate.^[15] Cena then attempted to provoke JBL, by vandalising his limousine, and spray painting "FU" on JBL's shirt.^[15] On the last SmackDown! before WrestleMania, however, JBL interrupted Cena's match against Carlito and had Cena arrested for vandalism and, once Cena was handcuffed, JBL nailed him with a low blow and ended the show by leaving Cena laying defenseless.^[15]

A heavily promoted match for the event was an interpromotional match between SmackDown superstar Kurt Angle and Raw superstar Shawn Michaels. Their match stemmed from the Royal Rumble, the pay-per-view event two months prior to WrestleMania. At the Royal Rumble, Angle relentlessly attacked Shawn Michaels after Michaels had eliminated him from the Royal Rumble match.^[7][16] The next month at No Way Out, Angle lost a number one contenders match to John Cena, losing a spot in the SmackDown main event at WrestleMania.^[17][18] The next night on Raw, Michaels told SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long to inform Angle that he had challenged him to a match at WrestleMania.^[19][20] On the February 28 edition of Raw, after Michaels defeated Edge in a Street Fight, Angle attacked Michaels and accepted his challenge.^[21][22] On the next edition of SmackDown!, Michaels ambushed Angle in the ring, and the two of them brawled, until security broke it up.^[12] Angle claimed that he was better than Michaels, and said he would prove it by achieving everything that Michaels had, but doing it faster.^[13] He then won a ladder match, mocking Michaels match from WrestleMania X.^[13] He then challenged Marty Jannetty, Michaels former tag team partner to a match.^[13] He won after Jannetty tapped out.^[14] Angle also persuaded Michaels' former manager, Sensational Sherri to do a spoof of Michaels' theme song, "Sexy Boy", calling his version "Sexy Kurt".^[15] Michaels, however, interrupted and played a video highlighting all his accomplishments.^[15] When Sherri got emotional from watching the video, Angle put her in the Ankle Lock.^[15] Angle also interfered in Michaels' match against Muhammad Hassan on the last edition of Raw before the pay-per-view, which resulted in Michaels defeating Hassan by disqualification.^[23]

Randy Orton, who faced off against The Undertaker.

The other interpromotional match on the card was between Randy Orton and The Undertaker, with Orton representing Raw and Undertaker representing SmackDown.^[2] The feud first started on the March 7 edition of Raw when Orton challenged Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania billed as "Legend vs. Legend Killer" match.^[24][25] Orton had been inspired by WWE Hall of Fame member, "Superstar" Billy Graham, who encouraged him to "go where no wrestler has gone before".^[26] Three days later on SmackDown, Undertaker accepted Orton's challenge.^[27][28] On the March 14 edition of Raw, during Chris Jericho's "Highlight Reel" segment, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, attempted to give Orton advice about his match with Undertaker at WrestleMania, but received an RKO by Orton when Orton wasn't cooperating.^[29][30] On March 17, a contract signing for the match was scheduled to take place, and was attended by the SmackDown General Manager, Theodore Long, and Raw General Manager, Eric Bischoff.^[31][32] The Undertaker immediately signed the contract; however, before Orton signed the contract, he cut a promo on the Undertaker, stating that he has nothing but respect for him and then claimed that the legend of the Undertaker will become a myth when his 12-0 undefeated streak at WrestleMania, would soon be 12-1. Afterwords, he then slapped the Undertaker. Orton fled the ring after the Undertaker began to fill the arena with smoke, and didn't sign the contract.^[14][31][32] The next week on Raw, Orton claimed that his confidence was at an all-time high, despite what happened on SmackDown the week before. Shortly thereafter, Orton turned into a villain and furthered his Legend Killer gimmick by performing an RKO on Stacy Keibler, who was his on-screen girlfriend at the time.^[33][34] Orton taunted the Undertaker for the next couple weeks,^[23][35] but the Undertaker responded with taunts of his own, as he attacked other superstars.^[15] On the final SmackDown! before WrestleMania, Orton's father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, begged the Undertaker to have mercy on Orton.^[36] It ultimately proved to be a set-up, however, as Orton attacked the Undertaker and performed an RKO on him just to show an example of what could happen at WrestleMania when he faces the Undertaker.^[36]

Another match on the card was the Money in the Bank ladder match between Chris Jericho, Christian, Chris Benoit, Edge, Kane, and Shelton Benjamin. The idea for the Money in the Bank match was introduced by Jericho who proposed a six-man ladder match,^[22] for the event in which the winner would receive a contract for a World title match at the place and time of his choosing. Raw General Manager, Eric Bischoff, booked the match at WrestleMania 21 soon after.^[25][37]

Event[link]

Before the event went live on pay-per-view, a dark match was held. A 30-man interpromotional Battle Royal, which featured: Booker T, Paul London, Heidenreich, Spike Dudley, Nunzio, Funaki, Doug Basham, Danny Basham, Orlando Jordan, Mark Jindrak, Luther Reigns, Scotty 2 Hotty, Hardcore Holly, Charlie Haas, Billy Kidman, and Akio from SmackDown and Simon Dean, William Regal, Tajiri, Rob Conway, Sylvain Grenier, Snitsky, The Hurricane, Rosey, Chris Masters, Viscera, Rhyno, Val Venis, Tyson Tomko, and Maven from Raw. Booker T eliminated Chris Masters to win the Battle Royal.^[1]

Lilian Garcia performed "America the Beautiful" at the beginning of the event.^[38] The first televised match of the night was between Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero. In the beginning of the match, Mysterio jumped over the top rope, knocking Guerrero down. Mysterio also attempted another aerial attack but was countered by Guerrero into a Powerbomb. Guerrero placed Mysterio into the Three Amigos and attempted a Frog splash but was unsuccessful. Following a Hurricanrana by Mysterio on Guerrero, Mysterio pinned Guerrero to win. After the match, both men shook hands in the ring.^[1][38]

John "Bradshaw" Layfield and Orlando Jordan were then shown backstage discussing Layfield's match against John Cena. Triple H and Ric Flair walked by as Triple H mocked Layfield. Layfield retaliated by advising Triple H to worry about losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Batista and assured him that John Cena would be unsuccessful at defeating Layfield for the WWE Championship. Triple H responded that only the end of the night would reveal who would still be champion.^[1][38]

The match that followed was the first Money in the Bank ladder match which featured Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Shelton Benjamin, Edge, Kane, and Christian with Tyson Tomko at ringside. The match contained many notable moments, including points where Jericho, Christian, Benjamin and Kane all jumped over the top rope to the outside of the ring to knock down multiple opponents. Another moment included Benjamin executing a T-Bone Suplex on Edge off the top of a ladder and later using an inclined ladder as a ramp to run up a standing and hit Jericho with a Clothesline maneuver. Benoit also executed a Diving headbutt from the top of a ladder onto Kane. In the conclusion of the match, Benoit climbed a ladder to attempt to retrieve the Money in the Bank briefcase hanging above the ring but was stopped by Kane who had also climbed the ladder. Benoit used repeated headbutts to knock Kane to the floor and attempted to retrieve the briefcase once more but was knocked down by Edge who hit him with a steel chair. Edge then climbed the ladder and successfully obtained possession of the briefcase to win the match.^[1][38]

In an interlude, Eugene entered the ring and shared his excitement about being at his first WrestleMania with the crowd in attendance. While attempting to recall his favorite WrestleMania moments, Muhammad Hassan and Daivari interrupted him with Hassan expressing his outrage for not being included in a match for the event. Hassan concluded that since he wasn't scheduled to compete at the event and was therefore denied the opportunity to experience his own WrestleMania "moment", he would have to create a "moment" of his own. Following this remark, Hassan and Daivari began to assault Eugene. With Eugene placed into a Camel clutch hold while Daivari verbally attacked him, Hulk Hogan came down to the ring to save Eugene from the assault, knocking Hassan and Daivari out of the ring. Hogan celebrated posing in the ring for the crowd.^[1][38]

The third match featured The Undertaker and Randy Orton. Bob Orton, Randy's father and ringside manager, interfered and attacked Undertaker with his arm cast resulting in Orton gaining control of the match. Undertaker attempted to chokeslam Orton, but Orton countered the maneuver with an RKO that led to a two-count. Orton then attempted to use Undertaker's own finishing maneuver against him with the Tombstone piledriver, however, it was reversed by Undertaker into a Tombstone piledriver of his own which led to the definitive pin fall. The Undertaker won the match and continued his undefeated streak at WrestleMania with a 13-0 record.^[1][38]

The next match was for the WWE Women's Championship, an encounter between Trish Stratus and Christy Hemme with Lita at ringside. Stratus controlled most of the match though Hemme attempted many pinning maneuvers that were unsuccessful. Hemme then executed a Twist of Fate on Stratus and attempted another pin, which was also unsuccessful. After a roll-up attempt by both Stratus and Hemme, Stratus hit Hemme with a Chick kick and followed it with the decisive pin, thus winning the match and retaining the WWE Women's Championship.^[1][38]

The fifth match was the encounter of Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle. Back and forth match between the two wrestlers in the beginning of the match. Mid-way in the match, Michaels hit Angle with low blow, after he countered a suplex attack from Angle. Following the low blow, which was not seen by the referee, Michaels leapfrogged from the ring and laid out Angle onto the announce table. Angle would then gain control of the match, as he would apply the Ankle Lock on Michaels, forcing him to submit, thus Angle won the match.^[1][38]

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper confronted "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in Piper's Pit until Carlito interrupted and began to insult them. This resulted in Carlito receiving a Stone Cold Stunner from Austin and Piper throwing him out of the ring. Both ended the segment celebrating with beer until Austin gave Piper a Stone Cold Stunner as well.^[38][39]

The next match was between Akebono and The Big Show in a Sumo Match. The match was a little over a minute and Akebono won the match after he threw The Big Show out of the ring, thus winning the Sumo Match.^[1][38]

The next match was John Cena versus John "Bradshaw" Layfield for the WWE Championship. JBL controlled most of the bout. In the end, Cena would win the match after ducking a Clothesline from Hell attempt from JBL, using an FU and pinning JBL to become the WWE Champion.^[1][38]

The eighth and final match of the night was Triple H defending his World Heavyweight Championship against Batista. Triple H entered to "The Game" performed live by Motörhead.^[38][39] The action was back and forth, with neither man in control for very long periods. In both the match's and the event's climax, Batista would pin Triple H after a Batista Bomb to win the World Heavyweight Championship.^[38][39]

Aftermath[link]

Batista and Triple H's feud would continue to Backlash where Batista and Triple H had a rematch for the World Heavyweight Title. Batista won the match after a Batista Bomb.^[40] Following that, the two concluded their storyline at Vengeance where Batista scored the third and final win over his former mentor inside Hell in a Cell.^[2] Shortly thereafter, Batista was drafted to the SmackDown brand and their feud ended.

John Cena and JBL's feud would continue until Judgment Day where Cena and JBL would have a rematch for the WWE Championship in an "I Quit" match, which Cena won.^[41] After Judgment Day, Cena and JBL's feud ended. A few weeks later, John Cena was drafted to WWE Raw.

Reception[link]

WrestleMania 21 was met with generally mixed to positive critical response. However, most critics have pointed out that the main events of the show were disappointing and let down WrestleMania 21 overall. John Powell of Canadian Online Explorer's professional wrestling section noted that "The changing of the guard that many people expected came with a whimper instead of a bang. In a total reversal from last year's show -- where a largely mundane card was saved by the emotional title victories of Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero -- this year's elevation of rising stars John Cena and Dave Batista had no such drama. Unable to live up to the high standards set by the Undertaker-Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels-Kurt Angle bouts, the "main events" offered the worst kind of anticlimax and would have been right at home buried in the middle of the card." He rated the entire event 7 out of 10 stars, which has a higher rating than the previous year's event. The main event between Batista and Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship was rated 6 out of 10 stars, the match between John "Bradshaw" Layfield and John Cena was rated 5 out of 10 stars, the match between Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels received the highest rating of 9 out of 10 stars, the match between The Undertaker and Randy Orton was rated 8 out of 10 stars and The Money in the Bank ladder match was rated 8 out of 10 stars.^[42] Robert Leighty Jr of 411mania gave the event an overall score of 7.0 out of 10.0 noted that "If the two Title matches would have delivered this would have gone down as one of the greatest WrestleMania's ever, but they didn't and that left a flat ending to the show. Everything up to Shawn/Angle is fantastic and things kind of close with a whimper. Still, this is a historic show as it cemented the rise of Batista/Cena/Orton as Main Event players. It also has two great matches with Shawn/Angle and Money in the Bank. Definitely a good WrestleMania, but it could have been much more."^[43] J.D. Dunn of 411mania response towards WrestleMania 21 was also positive. He stated that, "this was on its way to being every bit as good as last year's Mania" but like most of the other critics who thought the main events were disappointing also said that, "then it hit a wall in the last 90 minutes." He later stated that, "If this were a regular PPV with the Michaels vs. Angle match being the main event, this would be one of the greatest PPV's ever. Unfortunately, it drags on after that and limps to a finish." Although he praised the booking of the event saying that, "they made all the right moves booking-wise, so while the matches weren't great, they still have a certain historic value."^[44]

For Staples Center's 10th anniversary in 2009, WrestleMania 21 was ranked number 7 on the list of greatest moments in the venue's history as voted by fans.^[45][46]

Production[link]

In line with the event's location and tagline, WrestleMania 21 was promoted on television with a series of parody movie trailers with WWE talent playing the starring roles from famous modern movies.^[47]

• Forrest Gump featuring Eugene playing the role of Tom Hanks, with William Regal making a cameo appearance.
• Braveheart featuring Triple H playing the role of Mel Gibson, with Ric Flair making a cameo appearance.
• Basic Instinct featuring Stacy Keibler, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, and Christian playing the roles of Sharon Stone and the interrogators, with The Fabulous Moolah and Mae Young making a cameo appearance.
• Pulp Fiction featuring Eddie Guerrero and Booker T playing the roles of John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson.
• A Few Good Men featuring John Cena and John "Bradshaw" Layfield playing the roles of Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, with Jonathan Coachman making a cameo appearance.
• Dirty Harry featuring The Undertaker playing the role of Clint Eastwood.
• When Harry Met Sally... featuring Kurt Angle and Christy Hemme playing the roles of Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, with Linda McMahon making a cameo appearance.
• Taxi Driver featuring Heidenreich, Batista, Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Shelton Benjamin, Doug Basham, Danny Basham, The Big Show, Candice Michelle, Carlito Caribbean Cool, Tajiri, Orlando Jordan, Joy Giovanni, Gene Snitsky, Paul London, Tazz, Chavo Guerrero, Hardcore Holly, Molly Holly, and Michael Cole, performing their unique versions of Robert DeNiro's "You talkin' to me?" line.
• Gladiator with Stone Cold Steve Austin playing the role of Russell Crowe, airing as part of the opening video for the event.

Celebrity guests in attendance for WrestleMania 21 included David Arquette, Motörhead, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, The Black Eyed Peas, Billy Corgan from The Smashing Pumpkins, Anthony Kiedis from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube, Carmen Electra, Sylvester Stallone, Marg Helgenberger, Matt Groening, Rick Rubin, and Will Sasso.

Results[link]

1. ^ The other participants were: Paul London, Heidenreich, Spike Dudley, Nunzio, Funaki, Doug Basham, Danny Basham, Orlando Jordan, Mark Jindrak, Luther Reigns, Scotty 2 Hotty, Hardcore Holly, Charlie Haas, Billy Kidman, Akio, Simon Dean, William Regal, Tajiri, Rob Conway, Sylvain Grenier, Snitsky, The Hurricane, Rosey, Viscera, Rhyno, Val Venis, Tyson Tomko, and Maven.

References[link]

External links[link]

Professional wrestling portal

• The Official Website of WrestleMania 21
• WrestleMania 21 Highest Grossing WWE Event Ever at Staple Center in Los Angeles as Record 20,193 Attend Annual Pop Culture Extravaganza

Triple H
Triple H during his ring entrance.
Ring name(s)	Triple H Hunter Hearst Helmsley Jean-Paul Lévesque Terra Ryzin
Billed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[1]
Billed weight	255 lb (116 kg)[1]
Born	(1969-07-27) July 27, 1969 (age 42)[2] Nashua, New Hampshire
Resides	Greenwich, Connecticut
Billed from	Greenwich, Connecticut[1]
Trained by	Killer Kowalski[1]
Debut	March 24, 1992
Retired	July 2011 (Full Time Wrestling)

Paul Michael Levesque^[3] (born July 27, 1969)^[4] is an American professional wrestler, wrestling executive, and actor better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Currently, Levesque works in the front office of WWE as the Executive Vice President of Talent and Live Events, and as Triple H appears on television as the (storyline) Chief Operating Officer, and part-time wrestler.

Levesque began his wrestling career in the International Wrestling Federation as Terra Ryzing before joining World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1994. After briefly using the Ryzing name, he changed his character to Jean-Paul Lévesque, a French-Canadian aristocrat^[4] which would be similar to his character Hunter Hearst Helmsley, that he used in his early years with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1995 onward.^[5] He later abbreviated his name to Triple H and adopted an alternative image in the D-Generation X (DX) stable. After the dissolution of DX, Triple H was pushed as a main event wrestler, winning several singles championships.^[1] As part of a storyline Triple H married Stephanie McMahon, who later became his real-life spouse. In 2003, Triple H formed another stable known as Evolution,^[1] and reformed DX with Shawn Michaels in 2006 and 2009.^[6] He is heavily involved in the writing process of WWE programming, and holds complete creative control over his television character's storylines, win/loss record, and championship reigns.^[7]

Overall, Levesque has won 23 championships in WWE. He is a thirteen-time world champion — the all-time record in the company — having won the WWF/E Championship eight times, and the World Heavyweight Championship five times.^[8][9] He was the first World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, Helmsley won the 1997 King of the Ring, the 2002 Royal Rumble, and was the second Grand Slam Championship winner. Outside of wrestling, Helmsley has made numerous guest appearances in film and on television.

Early life[link]

Paul Levesque was born in Nashua, New Hampshire.^[10] In his youth, he was a fan of professional wrestling and his favorite wrestler was Ric Flair.^{[citation needed]} Levesque became aware of bodybuilding at the age of fourteen; after graduating from high school in 1987, Levesque entered several bodybuilding competitions.^[11] He was crowned Teenage Mr. New Hampshire in 1988.^[12]

Professional wrestling career[link]

World Championship Wrestling (1994–1995)[link]

In early 1994, Levesque signed a one year contract with World Championship Wrestling (WCW).^[12][13] In his first televised match, Levesque debuted as a villain named Terror Risin' and defeated Keith Cole.^[14] His ring name was soon modified to Terra Ryzing, which he used until mid-1994, when he was renamed Jean-Paul Lévesque.^[5][15] This gimmick referred to his surname's French origins and he was asked to speak with a French accent, as he could not speak French.^[16] During this time, he began using his finishing maneuver, the Pedigree.

Levesque had a brief storyline feud with Alex Wright that ended at Starrcade 1994^[5] with Wright pinning him.^[17] Between late 1994 and early 1995, Levesque briefly teamed with Lord Steven Regal, whose snobby British persona was similar to Levesque's character.^[15] The team was short-lived, however, as Levesque left for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in January 1995 after WCW turned down his request to be pushed as a singles competitor.

World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment[link]

The Connecticut Blueblood (1995–1997)[link]

Helmsley wore a tailcoat suit and here has a traditional spray bottle to highlight his effete snobbishness.

As a continuation of his gimmick in WCW, Levesque started his WWF career as the "Connecticut Blueblood" Hunter Hearst Helmsley.^[16] Levesque appeared in taped vignettes, in which he talked about how to use proper etiquette, up until his wrestling debut on the April 30, 1995 episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge.^[18]

Although he was heavily pushed in the first few months after his debut, Levesque's career stalled during 1996, starting off with being mired in a feud with Duke "The Dumpster" Droese following a loss during the Free for All at 1996 Royal Rumble.^[19][20] Up until that event, his angle included appearing on television each week with a different female valet (which included Playboy Playmates Shae Marks and Tylyn John).^[5] Sable was his valet at WrestleMania XII, and after his loss to Ultimate Warrior,^[21] as part of the storyline, he took his aggressions out on her. The debuting Marc Mero—her real-life husband—came to her rescue, starting a feud between the two wrestlers.^[22]

During 1996, Helmsley appeared on an episode of WWF Superstars in a match against Marty Garner.^[23] When Levesque attempted to perform the Pedigree, Garner mistook the maneuver for a double underhook suplex and tried to jump up with the move, causing him to land squarely on top of his head and suffer neck damage.^[23] Garner sued the WWF, eventually settling out of court and later discussed the incident in an appearance on The Montel Williams Show.

Levesque was known backstage as one of the members of The Kliq, a group of wrestlers including Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman and Scott Hall, who were known for influencing Vince McMahon and the WWF creative team.^[19] It has been claimed that he was scheduled to win the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, but the victory was instead awarded to Stone Cold Steve Austin after the Madison Square Garden Incident, in which the Kliq broke character after a match to say goodbye to the departing Nash and Hall.^[24] Despite the punishment, Helmsley did have several successes following the MSG Incident. Mr. Perfect became his manager and he won the WWF Intercontinental Championship for the first time on October 21, 1996, defeating Marc Mero.^[22][24] When Mr. Perfect left the WWF, his departure was explained to be a result of Helmsley turning his back on his manager as soon as he won the Intercontinental Championship. Levesque held the belt for nearly four months before dropping it to Rocky Maivia on the February 13, 1997 special edition of Monday Night Raw, called Thursday Raw Thursday.^[25] For a very brief time, Helmsley was accompanied by Mr. Hughes, who was his storyline bodyguard.^[26] After losing the Intercontinental title, he feuded with Goldust, defeating him at WrestleMania 13.^[27] During their feud, Chyna debuted as his new bodyguard.^[28]

D-Generation X (1997–1999)[link]

Helmsley's push resumed in 1997, when he won the 1997 King of the Ring tournament by defeating Mankind in the finals.^[24][29] Later that year, Shawn Michaels, Helmsley, Chyna and Rick Rude formed D-Generation X (DX). This stable later became known for pushing the envelope, as Michaels and Helmsley made risqué promos—spawning the catchphrase "Suck It", using a "crotch chop" hand motion,^[30] and sarcastically deriding Bret Hart and Canada. By that point, Helmsley had fully dropped the "blueblood snob" gimmick, appearing in T-shirts and leather. During this period, his ring name was shortened to simply Triple H.^[24] Even after the DX versus Hart Foundation storyline ended, Helmsley continued to feud with the sole remaining member Owen Hart over the WWF European Championship. This ended in a match between the two at WrestleMania XIV, with the stipulation that Chyna had to be handcuffed to then-Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter. Helmsley won after Chyna threw powder into Slaughter's eyes, momentarily "blinding" him and allowing her to interfere in the match.

Triple H and Chyna.

After WrestleMania, Michaels was forced into temporary retirement due to a legitimate back injury sustained at the Royal Rumble,^[31] with Triple H taking over the leadership position in DX,^[24] claiming that his now-former associate had "dropped the ball". He introduced the returning X-Pac the night after WrestleMania and joined forces with the New Age Outlaws.^[24][32] As 1998 went along, D-Generation X became more popular, turning the group from villains to fan-favorites. It was also during this time that Triple H began a feud with the leader of the Nation of Domination and rising WWF villain, The Rock.^[11] This storyline rivalry eventually led to a feud over the Intercontinental Championship, which Triple H won in a ladder match at SummerSlam.^[11] He did not hold the title long, however, as he was sidelined with a legitimate knee injury.^[11] When The Rock won the WWF Championship at Survivor Series,^[33] the rivalry between the two continued, as DX fought The Corporation stable, of which The Rock was the main star. Triple H received a shot at the WWF Championship on the January 25, 1999 episode of Raw in an "I Quit" match against The Rock, but the match ended when Triple H was forced to quit or see his aide Chyna chokeslammed by Kane.^[11] This began a new angle for Triple H, as Chyna betrayed him by attacking him after the match and joining The Corporation.^[11]

At WrestleMania XV, Triple H beat Kane with the aid of Chyna, who was thought to have rejoined DX.^[11] Later on in the night, he betrayed his long-time friend and fellow DX member X-Pac by helping Shane McMahon retain the European Championship and joined The Corporation.^[11] turning heel in the process. After Triple H's heel turn in early 1999, he moved away from his DX look, taping his fists for matches, sporting new and shorter wrestling trunks, and adopting a shorter hairstyle.^[11] Levesque's gimmick changed as he fought to earn a WWF title shot.^[11] After numerous failed attempts at winning the championship, Triple H and Mankind challenged WWF Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin to a Triple Threat match at SummerSlam, which featured Jesse "The Body" Ventura as the special guest referee. Mankind won the match by pinning Austin.^[34] The following night on Raw, Triple H defeated Mankind to win his first WWF Championship.^[11]

Triple H dropped the WWF Championship to Vince McMahon on the September 16, 1999 episode of SmackDown! before regaining it at Unforgiven in a Six-Pack Challenge that included Davey Boy Smith, Big Show, Kane, The Rock, and Mankind. He defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin at No Mercy before dropping the title to Big Show at Survivor Series. Triple H then continued his feud with Vince McMahon by marrying his daughter, Stephanie McMahon. He then defeated McMahon at Armageddon. As a result of the feud, an angle with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon began which carried the WWF throughout the next seventeen months; together they were known as the "McMahon-Helmsley Faction".^[35]

McMahon–Helmsley Era (2000–2001)[link]

Helmsley dominated WWF television in this period owing to his on-screen marriage with Stephanie McMahon.

By January 2000, Triple H dubbed himself "The Game," implying that he was on top of the wrestling world and was nicknamed "The Cerebral Assassin" by Jim Ross. On the January 3 episode of Raw is War, Triple H defeated The Big Show to win his third WWF championship.^[36]

Triple H feuded with Mick Foley in early 2000. They both fought at the Royal Rumble in a Street Fight Match for the WWF Championship, which Triple won after doing two pedigrees on Foley. The storyline would come to an end at No Way Out in a Hell in a Cell where if Mick Foley lost he would have to retire. Triple H retained his title at the PPV and thus ending Mick Foley's fifteen year career. Triple H pinned The Rock at WrestleMania 2000 to retain the title,^[37] but lost it at Backlash to The Rock.^[38] He regained it three weeks later, in an Iron Man match at Judgment Day,^[39] only to lose it back to The Rock at King of the Ring.^[40] Triple H then entered a storyline feud with Chris Jericho, which culminated in a Last Man Standing match at Fully Loaded.^[40]

A later storyline feud between Triple H and Steve Austin started when it emerged that Triple H had paid off Rikishi to run down Austin at Survivor Series, causing him to take a year off. In reality, Austin's previous neck injuries started bothering him again, forcing him to have surgery. In 2000, Triple H and Austin had a match at Survivor Series that ended when Triple H tried to trick Austin into coming into the parking lot to run him over again, only to have Austin lift his car up with a forklift and flip the car onto its roof 10 feet high. Triple H returned a few weeks later and attacked Austin. The feud continued into 2001 and ended in a Three Stages of Hell match in which Helmsley defeated Austin. In 2001, Triple H also feuded with The Undertaker, who defeated him at WrestleMania X-Seven.^[41] The night after WrestleMania, Triple H interfered in a steel cage match between Austin (who had just won the WWF Championship) and The Rock where he joined forces with Austin and double teamed on The Rock,^[42] forming a tag team called The Two-Man Power Trip. Triple H then defeated Chris Jericho for his third Intercontinental Championship on the April 5 episode of SmackDown!,^[43] and won it for a fourth time two weeks later by defeating Jeff Hardy. Triple H then became a tag team champion for the first time at Backlash when he and Austin defeated Kane and The Undertaker in a winner-take-all tag match. As Triple H was still Intercontinental Champion, the win made him a double champion.^[44]

During the May 21, 2001 episode of Raw, he suffered a legitimate and career-threatening injury.^[5][45] In the night's main event, he and Austin were defending the Tag Team Championship against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit. At one point, Jericho had Austin trapped in the Walls of Jericho. Triple H ran in to break it up, but just as he did, he suffered a tear in his left quadriceps muscle,^[5][45] causing it to come completely off the bone.^[12] Despite his inability to place any weight on his leg, Triple H was able to complete the match.^[12] He even allowed Jericho to put him in the Walls of Jericho, a move that places considerable stress on the quadriceps. The tear required an operation, which was performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. This injury brought an abrupt end to the McMahon-Helmsley Era, as the rigorous rehabilitation process kept Triple H out of action for over eight months,^[5][12] completely missing The Invasion storyline.

Return from injury and Shawn Michaels feud (2002)[link]

Triple H returned to Raw as a face on January 7, 2002 at Madison Square Garden.^[12] He won the Royal Rumble and received an Undisputed WWF Championship match at WrestleMania X8.^[46] At WrestleMania X8, Triple H beat Chris Jericho for the Undisputed Championship.^[5][46] After holding the title for a month, Helmsley dropped it to Hulk Hogan at Backlash.^[46] Triple H then became exclusive to the SmackDown! roster due to the WWF Draft Lottery and continued to feud with Jericho, culminating in a Hell in a Cell match at Judgment Day. On June 6, Triple H defeated Hogan in a Number One Contenders match for the Undisputed Championship at the King of the Ring against The Undertaker but was unsuccessful at the event.

In the interim, between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, the McMahon-Helmsley Faction was brought to an official on-screen conclusion. By the time he returned, Triple H's on-screen marriage to Stephanie McMahon was on the rocks, so Stephanie faked a pregnancy in order to get him back on her side.^[47] When he learned that it was fake, he dumped her publicly on Raw when they were supposed to renew their wedding vows.^[47] Stephanie aligned with Jericho afterward,^[47] but she was forced to leave after losing a Triple Threat match on Raw the night after WrestleMania when she was pinned by Triple H.^[48] The divorce, and thus the storyline, was finalized at Vengeance.^[49]

Meanwhile, Shawn Michaels had made his return to WWE and joined the New World Order (nWo). Michaels and Kevin Nash planned to bring Triple H over to Raw in order to put him into the group. Vince McMahon, however, disbanded the nWo following several backstage complications and brought in Eric Bischoff as the Raw brand's new general manager. One of Bischoff's first intentions was to follow up on the nWo's plan and bring Triple H over to the Raw roster. Triple H did indeed go to the Raw brand, reuniting with Shawn Michaels, but on July 22 he turned on Michaels by performing a Pedigree on him during what was supposed to be a DX reunion, turning heel once again. The following week, Triple H smashed Michaels' face into a car window to prove that Michaels was weak. These events led to the beginning of a long storyline rivalry between the former partners and an eventual "Unsanctioned Street Fight" at SummerSlam, in which Michaels came out of retirement to win. Afterwards, however, Triple H attacked him with a sledgehammer, and Michaels was carried out of the ring.^[50]

Before September 2, 2002, WWE recognized only one champion for both the Raw and SmackDown! brands. After SummerSlam, champion Brock Lesnar became exclusive to SmackDown!, leaving Raw without a champion. Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff then awarded Triple H the Big Gold Belt (which had been used for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and WCW World Heavyweight Championship) making him the first World Heavyweight Champion of the WWE brand.^[51] Triple H retained his title against Rob Van Dam at Unforgiven when Ric Flair hit RVD with a sledgehammer.

In October 2002, Triple H began feuding with Kane, leading to a match at No Mercy on October 20 in which both Kane's Intercontinental Championship and Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship were at stake. In the weeks preceding the match, Triple H claimed that, several years earlier, Kane had an unrequited relationship with a woman named Katie Vick.^[52] He went on to claim that, after Vick was killed in a car crash, Kane (the driver) raped her corpse.^[52] Triple H later threatened to show video footage of Kane committing the act in question; however, the footage that finally aired showed Triple H (dressed as Kane) simulating necrophilia with a mannequin in a casket;^[52] Kane's tag team partner The Hurricane responded the following week by showing a video of Triple H (rather, someone wearing a Triple H series of masks) getting an enema. The angle was very unpopular with fans,^[53] and was de-emphasised before the title match. Triple H went on to defeat Kane at No Mercy, unifying the two titles.^[54]