For 25 years, HHH has been a staple in WWE programming. Not only has he been involved in some of the greatest matches of all time, but his influence on the company is huge. From NXT to D-Generation X, The Game has been pivotal since his debut, and there’re so many moments throughout history where he took one more step to becoming the legend he is now revered as. With that in mind, I wanted to take a look at my favourite period from Triple H’s illustrious career and explain just why I’m such a huge admirer of The King of Kings.

My first exposure to HHH came when he was feuding with Goldust back in 1997. I wasn’t a huge fan of the character, but I admired his in-ring ability. Thankfully, it wouldn’t be long before he became more commonly known as HHH. When nWo took WCW to the top of the TV ratings, WWE was in a bad spot. They needed something fresh to change the direction of the company into a modern era – one with an edge over the competition. Nobody could’ve predicted how huge D-Generation X would’ve become, but there was good reason for that. Along with Shawn Michaels, Chyna, and Rick Rude, Triple H was responsible for ushering in the Attitude Era. Never in a million years would the type of stuff they did be allowed in today’s product, but in the late nineties, it was gold.

Mocking Bret Hart after the Montreal Screwjob, invading WCW, showing off their asses and swearing on live TV, and pissing off the likes of Jim Ross and Vince McMahon on a weekly basis were all commonplace back then. As good as Shawn Michaels was as the group’s leader, HHH was just as captivating. When he took over as the leader after Michael’s loss to Stone Cold at WrestleMania XIV, DX took on a new life of its own, introducing X-PAC and the New Age Outlaws.

For much of the Attitude Era and for the years after it, HHH provided a unique brand of wrestling. Whilst there were a lot of brawlers at the time, HHH was more technical, wearing down his opponents by focusing on specific body parts, earning the moniker ‘Cerebral Assassin’ in 2000. He admired the greats such as Ric Flair and Harley Race – legends of the ring – and he was a student of the wrestling game. I loved stint in The Corporation, but it was when he started to evolve into The Game that solidified my adoration for the Superstar.

When HHH started to go it alone, he began to dress differently. He’d tape up his hands and wear shorter trunks, and it helped him to really come into his own. His feud with Mankind was his best rivalry, defeating him in a Street Fight at Royal Rumble. He’d go on to ‘retire’ Mick Foley at No Way Out in a Hell in a Cell, yet again putting on an absolute classic of a match. I can’t recall a single match he had that wasn’t great. My all-time favourite match he ever had was with Chris Jericho at Fully Loaded in 2000. In the Last Man Standing Match, the two went to war. It was a bloody mess, but HHH was victorious. Of course, his matches with The Rock, Stone Cold, and Kurt Angle from this time were also excellent, but I’m a sucker for violence and his match with Y2J was glorious.

It terms of a specific moment, there’s one that stands out above all others. Back in 2001, HHH’s career was almost over after his left quadriceps muscle tore completely off the bone. It was eight long months before he returned, but at the time it was very much a touch-and-go situation. On January 7, 2002, The Game returned to RAW at Madison Square Garden, and I can remember the ovation as if it was yesterday. Other than Edge’s return, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a crowd cheer as loudly as I did that night. Wearing a leather jacket, jeans, and denim jacket with missing sleeves, HHH was back, signifying his career was far from over.

Following on from his return, HHH would win the Royal Rumble in 2002 and go on to defeat Chris Jericho for the Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania X8. Everything had come full circle for Hunter, and although he lost it a month later to Hulk Hogan, it meant so much at the time. On the verge of retirement, he defied all odds to return and become a WWE Champion again, except this time it meant so much more.

The Game went from strength to strength, feuding with Shawn Michaels, becoming the first WWE World Heavyweight Champion, forming Evolution, and much more. As the years passed, he went on to have many matches and storylines that kept him at the top for a very long time. However, it was his time as The Game in the earlier 2000s that I’ll remember forever. It’s hard to pick out his greatest period in a 25-year career, but this one gave me the most enjoyment, and I’ll be forever grateful to him for that.

All images courtesy of WWE