Manik Aftab on January 13, 2023
Triple H solidified himself as a main eventer during the Attitude Era. The Cerebral Assassin’s career soared during the Ruthless Aggression Era after he added the World Heavyweight Championship to his resume.
Triple H squared off against fellow legends of the business including Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Booker T, and Scott Steiner during the infamous “reign of terror.” The Game had a mini feud against Big Poppa Pump in the buildup to WrestleMania 19.
Their first singles televised match transpired at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event on January 19, 2003. The face of Evolution retained his title via disqualification that night at the Fleet Center in Boston.
It is safe to say that the Royal Rumble bout is not one of Triple H’s finest. To this day, fans are divided over the match, with many still pointing fingers at Hunter for deliberately making Steiner look bad.
Former WWE commentator Jim Ross, however, doesn’t believe Triple H intentionally hurt the match’s reputation. Speaking on the latest Grilling JR podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer called Triple H a professional.
“No, hell no. Triple H is not gonna go out there and have a stinker on purpose. No. It’s gonna sound bad, he’s a professional (…) His ego, and I say that in a good way, he’s got a lot of pride, he’s not gonna go out there and stink up the joint on purpose.”
The two would meet again, this time at No Way Out. Triple H would once again successfully retain his title against the one-half of Steiner Brothers in a contest that was a little better than their previous meeting.
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January 13, 2023 1:35 pm
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