In this exclusive PWP Throwback from 2014, our Editor-In-Chief, Eron Ramadanov, brings you back in time and lists Triple H’s Greatest WrestleMania Matches shortly before it was announced that he would be facing Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 30!
In Mid-2013, Triple H made his return to WWE TV as the “Authority” figure and the “COO” of the WWE. He screwed Daniel Bryan out of the WWE Championship at SummerSlam, and continued to derail Bryan’s rise to the title.
This feud has been building for months, and I think we will see Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 30. Is that the best thing for Bryan to be doing? No, probably not, but it will give him a sense of approval from Triple H as a Main Event Talent, and wrestler.
Triple H stated in character months ago on RAW that he only wrestles “A+ Players”, so for The Game to allow this match, would be saying a lot right there. Many are concerned if Bryan will go over on Triple H, but I think he’ll whatever he and Vince McMahon thinks is best for business, and that is for Daniel Bryan to pin Triple H cleanly.
I started with Triple H, because he has 17 matches at WrestleMania, which is the most besides the Undertaker. Many believe that Triple might have a good record of wins at WrestleMania, but that is actually not the case, as he’s under .500 for his career wins and losses at the WWE’s biggest stage. His overall record is 8-9 in 17 matches, and he’s main evented 6 of those appearances. Love him or hate him, Triple H has been a money draw for the WWE over his long career, and has been a main eventer for over a decade.
In this article, I will detail his matches with analysis and my thoughts on why it was or wasn’t a good match, and what it lacked. So without wasting anymore of your time, Let’s get started:
17. Hunter Hearst Hemsley vs. Ultimate Warrior: WrestleMania 12
In this very very brief WrestleMania debut, Hemsley got squashed like a bug. This might be one of, if not the worst match in Triple H’s career, as the Ultimate Warrior was set to make his return to the WWE, and Triple H was basically fed to him like a meal. Hemsley got some offense in, but that was ultimately destroyed after Warrior no-sold his pedigree by standing right up after Hemsley delivered it.
Warrior then begun his comeback, and in the end pinned Triple H in a under five minute match. Honestly, this was just bad all around. This is one that I’d like to forget, and keep forgotten.
16. Hunter Hearst Hemsley vs. Goldust: WrestleMania 13
In this brief match, these two put on an average match. Both wrestlers at the time where in the mid card fighting their way to make it to the top. The match itself wasn’t bad, as both were young in their wrestling careers, and wanted to prove to WWE that they could hang.
All in all, there isn’t really too much to say about this match. It was good, but nothing that was too memorable.
15. Triple H vs. Kane: WrestleMania 15
In a short but effective match, Triple H and Kane did battle at WrestleMania 15. It was a sloppy match from time to time, and wasn’t the most entertaining. Both were young in their WWE careers, but they managed to give the fans a good performance that night. Triple H had some help from his “bodyguard” Chyna at the time, which resulted in a DQ, which resulted in Kane winning the match.
Triple H then pedigreed Kane on a chair, but that didn’t faze the monster, as he chased after Triple H and company. In the end, the match was nothing special, and this was probably one of Triple H’s worst.
14. Triple H vs. Owen Hart: WrestleMania 14
This match between these two was for the European Championship. At the start, Triple H came out to live entrance of his theme song which I thought was a nice touch, and I wish it was done a lot more today.
In this match, the story was being told that Triple H was suffering from an ankle injury, which Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler referred to several times. This match went about 11 or 12 minutes, and they put on a pretty good match in that small amount of time.
Triple H coming out with the victory was the right thing as he was being pushed at the time, and his partnership with Shawn Michaels, who had a Championship match later in the night, it only seemed right that Triple H walked out with the victory. Overall, solid match.
13. Triple H vs. Randy Orton vs. John Cena: WrestleMania 24
In this three way fight for the WWE Championship, I thought all three men worked this match very well, and did the classic Triple Threat match where you saw a lot of two in the ring, one guy out. Going into this match, Randy Orton was holding the WWE Title, and this match stemmed the Randy Orton vs. Triple H feud that we’d see in the near future.
Even though this isn’t in Triple H’s top matches, I think it is still a good one. A lot of great story telling from this, and I really liked the finish where we saw Triple H looking to put John Cena away, but in comes Orton as he punts Triple H in the head, and covers Cena himself, and retains his title. I thought that was a good finish, and saved Triple H’s character for the future feud that they would have.
Good match and story overall.
12. Triple H vs. The Undertaker: WrestleMania 17
In the first of three meetings between these two legends, put on very good story, and did a lot with this match. Even though it was their worst of the three, that doesn’t mean it was a bad match. This match just isn’t as good as the other two.
We saw some cool spots in this match like Undertaker chokeslamming Triple H off one of the sound stages in the crowd. I think a lot of people forget about that fall, and spot. It was well done, and it got a pop from the crowd.
In the end, Undertaker defeated Hunter with the Last Ride, and pinned him. The finish was cool, and they used a lot of what they did in their first meeting, in their second and third. They are two of the best storytellers ever.
11. Triple H vs. Randy Orton: WrestleMania 25
This feud is one of my favorites of all time. We saw this feud get so personal, and the way they used the McMahon Family to add to the story was tremendous. I thought the build up to this match was awesome, but the match lacked due to the fact it had to go on after Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker, who tore the house down. Even in his recent DVD, Triple H admits that this match just didn’t work due to the fans being exhausted, and seeing their main event already.
But if you watch the match itself, it wasn’t bad whatsoever. The fans were dead, but Orton and Hunter tried to salvage what was left of this match. I think the feud deserves so much respect because of some of the angles, and segments that were produced like Triple H breaking into Orton’s home, or Randy Orton handcuffing Triple H to the ropes, and DDTing and kissing his wife, Stephanie. Just some awesome stuff between these two, wish the match went better though.
10. Triple H vs. Mick Foley vs. The Big Show vs. The Rock: WrestleMania 16
With a McMahon in every corner, we saw Triple H win this match by defeating the Rock as they were the final two. He got some help from his now father-in-law, Vince McMahon when he ended up turning on the Rock, and aligned with Stephanie and Triple H. This match also had a good build up, and a lot of cool storytelling involved between the wrestlers and the McMahons on the outside of the ring.
It was no means a technical wrestling match, but it was one of the most hyped main events in wrestling history at the time, and it had four of the biggest stars in the company at the time. This was a long match, and it lasted through a lot. Good match in the end, but not one of Triple H’s best.
9. Triple H vs. Booker T: WrestleMania 19
For the World Heavyweight Championship, Triple H and Booker T put on a very underrated wrestling match that saw Triple H walk out the champion. The match was worked nicely, and it the focus before the match was if Triple H could win the big one. During the match, Triple H focused on the leg of Booker T, and even applied the rare Indian Deathlock, which is one of my favorite moves of all time. It’s always a cool spot when Triple H pulled that out of nowhere.
As for the match itself, I thought it is one of Hunter’s most underrated because many thought that Booker T should have one it, and they choose to forget how good the story and the match really was. Awesome match and one of my favorite WrestleManias ever also.
8. Triple H vs. The Undertaker: WrestleMania 27
In their second meeting, these two legends had a great build up to their match in Atlanta. The promos between these two were unbelievable, and the way they set this match up was perfect. It started with the Undertaker returning on 2/21/11, but little did Taker know that his entrance would be followed by Triple H, who had been out for months with an arm injury.
For their match, No Hold Barred, and it was a physical match for both men. They put together some cool spots like the spinebuster through the table, and Triple H tombstoning the Undertaker, but Taker kicking out. The Undertaker and Triple H know how to tell stories, and they did at WrestleMania 27.
The Undertaker ended up winning, but Triple H was the one who walked out on his own two feet, and Taker had to be carried out on a stretcher. That set up WrestleMania 28, which will talk about later in the list.
7. Triple H vs. Chris Jericho: WrestleMania 18
In 2002, Triple H returned to win the Royal Rumble, and went on to face the WWE Undisputed Champion, who was Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 18. This feud got intense, and personal when Stephanie McMahon joined forces with Jericho to go up against her “ex-husband”.
In the match, Triple H and Jericho did battle, and they put on a very good match, but once again, I feel like they got upstaged by a match before them with Rock vs. Hogan. None-the-less, fans were into the match, and were invested to see Triple H climb the mountain. Going into the match, the story was that Triple H’s quad was in bad shape, and Y2J targeted that knee through-out the match.
The best part for a lot of people was when Triple H pedigreed Stephanie McMahon, and then went on to win the match. Cool moment for Triple H to win the title to close WrestleMania 18, and the call from Jim Ross was even better. No one else could have done it better.
6. Triple H vs. Sheamus: WrestleMania 26
This is one of my favorites, and I love the classic new school vs old school type feuds, which this was. Sheamus targeted Triple H because of eliminating him at the Rumble, and he wanted to make a name for himself. This match was physical in every sense of the word, and Sheamus showed to Triple H and the company that he belonged. Many may or may not know, but Triple H brought Sheamus in, and Sheamus and Hunter are close friends.
I liked this match because it was the first on the card, which showed that Hunter was willing to go on first, to fight with someone who hasn’t been around for too long. Triple H won the match, but I know I walked away and said that Sheamus has a long career ahead of him. Cool match, and it was worked nicely.
5. Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar: WrestleMania 29
As Triple H said through out this feud, this match was not a wrestling match, it was a fight. Yes it was. These two beat each other up badly, and even Shawn Michaels got a busted nose for trying Brock Lesnar. This feud went on for a while, and started at Summerslam of 2012. It resurfaced when Lesnar attack Vince McMahon, which led to the Game returning to face Lesnar at WrestleMania.
The match itself was good in my opinion, and I thought they did a nice job of adding Heyman and Michaels to the mix to make it more interesting. Triple H took some hard bumps in this match, and it was truly no hold barred. Triple H came out on top with a pedigree on the steel steps, and stood tall with his buddy HBK.
4. Triple H vs. John Cena: WrestleMania 22
This epic showdown was built up as New School vs. Old School, as Triple H was portraying his abilities in the ring to be over the top of Cena, and that he was the best in the business at the time. If you want to watch Triple H at his best as a bad guy, this is the stuff to watch. He was able to be so believable as a bad guy, and it seemed that he wanted that WWE Title more than anything else.
The match started off slow, with Triple H “toying” with Cena for a bit. As the match went on, it was a nice back and forth, and the fans were basically 80/20 for Triple H. WrestleMania 22 being in Chicago, they are a very smart fan base, and will most likely always go against John Cena. In the end, Hunter taped out to John Cena, and put him over to the sky. I believe this is the launching point for Cena, and after this match, he was pushed to the moon.
3. Triple H vs. Batista: WrestleMania 21
Something that I think Triple H doesn’t get enough credit for is that he has put a bunch of talent over at WrestleMania. This is another example of that, as he dropped the title to his former teammate in Evolution, and lost cleanly, and at that point in time, it would be the second straight year Triple H lose in the main event, cleanly.
As for the match, I thought they worked it nicely, and the build up to this match was excellent. The match ended with Triple H looking like he had it won, but Batista countered the pedigree, and gave Hunter a Batista Bomb, and Batista won his first World Heavyweight Championships at WrestleMania 21, against one of his real life best friends. Cool moment for both, and I thought this match says a lot about both guys doing business.
2. Triple H vs. Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels: WrestleMania 20
The way this match was set up was odd, but classic. Chris Benoit ended up winning the Royal Rumble, and Shawn Michaels was feuding with Triple H at the time, which met it had to be a Triple Threat at WrestleMania. Now if you didn’t know, the meaning most of the time for a triple threat match, it usually is so that the winner of the match (usually a smaller guy), when he wins looks stronger defeating two guys instead of one. Benoit won by making Triple H taping out, and walking out the World Heavyweight Champion.
This match was worked just like any Triple Threat Match, as one would get tossed from the ring, and in this case it was mostly Triple H, and the other two would wrestle in the ring. That’s how it’s done. This match is a favorite of many, and I think this is some of Triple H’s best work as a heel.
1. Triple H vs. The Undertaker: WrestleMania 28 (Special Referee: Shawn Michaels)
Now I know I’ve said this a lot but this is honestly one of my all time favorite matches ever. Here is a little fact about myself, is that these three guys are my favorite wrestlers of all time. I won’t tell you in what order, but just know why this is one of my favorite matches. I also think this match told one of the best stories in WWE history.
Triple H and Undertaker ended their storied feud, and got three WrestleMania matches out of it. This match was back and forth, Triple H tried everything to keep the Deadman down, but it was no use. At one point in this match, Undertaker struck Shawn, which resulted in Shawn getting revenge, and superkicking Undertaker, into a pedigree, which Undertaker eventually kicked out of. That was one of the biggest moments of that match, and it had every in their truly believe that the streak was going to die, and DX was going to be the ones to do it. In the end of course, the streak went on, and Triple H lost to the Undertaker.
The three walked out of the ring together, and stood at the top of the stage, getting the entire arena chanting for them. Three legends, and icons that will never be copied. That match was truly the End of an Era, and I think it is the best match of Triple H’s WrestleMania career.
Thanks for Reading Everyone! What do you think of my list? Leave Comments below!