As Paul Michael Levesque, known the world over as Hunter Hearst Helmsley, HHH or The Game, announced his retirement from in-ring action last week, the senior writers of SteelChair look back on his career as a wrestler and an executive, giving their take on the key moments and decisions of his career.

HHH and Cactus Jack – The Making of the Main Eventer

“My favourite HHH moments bar the bloodbaths he had in the Hell in A Cell matches will always be his fights with Cactus Jack. When those two met, there was always the guarantee of violence. Despite his Cerebral Assassin moniker, HHH was never afraid to ditch brain for brawn and good old-fashioned weaponry. In the right circumstances, the Game became an animal and tried to kill his opponent. This was never clearer than when he had to go toe-to-toe with Cactus Jack, Mick Foley’s nastiest persona. Their Royal Rumble 2000 Street Fight still remains one of my favourite WWE matches because it was just that, a fight. It wasn’t pretty, it got very ugly and felt like an evolution of a previous meeting years before with HHH showing that if Jack was going to get mean, so was he. Is it the best match HHH has ever had? Not at all but it’s one of the most memorable. Mick Foley always did bring out the best in his opponents and HHH was happy to indulge that violent edge to give the audience a spectacle. Those meetings helped unleash HHH’s bloodlust, something he would draw on many times throughout his storied career.” – John Dinsdale

The McMahon-Helmsley Era 

As the new millennium approached, the World Wrestling Federation’s (WWF) main event scene was at a crossroads. With ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and The Undertaker on the shelf with injuries, HHH was one of the guys who picked up the baton to fill the void. After turning his back on D-Generation X and joining The Corporation, HHH would win his first WWF title in 1999. During the final months of that year, he feuded with Mr. McMahon. Most notably, he married Stephanie McMahon in one of RAW’s most memorable moments. At Armageddon, Stephanie turned on her father and sided with her new husband. With Vince and Shane out of the picture, HHH and Stephanie ruled over WWF as the McMahon-Helmsley Era kicked off the new year.

“Backed by his cohorts in DX, Helmsley would soon become WWF Champion for a third time, defending it against Mick Foley in two outstanding PPV encounters that solidified Helmsley’s position as a main eventer. At WrestleMania 2000, Vince and Shane reconciled with Stephanie, helping Hunter retain his title. The title would go back and forth between him and The Rock before feuds with company newcomers Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle helped grow WWF’s main event picture. By the spring of 2001, the group had become fragmented; face turns, company departures and injuries with HHH’s career-threatening quadricep tear putting him out for the remainder of the year. HHH’s time as part of the McMahon-Helmsley Era is memorable for a variety of reasons. The feuds with Mick Foley, The Rock, Big Show, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, and a returning Steve Austin all had standout moments, both in the ring and on the microphone. As a personality, HHH found his feet as a smug, dastardly heel that abused the power he had, yet could deliver in the ring. Surrounded by the craziness of the ‘Attitude Era’s later years, Helmsley proved to be a reliable and assured performer who took the opportunity to step up to the next level, becoming ‘The Game’ in the process.” – Sêan Reid

Undertaker at WrestleMania

“While Triple H may have had a long career, perhaps no feud is more expansive and important to his legacy than the WrestleMania trilogy he shared with The Undertaker. The first match at WrestleMania X-Seven was at the height of Taker’s American Badass run and featured both men trying to steal the show on one of the greatest wrestling cards in history. Not content with that, they returned a decade later and told a story of an old, broken-down veteran who wasn’t ready to quit. That second match featured some brutal action, and one of the best near-falls in WWE history, with the whole audience fully believing Triple H was about to end the streak with a Tombstone. Their final encounter, with Shawn Michaels as the referee within the confines of Hell in a Cell was a magical encounter, full of heart-stopping high drama. The match was billed as the “end of an era”, and while neither Triple H nor Undertaker retired at that juncture, it served as a finale to the full time, in-ring careers of both men. A tremendous trilogy of twists and turns from two of the best to ever enter the squared circle.” – Thomas Mimnagh

The Evolution

“Although Triple H’s backstage machinations may have come under intense scrutiny from the internet wrestling community, his on-screen association with Ric Flair, Randy Orton and Batista resulted in the birth of a tremendous heel faction. With Triple H at the very top of the card this allowed Orton and Batista to gain experience and credibility by being aligned with “The Game”, and helped Flair move into more of a managerial role as his illustrious career wound down. Evolution’s run on top was historic, made the careers of its younger members and provided a dominant faction atop the Raw brand when there was a dearth of star power. However, without Triple H as the centrepiece, the faction would have been a mere footnote in wrestling history. Although the group’s tenure was short, its legacy is undisputed. Even in breaking up, the careers of Orton and Batista were furthered, with the latter taking part in a memorable feud and star-making moment as WrestleMania 21 went off the air.” -Thomas Mimnagh

Putting Over The “Yes” Movement – Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan

“One of the consistent criticisms directed towards Triple H, particularly in the early/mid-2000s, was his inability to “put over” new talent. However, in the latter portion of his in-ring career, be it consciously or subconsciously, Triple H seemingly made a point of cementing the stars of the future at WrestleMania, and there was arguably no better example of this than Daniel Bryan’s historic WrestleMania 30.

“Fan reactions undoubtedly forced WWE’s hand when it came to pushing Bryan in 2014, but having an adversary like Triple H, who represented corporate WWE in so many ways and was physically a much bigger man, only enhanced Bryan’s push during his underdog story. Their WrestleMania 30 match was excellently put-together and a brilliant illustration of how well Triple H played ‘the game’ of professional wrestling.

“From offering to shake Bryan’s hand, cutting off his fiery comebacks with overpowering blows, and even beating down Bryan after the match – everything Triple H did elicited a more passionate reaction from fans. Every move was a perfectly placed piece of this masterful puzzle designed to set up the hero’s eventual triumph. It’s indisputable that WrestleMania 30 belonged to the leader of the ‘Yes’ Movement, yet, upon reflection, it’s also hard to deny the impact and significance of Triple H’s role as the antagonist in the historic crowning of Daniel Bryan.” – Humza Hussain

HHH and Ronda Rousey

“I’ve never been a fan of Triple H, whatever era or faction he has been a part of. But, over the last 10 years, we can’t deny what he has done for women in wrestling. At WrestleMania 31, former UFC champion Ronda Rousey jumped the barricade and headed to the ring after The Rock interrupted the long-winded McMahon and HHH who were gloating about their empire. Rousey hit a good hip toss on Triple H, and the crowd went wild, expecting WWE would break a glass ceiling and make an intergender match.

“At WrestleMania 34, it was not The Rock but Kurt Angle who teamed up against HHH and Stephanie, two Olympic medallists reunited in The Grandest Stage of Them All. When Rousey entered the ring to face off with HHH, the roar of the crowd was deafening. After all, we had waited 3 years to see that moment. While the official tried to prevent an intergender fight from taking place, HHH was all for it. Even when he was pummelled with strikes and found himself on Rousey’s shoulders. The confrontation didn’t last long but the fans had what they wanted. And HHH helped Ronda Rousey to show which wood she was made of and how she could change something for the Women Superstars in WWE. – Steph Franchomme

Women in WWE

Even the harshest of critics, and I know I am one of them, would be hard-pressed not to give the devil his due for the work he has done in making Women’s Wrestling a money-making stream for the WWE. Whether it was in the in-house trained athletes who came from other disciplines, or if it was the scouted talent from the world’s Indie scenes. With that talent came different ways of thinking. The first superstar success for women came in the form of Paige who recently noted that the “You had to wrestle like a girl.” mentality was still in place when she won the NXT title. But with the hiring of Sara Amato, formerly known long term Indie stalwart Sara Del “Death” Rey, women built on tropes and attitudes passed down from her lifelong experience, and the hits kept on coming. The Four Horsewomen were the programme’s most lauded talents, but they also attracted Joshi like Kairi Sane, KANA, who would become Asuka, and Io Shirai giving them opportunities they would never have had years before. The Mae Young Classic tournament also offered a different view as to how the women of the wrestling world could be seen. The path to the Wrestlemania Main Event soon followed.” – James Truepenny

All pics and videos courtesy of WWE