In our latest wrestling article, we will rank the best Triple H matches!
Introduction – Best Triple H Matches
So, let’s talk about Triple H. They call him The Game, The King Of Kings, The Cerebral Assassin; they say he’s that damn good. But nowadays, he’s more notable for his contributions off-screen as Chief Content Officer of WWE. In any event, his story is amongst the most fascinating in WWE history. Indeed, he started as the lowest-rung member of The Clique, and he’s now one of wrestling’s most powerful people. Not bad for someone whose career took a fair amount of time to truly take off.
Along the way, with a career spanning over 25 years, HHH amassed quite a record of memorable matches. Furthermore, Triple H faced almost every major star of note, ranging from Golden Era icons to modern greats. But which of his bouts stand as the perfect example of what Trips brought to the table? Which of his matches should you seek out the most if you’re a new fan? That’s what we will examine here as we rank the best Triple H matches. So, let’s take a look at the best matches of Triple H!
Best Triple H Matches – Top Ten
10. Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy – WWE No Mercy 2008, WWE Championship Match
Kicking off our list of the best Triple H matches is this gem from 2008. So, that was a year where we saw H arguably at his best in terms of in-ring consistency between PPV events. And here, he came up against a red-hot challenger in Jeff Hardy. Fans wanted Hardy to take that last big step and win his first World Title. Could he do so here against HHH at No Mercy 2008?
As it turned out: no. However, H treated Hardy like a true equal (unlike their previous PPV singles match at Armageddon 2007). And Jeff came within a hairline fracture of capturing the title on numerous occasions. Hardy even hit the Twist Of Fate/Swanton Bomb combo. But H reversed the pinfall attempt into a cradle, and this kept the gold against Trips’ waist. Hardy would eventually, finally capture the WWE Title against HHH and Edge at Armageddon 2008.
9. The Rock vs. Triple H – WWF SummerSlam 1998, Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match
We couldn’t have written a list of the best Triple H matches without this entry. That’s because it was a landmark moment for both competitors prior to each man breaking into the main event scene. So, the rivalry between D-Generation X and the Nation Of Domination was long-running. And central to the saga were its two leaders, HHH and Rock. After a brutal Raw brawl, the stage was set for a Ladder match in Madison Square Garden at SummerSlam 1998.
In numerous ways, it was the ideal time for this encounter, coming just before Ladder matches became stunt shows. Here, the ladder was only part of the story rather than the actual story. And along the way, we still got numerous memorable moments. Not least Rock dropping a People’s Elbow on HHH while he was laying on the ladder. In the end, a Chyna low blow gave H the win to end Rock’s lengthy reign as Intercontinental Champion. As it turned out, a knee injury cut HHH’s reign short, but it’s still a very enjoyable battle.
8. Triple H vs. Cactus Jack – WWF No Way Out 2000, WWF Championship Hell In A Cell Match
Next up on our list of the best Triple H matches is a sequel to a higher-ranking encounter. So, the HHH-Cactus feud would continue beyond Royal Rumble, with Jack demanding one more title shot. H agreed to it for No Way Out 2000, and even agreed to Hell In A Cell as the stipulation. But there was one catch: if he lost, Cactus would have to retire. Along the way, Jack promised to destroy H almost beyond recognition.
On the night, Jack almost succeeded as he tore open both HHH and the Cell structure itself. They made their way onto the roof of the cage, where Cactus lit his trusty “Barbie” on fire! But a huge backdrop by HHH shockingly sent Jack through the Cell roof and through the ring. One Pedigree later, and it was over; both the match, and Mick Foley’s career, it seemed. Okay, so Foley returned for the next PPV. But that doesn’t take away from how exciting this Hell In A Cell match was.
7. Batista vs. Triple H – WWE Vengeance 2005, World Heavyweight Championship Hell In A Cell Match
As this list of the best Triple H matches indicates, HHH often thrived in weapon-based brawls. Yet this was no guarantee of artistic success, as some of his HIAC duds would prove. Nevertheless, he was at the top of his game (no pun intended) for this showdown with Batista. So, the slow disintegration of Evolution would lead to incredible television in early 2005. Mind you, neither of the HHH-Batista battles at WrestleMania 21 nor Backlash 2005 were particularly memorable.
That didn’t apply to this absolute war of a match, though. HHH was bleeding buckets early on, but he evened things up with a barbed wire-wrapped steel chair. Oh, yes. Batista took a right beating from The Game, who was determined to reclaim his World Heavyweight Title. But The Animal would rally with a spinebuster onto steel stairs and, eventually, a Batista Bomb. This victory would end the Batista-HHH saga, and it would establish Batista as a permanent main eventer. As far as elevating his opponent, HHH did his job perfectly here, in more ways than one.
6. Triple H vs. Chris Jericho – WWF Fully Loaded 2000, Last Man Standing Match
Just missing out on the five best Triple H matches is this outstanding effort from Fully Loaded 2000. So, at the time, Chris Jericho was a rising star who needed a breakout moment as a potential main eventer. He had seemingly pinned HHH for the WWF Championship previously, but that result was quickly overturned. Yet the animosity remained, and after Y2J got involved in H’s business, this epic encounter was announced.
On the night, we got storytelling akin to what we would see at SummerSlam 2002 (more about that later). So, H would dominate much of the match, specifically targeting Jericho’s injured ribs. But Y2J fought back and ended up busting HHH wiiiiiide open with a chairshot. Chris would also trap Stephanie McMahon in the Walls Of Jericho to an almighty pop. But H survived long enough to drive Jericho through an announcer’s table with a back suplex. Just barely getting to his feet in time for ten, H was the winner here, but only just.
Best Triple H Matches – Top Five
5. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Triple H – WWF No Way Out 2001, Three Stages Of Hell Match
Now we come to the five best Triple H matches. And we come to a bit of a cheat, as we have three matches in one! So, the roots of the Austin-HHH feud stemmed back to the summer of 1999. Amidst some casual hit-and-run activities and attempted murder, the two men couldn’t stop going after one another. Therefore, it was announced that they would collide once more at No Way Out 2001. HHH earned the right to pick the stipulation, and unusually, he picked Three Stages Of Hell.
So, the first fall was about straight wrestling, which was arguably out of place given the nature of the feud. Austin won that one, before we got the second fall, a Street Fight. This was the highlight of the contest, with both men utterly destroying one another. A Pedigree tied things up, before we got the climax of a Steel Cage match. By now, both men were spent, but that added to the story as we wondered what each competitor had left. A double weapon strike led to H fortunately landing over Austin to surprisingly win the match. It’s a shame that we didn’t see babyface H against heel Austin later in 2001 as originally planned. But this still stands as the best battle of their epic rivalry.
4. Triple H vs. The Rock – WWF Backlash 2000, WWF Championship Match
It’s another entry from the year 2000, and we come to a match that perfectly summarises the Attitude Era. Now, I did consider using the Iron Man match from Judgment Day 2000 in this spot to represent the legendary HHH-Rock rivalry. But despite the iconic Undertaker moment in that match, I feel that this bout just about eclipses it. So, Rock got royally screwed at WrestleMania 2000 but got himself a title shot at Backlash 2000. The deck was stacked against Rock, not least with Shane McMahon as special guest referee. But the voice of reason, Linda McMahon, promised a returning Stone Cold Steve Austin as Rock’s cornerman.
As it turned out, Austin was AWOL for much of the match. This allowed HHH and Rock to do their thing, and given their great chemistry, this section alone was well worth watching. We also got a double Rock Bottom to HHH and Shane through the Spanish announcer’s table. But then the numbers game came into effect, and Rock looked a beaten man … until the glass smashed and fans went crazy. After a ton of shenanigans, a People’s Elbow finished off H and crowned a new WWF Champion. Classic stuff, then, but this doesn’t quite crack the three best Triple H matches in our eyes.
Best Triple H Matches – Top Three
3. The Undertaker vs. Triple H – WWE WrestleMania XXVIII, Hell In A Cell Match
We’re now at the top three best Triple H matches, and we come to an unforgettable WrestleMania encounter. Again, storytelling was key here, and this was the sequel to The Undertaker vs. HHH at WrestleMania XXVII. So, despite losing to Taker, H had seemingly beaten his opponent to an almost irreparable degree. From there, the Phenom would implore Trips for a rematch, who in his new role as COO would decline. After one too many insults, H accepted, but only under Hell In A Cell rules. Oh, and Shawn Michaels was installed as special guest referee, just to add to the intrigue.
Of course, the wider story at WrestleMania XXVIII was about whether HHH could end The Streak. And he nearly did, most notably with a Pedigree/Sweet Chin Music combo that Taker barely endured. That is the most famous moment of the match, but the bout as a whole is utterly compelling. Furthermore, after Taker’s inevitable triumph, we get a curtain call of sorts between all three legends at the top of the stage. Many would argue that both Taker and HHH should have retired right here. But while it wasn’t quite the End Of An Era as promised, it’s still an amazing spectacle to witness.
2. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H – WWE SummerSlam 2002, Unsanctioned Match
We’re almost at the end of our list of the best Triple H matches. Now, the word “masterpiece” could describe this effort, ironically coming during one of H’s weaker years in the ring. So, due to various unexpected events and storyline changes, we got a HHH-Shawn moment at Vengeance 2002. That seemingly set up a D-Generation X reunion the next night, but instead H would Pedigree Michaels. One week later, H orchestrated a brutal car windshield assault on Shawn as H told Shawn he was finished. But instead, Michaels vowed to face HHH at SummerSlam, marking his first WWE match since WrestleMania XIV.
Honestly, I went into this bout with low expectations. That’s because few believed that Shawn was physically capable of a great match. But instead, we got an absolute classic with a simple yet effective story. Namely, that H exploited Shawn’s back injury to the nth degree until HBK was able to make a valiant recovery. The more he did, the better it got, and a shock victory via a basic roll-up led to an almighty pop. H did dampen festivities with a violent sledgehammer attack after the match. But that would only instigate a larger feud between the two DX co-founders. If you’ve never seen this match from SummerSlam 2002, make sure to watch it ASAP.
Top Ranking – Best Triple H Matches
1. Triple H vs. Cactus Jack – WWF Royal Rumble 2000, WWF Championship Street Fight
And so we come to the end of our “Triple H best matches” list. There are classic matches, and then there are career-defining matches. That’s what we have here, where HHH stepped up and proved beyond doubt that he belonged in the main event scene. So, the story went that HHH and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley went on a power trip, and fired Mankind along the way. Mick Foley would return, but he would resurrect the Cactus Jack persona in a memorable angle. That leads us to Royal Rumble 2000, where both men tore it up in Madison Square Garden. Or more precisely, Cactus tore up HHH with barbed wire, leaving the reigning WWF Champion a bloody mess.
Yet the violence enhanced the story rather than becoming the story, as we witnessed Cactus punish HHH for his sins. Ultimately, though, The Game was crafty enough to avoid the most damage as he backdropped Cactus into a pile of thumbtacks. If that wasn’t enough, two Pedigrees – the second Pedigree landing on the tacks! – secured a win for the champion. As HHH’s breakout performance against an always-giving Foley, and with jaw-dropping spots, it’s a classic brawl. And for those reasons and more, this war simply must top our rankings of the best Triple H matches.
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So, those are our thoughts on the best Triple H matches. But what do you think? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
